Fostering Support Worker

Priority Candidates will be considered in the first instance

Wigan Life Centre South

Salary: Grade 6, £30,515 - £33,673 per annum.

37 hours per week

Temporary until 6^th December 2027

We're on a journey to build a workforce reflective of our Borough.

We are committed to fostering diverse teams where everybody can bring their authentic selves to work and feel that they belong. If you want to work for a Council where everybody is encouraged to meet their full potential and make a difference in our neighbourhoods, we would love to hear from you!

Your role:

Your role will be to support Kinship Foster Carers and prospective Special Guardians to a high standard to support children remaining within friends and family networks where safe, if they are unable to remain with their parents. You will prioritise safeguarding and stability whilst ensuring practice is regulatory compliant. You will be a child focussed practitioner with a focus on improving experiences and outcomes for children and young people. You will be a team player and innovative problem solver, able to work using initiative and have strong interpersonal skills to not only engage carers, but to build supportive relationships with colleagues.

About you:

You will be a passionate and motivated Fostering Support Worker who appreciates the importance of supporting some of our most vulnerable children to remain within their families if they are unable to remain with parents. You will have excellent assessment and communication skills. You will be able to work using initiative and have strong interpersonal skills to not only engage carers, but to build robust relationships with colleagues. You will be a team player and be able to see the strengths in all you encounter with a keen commitment to problem solve innovatively.

About us:

You will be joining a busy and proactive team of Supervising Social Workers, Fostering Support Workers and other colleagues who strive to support Wigan’s children to live in family settings where they cannot live with parents.

Wigan is a great place to work, and as a Local Authority, we truly value and recognise our staff as its greatest asset. We are ambitious about our offer to Wigan’s children and young people, and our shared goal is to ensure that children and young people are supported within their family and friends’ network that prepare them for adulthood. Through our “Team Wigan” behaviours, Be Courageous, Be Accountable, Be Kind and Be Positive, we actively encourage innovation, strive to deliver outstanding services and celebrate our successes.

The Progress with Unity plan is a place movement for change for the next decade, bringing a new era for Wigan Borough. It draws on the strengths of our individual organisations, recognising that together we can achieve much more for our communities by delivering on our 2 place missions; create fair opportunities for all children, families, residents and businesses and make our towns and neighbourhoods flourish for those who live and work in them.

Here at Wigan, we are proud to support flexible working patterns, when the service can accommodate this. We also take a blended approach to where we work, depending on the work we do. This may include working from home, the office, or the community. We like to thank our employees for their hard work and commitment by giving them the opportunity to access a range of exclusive rewards and benefits click here to find out more about working for #TeamWigan

To be appointed to this role you must be able to prove your right to work in the UK, and you must maintain a valid (active) right to work. Please note, at present we are not a licenced sponsor. Please visit the link below to check you qualify to apply. Prove your right to work to an employer: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Prove your right to work to an employer

Wigan Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. As part of this commitment, Wigan Council operates robust Safer Recruitment procedures

We recognise that on occasion candidates may use AI tools. Please read our applying authentically section below before submitting your application.

For further information, an informal discussion about the post do not hesitate to contact Steven Potter, Team Manager on 07734848800

Interview date: Tuesday 20^th November 2026

This role is subject to an enhanced DBS plus adult and child barred list check

The employer is committed to safeguarding

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