Wigan Borough is known throughout the UK as a special place to train and to practice as a health and social care professional.
By joining us you will have access to award winning and high performing organisations who will support you along your chosen pathway into your dream career.
We have close relationships with Wigan and Leigh College and Edge Hill University who offer first-class teaching and learning environments on their campuses across Wigan and Leigh and Ormskirk. Whatever your chosen route, you will receive outstanding education and training tailored to help you transition seamlessly into highly rewarding careers at Wigan Council, WWL Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and our health and care partners in the borough.
We care deeply about our residents and believe that providing you with the conditions to excel in your own unique and compassionate way is the best way of ensuring our residents can live healthy and happy lives. With our guaranteed progression routes, consistent and high quality student placement experiences and very often guaranteed interviews for your first career step there really is no better place to become a health and care professional. We can't wait for you to join us
We have a whole range of opportunities for people with all kinds of backgrounds. We’re interested in you as an individual – your personal strengths, life experience, attitude, and personality.
You can start a career in care with us and it could take you in any direction, from providing home care, to managing care teams, from social care officer to social worker, occupational therapist to running departments. The list is endless. Adult Social Care and Public Health is a booming sector providing fantastic opportunity regardless of your starting point.
If you’re interested in care, we’d love to hear from you. You could be:
- Leaving education and looking to start your career
- A current student looking for part-time work
- Experienced in caring for family or friends and feel you have more to give
- Looking for a change of career and to try something new
- A social worker graduate looking for your first role
- An experience social worker or registered manager
- Working in health and looking to join the Council teams.
If you’d like to know more about what we do, take a look at the Our Teams webpage to see what a day in the life of a care worker is really like.
Start your career with us
Wigan Council is a great place to start your career. New opportunities are advertised daily in all areas of the Council. You can set job alerts and apply for Wigan Council jobs through the Greater.Jobs website (external link).
We support local people wherever you are in your career. If you’d like to make a difference to people’s lives, but aren’t sure what to apply for, you can register your interest in future opportunities.
As well as the roles we advertise with Greater.Jobs, we also run a campaign called Care to Join Us.
Care to join us?
We have a whole range of care assistants and support worker vacancies to suit people from different walks of life. You don’t need any specific skills or qualifications, you just need to care about people and truly want to make a difference. If you’ve got a friendly disposition and a positive attitude then we’d love to hear from you. Find out more the opportunities available and how you can apply over at our Care to join us website.
Social work
Wigan is committed to ensuring a highly skilled Social Worker workforce. The locality teams are structured in 3 neighbourhood locality teams in the borough to support the community. By working in this way, they really get to know their community, the people there and the support options. They consist of a Service Manager, Team Managers, Advanced Practitioners, Social Workers and Social Care Officers.
We also have a Transfer of Care Hub. This team supports Wigan residents being discharged from physical and mental health hospitals both within and out of borough. This also consists of a Service Manager, Team Manager, Advanced Practitioners and Social Workers. Wigan has dedicated Social Worker posts within a number of specialist teams including Safeguarding.
Newly qualified social workers
Any new job can be daunting, but Wigan Council provides newly qualified social workers with excellent support, training and learning opportunities as part of your Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE). You will be assigned to an Advanced Practitioner dedicated exclusively to support ASYE’s development within their first year. This could include supervision sessions; workshops; joint visits; collaborative case audits; support, advice and guidance in relation to processes and procedures; and direct observations of social workers in practice.
We want our new social workers to have the right level of emotional and practical support to succeed in their career. We are here to help build your skills, knowledge and professional confidence to allow you to be your very best.
Step Up to Social Work Graduate Programme
Wigan Council offers placements as part of the national Step Up to Social Work (external link) programme. ‘If you have a degree but not in social work and would now like to move into the profession, this 14-month programme offers a paid position within our team. You will get involved in hands-on social work as well as working towards a postgraduate diploma in social work. You will also be able to register as a qualified social worker with Social Work England.
Training and placements available with us
Apprenticeships
An apprenticeship is a real job with a salary and the opportunity to gain valuable qualifications and experience. Wigan Council offers a number of apprenticeships and we currently have Apprentice Support Workers in our team. We also offer a Social Work Degree Apprenticeship to staff already employed in a relevant position with the Council greater.jobs website (external link).
Traineeship: adult health and social care
We know that Adult Social Care is a great career choice for young people, who often bring their enthusiasm, energy and sense of humour into the lives of our customers. To provide young people with an opportunity to gain relevant skills and experience we offer the Step into Care traineeship programme in partnership with Wigan and Leigh College on an ad-hoc basis. The programme aimed at 16-24 year olds combines work experience, on the job training and an opportunity to gain relevant qualifications. You can read more and register by emailing employmentpathways@wigan.gov.uk.
Placements for local college students
We work with local Further Education providers and 6th Form Colleges to offer placements for students on a range of Health and Social Care programmes, this includes the new T Level (Health Care Professional) course. Placements are a great way to find out more about working in care and experience life at Wigan Council. If you are interested, please contact talk to your tutor or college work experience coordinator to find out what placement opportunities are available and to discuss whether a placement with us is suitable.
Volunteer with us
Would you like to support your local community and get involved in a rewarding experience you can add to your CV? We have a variety of exciting and flexible volunteer roles available in different locations across the borough. Find out more and apply to become a volunteer today by visiting our volunteering hub webpage.
Get Career advice and guidance
Do you need help with applying for one of our roles? If you’re interested in working in the Wigan area, you can access impartial information to help you make informed and realistic decisions about your future.