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Interested in starting a new career?

Looking at doing something more rewarding?
Do you want to get paid £31,536 a year whilst you train, and have University fees paid for you?
If so, then a Social Work Apprenticeship could be for you.

Designed in conjunction with employers, this course is taught part-time over two and a half years at the Manchester Metropolitan University campus in central Manchester.
Over 30 months, this course will train and qualify you as a resilient, knowledgeable and compassionate social worker, by successfully completing a Social Work degree (BSc) through the Social Work Apprenticeship Programme. (Applicants who already have a degree are able to apply for the apprenticeship however this will be at undergrad level).
Applicants aged 18 and over can apply for this Apprenticeship with no upper age limit.

Want to know more?
We are currently recruiting for Social Work Apprentices in Children’s Social Care. You can read the job description and person specification here and the programme information booklet can be found attached to this advert.

We will be undertaking a Q&A session on Monday 20th October 2025 at 6pm. If you wish to attend this, please contact Yvonne Thatcher on yvonne.thatcher@oldham.gov.uk for the link. Please note that by adding you to the Microsoft Teams invite, your email may be visible to others (i.e. in the invited list) and by asking for the link, you are giving your permission to be added and potentially visible.
(Please note - Yvonne will be out of the office until the 16th October 2025, but will reply on her return, please be patient.)

Please note the deadline for applications is 23:59 on 26th October 2025.

Assessment Process:
If successful at shortlisting, you will be required to attend an ‘Assessment Centre’ for 1 hour on one of the following days. 10th, 11th or 12th November 2025.
If successful at the Assessment Centre, you will be invited to interview on 25th, 26th or 27th November.
If successful at interview, you will need to complete an online comprehension test with Manchester Metropolitan University on the week commenting 9th December 2025, 10am on Microsoft Teams.

If have any specific questions prior to application, then please get in touch with Yvonne Thatcher via email: yvonne.thatcher@oldham.gov.uk before 24th October 2025.
The next cohort of Social Work Apprentices will start studying in March 2026.

If you have completed the GM Elevate (Leadership Development) Programme, please indicate this within the ‘About You’ or ‘Supporting Statement’ section of your application.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and therefore expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

About Us:

We want Oldham to have vibrant, safe neighbourhoods where people are proud to live with opportunities for healthier, more fulfilled lives; and a sustainable, thriving economy. As we look to the future, the challenges may be significant, but so are the opportunities. We’ve identified three missions with our residents and partners, focusing on what will deliver the biggest impact:

A Great Place to Live, Healthier, Happier Lives, and Green and Growing.

We’re looking for candidates who will support us to achieve our ambitions and we encourage you to download our Corporate Plan: Ready for the Future and our Oldham Plan for further information.

Our Values and Behaviours:

By driving innovation, investing in our people, and championing our communities, we will ensure that Oldham continues to be a place where everyone can live their best life. To support this, we have three core values which define who we are and how we operate. These are ‘Proud, Ambitious, and Together’, and they shape our culture, inform our decisions, and inspire us to deliver on our commitments to the people of Oldham.

We have translated these values into five behaviours which guide our actions and are the standards we hold ourselves to, day in and day out:

Work with a resident focus
Support local leaders
Committed to the borough
Delivery high performance
Take ownership and drive change

You can find out more about our values and behaviours on our greater.jobs Oldham page

Our Benefits Package:

At Oldham Council we offer a great benefits package for our employees, which includes the following:

25 days annual leave which increases after 5 and 10-years’ service
The option to purchase additional annual leave.
An attractive LGPS benefit pension scheme with the option to make shared cost additional voluntary contributions.
Discounted gym membership with Oldham Active.
Staff discount scheme for shopping, entertainment, eating-out, eating-in, travel, motoring and more.
Salary sacrifice scheme for home and electronics and Cycle to Work.
Wellbeing support, including a Mental Health First Aider network and an Employment Assistance Programme that provides 24 hours access to advice and support.
Staff recognition and celebration events.
Peer support groups

Inclusive Recruitment:

We work closely with employees to help them work at their best, including making adjustments such as flexible working, describing available working patterns, providing equipment or making changes to the workplace.

If you’re an applicant with disabilities and have previously been in or currently in care, a carer or someone who has served in the Armed Forces and you meet the essential criteria of the role, you are guaranteed to reach the first stage of assessment under ourGuaranteed Assessment Scheme.

Data and Privacy:

For details of how we use your data please see our privacy notice.

Important Information:

Please note that should a vacancy that has been released for internal or external recruitment be deemed suitable for a current employee at risk of redundancy, it can be pulled back at any point, up to the post being formally offered to a candidate who is not at risk of redundancy.

While we embrace the use of AI as an innovative tool to maximise our services at Oldham Council, we are looking for authenticity in applications we receive. We therefore ask you to think carefully if choosing to use AI when completing your application and ask that you ensure you read all instructions carefully and that your application is written by you and reflects your skills, knowledge and enthusiasm.

Oldham Council

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