Specialist Social Worker | Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

Posting date:	14 January 2026
Salary:	Not specified
Additional salary information:	£47,810 - £54,710 per anuum (pro rata)
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	13 February 2026
Location:	Manchester, M13 9WL
Company:	Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
Job type:	Permanent
Job reference:	7685876/349-MCH-7685876-RL4

Summary

To function as an independent senior member of the MDT leading on the identification of social care requirements, safeguarding needs of children and young people, and safeguarding processes within the service ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the children and young people and ensuring staff follow correct policy and procedure).

To contribute towards the management and development of the Service.

To provide social care risk assessments appropriate to the child/ young person’s and parent’s /carers needs and contribute to care planning within a multi-disciplinary team.

To work with and develop effective relationships with voluntary and statutory social care services.

To ensure parents and carers needs are identified and assessed.

To develop the role of social work within the service and ensure active engagement with national inpatient CAMH services.

Safeguarding

To collaborate with Trust safeguarding nurses and name doctor for safeguarding.

To promote safeguarding best practice, working in partnership with the MDT and Safeguarding Team.

To ensure safeguarding referrals are made to the local authority and lead on disclosure work in collaboration with the MDT and Safeguarding Team.

Support families /carers in developing practical parenting strategies which enhance positive parent/carer-child relations.

Access the needs of children and young people who may need Local Authority Children’s Social Care intervention and make appropriate referrals

Create and maintain effective relationships with children, young people, their parents, families, and carers to ensure diverse needs are identified, met and reviewed.

To liaise with local authorities under Section 85 of the Children Act where children have been, or are expected to be, an inpatient for three months or more

To further enhance safeguarding training and safeguarding supervision to service staff in accordance with Trust and Divisional Safeguarding Supervision Policy and Safeguarding Training Needs Analysis.

To provide information and advice and signpost to resources on safeguarding children/young people and be accessible to all staff to support their day-to-day practices

Please see JD &PS for further information.

Join Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) and become part of a 30,000 plus strong team, delivering exceptional care to over 1 million people every year. As the largest provider of specialist services, and our Oxford Road Campus in Manchester, the largest health academic campus in Europe, we are forward-thinking, committed to clinical excellence and driven to deliver innovation, and continuous improvement.
Whether you’re beginning your career or taking the next step, MFT offers a stimulating and supportive environment where your contribution truly matters. Our Hive Electronic Patient Record system enables safer, smarter, and more efficient ways of working - empowering you to deliver the best possible outcomes for our patients.
You’ll be part of a collaborative, multi-disciplinary community, working alongside professionals from a wide range of clinical backgrounds. Together, we push boundaries, share knowledge, and deliver care that transforms lives.
At MFT, you’ll find a workplace where everyone is respected, supported, and encouraged to thrive. We offer clear clinical pathways for professional development, helping you grow your skills and achieve your ambitions.
Your journey at MFT is more than a job - it’s an opportunity to make a lasting impact. We’ll support you as you shape the future of healthcare, one patient at a time.

To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience you’ll need, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the ‘Supporting Documents’ heading. So that you’re even more equipped to make an informed decision to apply to us, you’ll need to take time to read the ‘Candidate Essentials Guide’ that sits with the Job Description and Person Specification. This document provides you with details about the Trust, our benefits and outlines how ‘we care for you as you care for others’. Most importantly, it also contains critical information you’ll need to be aware of before you submit an application form.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your application

Here at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, we’re proud to beALL HERE FOR YOU—for our patients, our communities, and each other.

As part of our commitment to fairness, transparency, and personal integrity, we ask all applicants to ensure that their job applications reflect their own experiences, skills, and motivations. While AI tools can support spelling, grammar, or formatting, we expect that the content of your application—especially personal statements and responses to role-specific questions—is written by you. This helps us get to know the real you and ensures that our recruitment process remains equitable and meaningful for everyone.

Thank you for helping us uphold the values that make our Trust a place where people belong, grow, and thrive. We look forward to receiving your application.

Diversity Matters

MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, please contact the manager named below.


This advert closes on Wednesday 28 Jan 2026

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

About Disability Confident

A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.