Grade K SCP 39 £50,269- SCP 43 £54,495
Contract: Permanent
Essential Requirement: DBS, Registered with Social Work England and be at least five years post qualified with experience working in a children's social work setting
Essential Qualification: Must have a Social Work Qualification and registered with Social Work England.
Interview date: 18th June 2026
For further information about this role, contact Jennifer Kenny, Jennifer.kenny@bolton.gov.uk
Unfortunately, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.
Artificial Intelligence
We embrace AI to enhance our operations and to innovate our services. However, we value human talent and are looking for passionate individuals to join our organisation. Please ensure you personally complete your application and read all instructions carefully to maximise your chances of success. Applications that rely too heavily on AI may be rejected during shortlisting, however we understand that AI may be used as a reasonable adjustment. If using AI to support your application, please give a brief explanation why to help ensure a fair selection process. Ask us about flexible working options to fit with your work/life balance.
The Role
As Workforce Development Manager, you will play a pivotal role in shaping, delivering, and evaluating a workforce development offer that supports high quality practice across Children’s Services. Working under the leadership of the Principal Social Worker, you will lead on the delivery of the workforce development strategy, learner programmes, and career pathways that strengthen recruitment, retention, progression, and succession planning.
You will oversee social work entry pathways and learner programmes, including ASYE, apprenticeships, students, return to practice routes, and practice educator development, ensuring they are well designed, effectively delivered, and continuously improved. You will lead training needs analysis across the workforce, using insight from data, evaluation, and feedback to inform training priorities and align workforce development activity with organisational improvement and statutory requirements.
You will work in close partnership with managers, advanced practitioners, QA and practice improvement colleagues, HR and wider partners to embed a strong learning culture. You will champion Bolton’s Practice Approach, practice standards and values, ensuring learning is purposeful, practice focussed and translates into improved outcomes for children, young people and families.
As a member of the Principal Social Work management team, you will provide professional challenge, influence strategic decision making and contribute to inspection readiness and service improvement. You will also represent Bolton through partnership working and external engagement, helping to position the council as a credible, supportive and aspirational place to work and learn.
About You
You are an experienced and credible registered social worker, with significant post qualifying experience in children’s social work and a strong commitment to developing a confident, capable and values led workforce. You have a deep understanding of statutory children’s services, current legislation and national drivers, and what good practice looks like in complex, pressurised environments.
You ideally bring strong expertise in workforce development, learning culture design and programme delivery, with experience of leading social work entry pathways, ASYE and learner programmes, and supporting career progression. You are skilled in training needs analysis, evaluation and reporting, using insight to shape effective, evidence informed development activity that has tangible impact on practice.
You are confident working strategically and operationally, able to manage multiple priorities and lead complex workstreams while maintaining focus on quality and outcomes. You have strong influencing and communication skills, enabling you to work effectively with senior leaders, managers, practitioners and partners, and to provide constructive challenge where needed.
You are organised, reflective and resilient, with excellent written and verbal communication skills. You are committed to partnership working, continuous improvement and professional development, and you model Bolton’s values in everything you do. Above all, you are motivated by making a difference, creating the conditions in which practitioners can thrive and deliver the best possible outcomes for children and families.
Benefits
* Generous annual leave allowance
* Flexible work opportunities
* Access to a Pension Scheme
* Employee wellbeing and support services
* Discounts and exclusive gym membership prices
* Salary sacrifice schemes
Legal & EEO Statements
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable adults and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) clearance is required. This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (amended in 2013). Employment offers are conditional subject to satisfactory clearances. The possession of a criminal record will not necessarily bar an individual from working with us. Information provided by you or the DBS will be dealt with confidentially and in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice.
This post is a designated customer facing role under the fluency duty and requires a specified level of spoken English as per the person specification.
This organisation has signed up to the Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment. That means we will recognise your continuous or ‘unbroken’ service in any Greater Manchester local authority or NHS organisation that has signed the commitment, Transport for Greater Manchester, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service or Greater Manchester Combined Authority, giving you access to our service-related benefits. Please see the home page of greater.jobs for more information.
Contact
If you would like to discuss this role further, please contact the Principal Social Worker at Jennifer.Kenny@bolton.gov.uk.
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