Are you an experienced social worker who can bring authority, curiosity and a clear focus on children to complex safeguarding work? Join Sheffield’s Child Protection Conference Service and help strengthen the quality and impact of child protection planning across the city.

The opportunity

You will independently chair Child Protection Conferences using the Signs of Safety model, review the progress and impact of plans, and bring effective scrutiny and constructive challenge to multi-agency safeguarding arrangements.

At an important point in our service development, you will also help shape Sheffield’s developing Lead Child Protection Practitioner approach. This may include chairing occasional strategy meetings, supporting timely decisions and challenging drift or delay, while preserving the independence and professional authority of the conference chairing function.

Additional responsibilities include acting as the Designated Officer (LADO), supporting the child death overview process with the Sheffield Children’s Safeguarding Partnership, and contributing flexibly across conference and reviewing services. Experience of, or a commitment to, statutory reviews for children looked after would be welcomed.

What you will bring

Significant post-qualifying social work experience and a strong safeguarding background.
Confidence in chairing complex multi-agency meetings and providing independent challenge.
Strong analysis, professional curiosity and expertise in effective safety planning.
A relationship-based approach that keeps children’s voices and lived experiences at the centre.
The ability to advise, influence and support practitioners and partner agencies to improve practice.

Why join Sheffield?

A supportive team: experienced colleagues, accessible managers and high-quality reflective supervision.
Meaningful influence: strong practice leadership and the opportunity to help shape an evolving safeguarding model.
Learning and progression: specialist training, mentoring, leadership development, clear career pathways and three dedicated CPD study days each year.
Flexible working: hybrid and flexible arrangements that support wellbeing and life beyond work.
An ambitious service: a forward-thinking culture built around relationship-based practice, learning and better outcomes for children and families.

Make a lasting difference

This is a rewarding opportunity to combine independent safeguarding scrutiny, practice leadership and relationship-based work in a service that is ambitious for Sheffield’s children and families.

If you are ready to bring your safeguarding expertise, professional authority and passion for child-centred practice to Sheffield, we would love to hear from you.

Further information: Paula.Clarke@sheffield.gov.uk

We are investing in our workforce and are promoting opportunities to our under-represented groups. We value equality, diversity and inclusion and are focused on increasing the diversity of our workforce, particularly the number of Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic, Disabled and LGBTQ+ people, so that our teams reflect the communities in the city we serve. We are also supporting staff with unpaid caring responsibilities to work flexibly.

It is a great time to join us and we welcome your application.

Under the Guaranteed Interview scheme, applicants who are disabled, care leavers, or armed forces veterans will be guaranteed an interview if they meet the essential criteria and indicate their eligibility on the application form. Sometimes, if lots of people apply, we might not be able to interview everyone who qualifies for the Guarantee. In these cases, we’ll interview the candidates who best meet the essential criteria for the job.

Full-time employees work 37 hours for 52 weeks of the year and we offer a generous holiday entitlement. We are open to discussions about a wide range of flexible working opportunities which benefit you and the Council, including reduced hour contracts, working part time or as a job share.

If you are appointed to this role, your starting salary will be at the bottom of the grade. If you provide payslip evidence that your basic pay is greater than the bottom of the grade, we will consider starting you at the point of minimum advantage within the grade.

Equality of pay is extremely important to us. All roles at Sheffield City Council are going through an evaluation process which may result in changes to some pay arrangements from 2026. Find out more on our Sheff news page.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all individuals, ensuring a safe and supportive environment for everyone and where appropriate to the role the successful applicant will be required to undertake relevant safeguarding checks.