Manchester City Council
Senior Social Worker
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Working Hours
2 x 35 Hours Per Week
Contract Type
Permanent, Full Time
Working Style
Hybrid - Employees split their time between working remotely (e.g., from home) and working on-site (e.g., in an office).
Additional Payments
Essential Car User Allowance
Closing Date
11.59pm, 9 October 2026
Interview Method
Face to Face
This Role Is Subject To
Qualification: Social Work Qualification and registration with Social Work England
2 References: Where possible we require 3 years' history
DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) Clearance: This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (amended in 2013). Appointable candidates will be required to apply for an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Information provided by you or the DBS will be dealt with in a confidential manner and in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice which can be viewed here. We have a policy on the Employment of Ex-Offenders and it is available upon request.
Medical Clearance: Pre-placement health assessment (PPHA)
Essential Car Documentation: This post is a designated Essential Car User. Therefore, you must always hold a full valid driving licence and provide your own car for use at work. You will receive the Essential Car User Allowance.
About the Role
As a Senior Social Worker (Hospital Discharge), you'll provide specialist mental health social work support to adults experiencing mental ill-health, complex social circumstances and significant support needs, helping people achieve timely, safe and sustainable discharge from hospital.
You'll help Manchester City Council's Adult Social Care Mental Health Service to deliver high-quality, strengths-based and person-centred interventions, ensuring individuals receive the right support at the right time to maximise independence, recovery and wellbeing. Your work will contribute to improved hospital flow, reduced delayed discharges, fewer avoidable readmissions and better outcomes for Manchester residents.
In This Role You Will
- Lead and coordinate social care involvement in mental health hospital discharge planning.
- Manage a complex caseload and undertake Care Act, Mental Capacity Act and safeguarding responsibilities.
- Assess and manage risk, promoting recovery, independence and positive risk-taking.
- Work with health, housing, safeguarding, voluntary sector and community partners to coordinate effective support.
- Support individuals, carers and colleagues through professional advice, consultation, mentoring and high-quality social work practice.
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For queries about the role, please contact the hiring manager, Joshua Howard at joshua.howard@manchester.gov.uk or Thomas Walker at thomas.walker@manchester.gov.uk, to arrange a convenient time to discuss the role. This route is for vacancy-related enquiries only and should not be used to submit applications.
About You
We’re looking for an experienced and values-driven social worker who can bring sound professional judgement, a strengths-based approach and a clear focus on recovery and independence. You’ll be confident working with complexity, risk and safeguarding, and able to build effective relationships with individuals, carers and partner agencies to support timely and sustainable hospital discharge.
Key Requirements
- A recognised social work qualification and current registration with Social Work England.
- Post-qualifying experience of working with adults experiencing mental ill-health and managing complex casework, including risk and safeguarding.
- Evidence of applying relevant social care legislation and working collaboratively with health, housing and other partners to deliver strengths-based, person-centred outcomes.
Assessment Criteria
We’ll use the following essential criteria to decide which candidates to invite to assessment. Use your personal statement to provide evidence of how you meet each one, supported by relevant examples:
- Qualified Social Worker with current registration with Social Work England.
- Significant experience of mental health social work practice, including complex assessment, risk management and safeguarding.
- Experience of supporting hospital discharge, recovery planning and promoting independence through strengths-based approaches.
- Ability to work effectively across organisational boundaries with health, housing and community partners to achieve positive outcomes for adults and carers.
For guidance on how to write your personal statement, please visit How to Apply - Manchester City Council.
If you’re invited to assessment, we’ll look at a wider range of the role requirements. For more detail, please see the role profile.
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Use of AI
You may use AI to support your application, but all examples must be your own and based on real experience. Applications may be withdrawn if content is misleading or presents someone else's experience as your own. Internal candidates may also face disciplinary action.
Guaranteed Assessment Scheme
We guarantee progression to the assessment stage for applicants who meet the essential criteria used for shortlisting and are eligible under the scheme. Learn more
Support and Adjustments
If you're successful in securing a role, we'll make every effort to provide the support, equipment and reasonable adjustments you need to carry out your duties. Where needed, we'll consider adapting aspects of the role. Learn more
Working for Manchester City Council
Working for Manchester City Council is a chance to make a real difference in a diverse city. You’ll help improve lives and support our local communities. Working together, we can create better public services for everyone.
Benefits we offer
- Up to 26 days’ annual leave, rising to 31 days after five years’ service
- Buy up to two extra weeks’ leave
- Up to 3 days’ volunteering leave
- A 35-hour work week for full-time roles
- We review pay each year and recognise three trade unions
- A defined benefit pension scheme
- Enhanced parental and carers leave
- Employee discounts and perks
Learn more at Careers - Manchester City Council
Our commitment to inclusion
At Manchester City Council, we're dedicated to creating a workplace that fully reflects the diversity of our local communities. We actively encourage applications from people of all ages and backgrounds and are particularly keen to hear from applicants from ethnic minority communities and disabled people, who remain underrepresented in parts of our workforce.
GM Elevate Programme
If you have completed the GM Elevate (Leadership Development) Programme, please indicate this within the 'Personal Statement' section or 'Supporting Statement' section of your application.
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