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- Tasks: Join our team to support children and families through assessments and planning.
- Company: Trafford Council is dedicated to improving lives in Greater Manchester with a friendly, supportive environment.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, manageable workloads, flexible hours, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in children's lives while working in a positive, collaborative culture.
- Qualifications: Must have at least 2 years of post-qualifying experience as a social worker.
- Other info: We offer a strong induction programme and ongoing support to help you thrive.
The predicted salary is between 30700 - 34600 £ per year.
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Experienced Social Workers – Families First Children’s Services, Greater Manchester
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Client:
Location:
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom
Job Category:
Other
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EU work permit required:
Yes
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Job Reference:
49983a4dd520
Job Views:
8
Posted:
18.07.2025
Expiry Date:
01.09.2025
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Job Description:
Experienced Social Workers Families First Children’s Services
Salary: Band 8 (Level 3), £39,513 – £41,511 per annum. To aid attraction and retention of Band 8 (Level 3) Social Workers, Trafford have in place a market factor supplement of £2,400 per annum (pro rata to hours worked) which is payable monthly and reviewed on an annual basis.
Contract: Permanent
Location: Location: Borough-wide, main office locations Trafford Town Hall or Sale Waterside
Here in Trafford Children’s Services our vision is that our teams are offering the right help at the right time, and that at all levels our interventions make life better for children and families. We are ambitious for our children and for our practitioners – and our core value is ‘would this be good enough for my child’?
We want to have practitioners and managers who are confident and brave in their practice and are supported by strong leaders at all levels. As a relatively small local authority, we pride ourselves on our friendly teams, manageable caseloads, creative approach and colleagues who support each other. We were pleased to see this recognised in the Ofsted report that followed our ILACS inspection in late 2022, which highlighted that “social workers in Trafford are overwhelmingly positive about both the local authority and the support they receive.”
In Trafford our approach is strengths-based, using relational and restorative practice. Our recent Ofsted report referred to our \”relational model of social work practice, which is well regarded by the wider workforce, has been successfully implemented.”
We believe that a culture and environment in which our managers and social workers can thrive is an essential element of improving outcomes for children and families. Our 2023 Ofsted report recognised this, noting a “cultural shift (that) has been underpinned by a strong training offer to support social workers to develop the skills they need to provide a better service to children”.
We are currently recruiting Experienced Social Workers (in line with PCF), with at least 2 years post qualifying experience to our First Response Service and would love to hear from you;
Families First (localities)
This is our dedicated Child in Need Service where you will work on a locality basis with children and families that require a social work assessment. We have developed a specialised service in this area of work to allow us to strengthen our assessment and planning for children in need and their families, raising the status of children in need and ensuring a consistent approach across the borough. Teams complete duty on a rota basis and social workers will have a varied workload including undertaking section 47 enquiries, completing child and family assessments and holding a manageable case load of children who are supported through child in need planning.
It is also important that social workers in this service are able to build relational partnerships that strengthen our work and enable the step down of plans where it is safe to do so and in the families’ timescales.
Roles currently available in the following teams:
· Central (based in Sale)
· South (based in Altrincham)
· North (based in Stretford)
· West (based in Stretford)
Our commitment to you
We know that when you come to work in Trafford, we have a responsibility to provide you with the right tools and support to flourish in your new role.
Induction
We have recently updated our induction programme for new colleagues joining us at all levels. During your first two weeks you will have protected time to get to know your team, our systems and other parts of the service.
We are absolutely committed to ensuring that your workload is manageable. This isn’t necessarily a specific caseload number, as we all know that numbers don’t necessarily reflect the complexity of the children and families you are working with. But we believe that manageable workloads are critical, and managers will support you and confirm priorities through discussion and supervision. We have performance management reporting of caseloads and therefore at all levels we are responsible for monitoring workloads across the service.
There will be times where there is a level of flexibility required to meet the needs of the service or for individual children you work with, particularly in times of crisis. We will ensure that you are able to take additional hours back quickly to give you balance between your work and home life.
Supervision
One of our practice-led improvements has been to refresh our supervision framework, which has been a really exciting piece of work. We commit to offering monthly formal supervision that is both reflective and supportive and provides you with clear advice, guidance and direction. We also offer peer supervision as part of our refreshed framework, with practitioners involved in deciding the topics of discussion.
Opportunities for progression
A number of Trafford social workers have recently had the opportunity to undertake project secondments and DfE pilot work. We’re always on the lookout for new initiatives that will benefit our service and our practitioners, and we will support you to step up and develop your skills in new ways wherever possible.
