Senior Social Worker, Preparing For Adulthood Team

This is your opportunity to help shape the future of social work with young people at one of the most significant points in their lives. As a Senior Social Worker in our Preparing for Adulthood Team, you will:

• Lead on the most complex and high-risk cases, supporting young people with learning disabilities, neurodivergence, physical disabilities, sensory impairments and complex needs as they transition into adulthood.
• Chair MDT meetings and Adult Safeguarding meetings.
• Provide professional leadership, guidance and support to social workers, social care assessors and person centred planners promoting high-quality, strengths-based person-centred and trauma-informed practice.
• Undertake complex assessments and care planning, applying legislative frameworks including the Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act 2005 and associated statutory guidance.
• Lead and contribute to Mental Capacity Assessments and Best Interests decision-making processes, ensuring that individuals' rights, wishes and outcomes remain at the centre of all practice.
• Provide expertise and consultation in relation to safeguarding adults, managing risk, complex family dynamics and multi-agency working.
• Support and advise practitioners in relation to legislative frameworks affecting young people and adults with care and support needs.
• Work collaboratively with health colleagues and wider partners to support Continuing Healthcare (CHC) assessments, reviews and decision-making processes where appropriate.
• Work closely with education, health, children's services, housing, commissioning, providers and voluntary sector partners to ensure seamless transition planning and positive outcomes for young people and their families.
• Contribute to service development, quality assurance and practice improvement activity, supporting the development of excellent social work practice across the service.
• Act as a role model for professional practice, supporting colleagues with complex decision-making, reflective practice and professional development.

This is a pivotal role within Manchester's Preparing for Adulthood Service. As a Senior Social Worker, you will not only make a profound difference to the lives of individual young people and families, but will also play a key role in shaping the quality, culture and direction of the service itself.

For an informal discussion, please contact the hiring managers, Veronica Trickey (veronica.trickey@manchester.gov.uk) or Sarah Marley (sarah.marley@manchester.gov.uk) to arrange a convenient time to discuss the role.

We are looking for an experienced and confident social worker who:

• Is a qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England.
• Has a minimum of three years' post-qualifying social work experience working with adults with care and support needs.
• Has substantial experience of undertaking Mental Capacity Assessments, leading Best Interests decisions, and applying the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
• Has experience of safeguarding adults, risk management and multi-agency working.
• Has knowledge and practical experience of the legal frameworks that support the rights of people who may lack capacity.
• Has experience of working with or alongside Continuing Healthcare (CHC) processes and multidisciplinary health colleagues.
• Demonstrates excellent assessment, analytical and decision-making skills.
• Is passionate about improving outcomes for young people and supporting them to achieve a successful transition into adulthood.
• Can provide professional leadership and support to colleagues while championing strengths-based, person-centred practice.

Essential requirements for the role:

To Be Successful In This Role, You Will

• Be a qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England.
• Have a minimum of three years' post-qualifying experience working with adults with care and support needs.
• Demonstrate sound knowledge and practical application of relevant legislation and policy, including the Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act 2005, Equality Act 2010 and Human Rights Act 1998.
• Have significant experience of undertaking Mental Capacity Assessments and leading or contributing to Best Interests decision-making.
• Have experience of co-ordinating safeguarding concerns and undertaking safeguarding enquiries in partnership with other agencies.
• Have experience of working with health professionals and contributing to Continuing Healthcare (CHC)assessments, reviews and multi-disciplinary decision-making.
• Demonstrate the ability to manage highly complex casework, balancing risk, rights, professional judgement and person-centred outcomes.
• Have experience of multi-agency working.
• Possess excellent assessment, analytical, report-writing and communication skills, with the ability to present information clearly and confidently in a range of settings.
• Be able to provide professional guidance, support and leadership to colleagues, demonstrating a commitment to high-quality practice and continuous improvement.
• Demonstrate a commitment to strengths-based, person-centred practice and promoting the rights, independence and aspirations of young people as they transition into adulthood.

Desirable requirements that would be useful in this role:

• Experience of working with people with learning disabilities, neurodivergence, physical disabilities, sensory impairments and complex needs.
• Experience of working with young people between the ages of 16 and 25 in transition between children's and adult's services.
• Knowledge of Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND code of practice.
• Experience of partnership working with key stakeholders including health, education, children's services, housing, providers, carers and community organisations to achieve positive outcomes.
• Experience of providing informal practice leadership, mentoring, coaching or specialist consultation to other social workers and professionals working with complex cases

We’re the local council for one of the UK’s most vibrant and diverse cities.

Working for Manchester isn’t just a job - it’s an opportunity to contribute to a city that leads change and transforms lives. Whether it’s strengthening communities or driving innovation in public services, you’ll play a vital role in creating opportunities and shaping a brighter future for everyone.

Our Manchester Is Our Vision For a Fairer, Greener, And Healthier City - a Vision Shaped By The People Of Manchester. It Guides Everything We Do At The Council And Is Brought To Life Through The Our Manchester Behaviours

• We take time to listen and understand
• We work together and trust each other
• We show that we value our differences and treat each other fairly
• We ‘own it’ and we’re not afraid to try new things
• We’re proud and passionate about Manchester

Benefits We Offer

• Generous holiday allowance - Enjoy up to 26 days annual leave per year plus bank holidays. Increasing to 31 days after five years of local government