It is always wonderful to see colleagues progress within the service and we are keen to support our social workers to reach their full career potential here at Trafford.
A note from Pamela Wharton, Director of Early Help and Social Care.
“Thank you for showing your interest in a role here in Trafford. I hope that you find the information we have provided helpful and that you feel that Trafford is somewhere you want to come and work.
“Trafford is a great place to work and we are striving to make it even better. We believe the service structure we now have in place is working well and is enabling children and families to get the right help at the right time. You will find more information directly from colleagues about working at Trafford on our website. We hope you will like what you see and hear – and will be inspired to join us.
“I look forward to receiving your application. I firmly believe together we can truly make a difference.”
About us
Trafford Council and its partners in the public, private and third sectors have a Vision which sees us working together to close inequality gaps and maximise Trafford’s huge potential.
Our vision: Trafford where all our residents, businesses and communities thrive.
Trafford is a lively, prosperous place to put down roots and build a career. The council and Trafford schools employ around 8,000 people, who are central to making the area great. In return for their commitment, the council offers its employees development opportunities, as well as a fair and flexible workplace. The council is a Living Wage Employer.
About the benefits
You will be welcomed into a friendly environment where your personal and professional development will be encouraged. You will have the opportunity to work and grow in a people-centered and values-based organisation that promotes a positive permission culture. Your opinions matter so you will have the opportunity to shape how we do things here at Trafford.
To learn more about Trafford as a place to work visit and t o view more about our awards and benefits please visit: Trafford – Benefits | www.inploi.com (greater.jobs)
OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION
Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment – greater.jobs | www.inploi.com
For this opportunity, you must be able to prove you have the right to work in the UK – if in doubt please visit the following link Employers\’ right to work checklist – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) . Please note we are not a licensed sponsor.
Privacy Notice – The Council needs to hold and process information about employees, workers and other individuals as appropriate, for various reasons. With the General Data Protection Regulations coming into force we have in place a new privacy notice for staff, contractors, volunteers, trainees, those on work experience and job applicants. To find out more, please click here: Recruitment & Employment Privacy Notice (trafford.gov.uk)
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Experienced Social Workers – Families First Children’s Services employer: Trafford Council
Contact Detail:
Trafford Council Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Experienced Social Workers – Families First Children’s Services
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with Trafford's vision and values, especially their focus on relational and restorative practice. This will help you align your responses during interviews and demonstrate that you share their commitment to making a positive impact on children and families.
✨Tip Number 2
Network with current or former employees of Trafford Children’s Services. Engaging with them can provide valuable insights into the work culture and expectations, which you can leverage in your discussions during the interview process.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare specific examples from your previous experience that showcase your ability to handle complex cases and build strong relationships with families. Highlighting these skills will resonate well with the team’s emphasis on strengths-based approaches.
✨Tip Number 4
Research Trafford's recent Ofsted reports and any initiatives they have implemented. Being knowledgeable about their achievements and challenges will show your genuine interest in the role and your readiness to contribute positively to their ongoing development.
We think you need these skills to ace Experienced Social Workers – Families First Children’s Services
Some tips for your application 🫡
Understand the Role: Read the job description thoroughly to understand the specific requirements and responsibilities of the Experienced Social Worker position. Tailor your application to highlight how your experience aligns with their needs.
Highlight Relevant Experience: In your CV and cover letter, emphasise your post-qualifying experience in social work, particularly any work related to children and families. Use specific examples to demonstrate your skills and achievements.
Showcase Your Values: Trafford's core value is 'would this be good enough for my child?'. Reflect this in your application by discussing your commitment to child welfare and how you embody this value in your practice.
Proofread Your Application: Before submitting, carefully proofread your application for any spelling or grammatical errors. A polished application reflects your attention to detail and professionalism.
How to prepare for a job interview at Trafford Council
✨Understand the Values
Familiarise yourself with Trafford's core values, especially the principle of 'would this be good enough for my child?'. This will help you align your answers with their mission and demonstrate your commitment to child welfare.
✨Showcase Your Experience
Prepare to discuss your post-qualifying experience in social work, particularly in relation to child assessments and family support. Be ready to provide specific examples that highlight your skills and successes in similar roles.
✨Emphasise Relational Practice
Since Trafford values relational and restorative practices, be prepared to talk about how you've built strong relationships with families and colleagues in your previous roles. Share examples of how these relationships have positively impacted your work.
✨Ask Insightful Questions
Prepare thoughtful questions about the team dynamics, supervision framework, and opportunities for professional development. This shows your genuine interest in the role and helps you assess if Trafford is the right fit for you.
