Sheffield is a great city, and our Corporate Plan focuses on what makes Sheffield a unique, ambitious and inspiring city with a clear vision for Sheffield children and young people to be safe and supported to achieve their full potential. We are pursuing ambitious plans for transformation, facing the challenges of making efficiencies and modernising how we work, so that we deliver high performing, quality services to children and young people.

In Sheffield, we are deeply committed to fostering stable, loving homes for children and young people who need them most. Our ambition is simple but powerful: to ensure every child has the opportunity to grow up in a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment where they can thrive. As part of this commitment, Sheffield are investing further in expanding their Fostering Service, including an additional Mainstream Fostering Service Manager and a Specialist Fostering Scheme.

With this in mind, we are seeking to appoint an outstanding Service Manager for the Fostering Service, who possesses strategic and operational leadership skills and experience to support the team leaders and team members to deliver and drive service quality forward, so that together we make a real difference to the lives of children and young people in Sheffield.

You need to be social work qualified and registered with Social Work England and have extensive experience of direct work with children and young people in a fostering service. You will have a thorough knowledge of relevant legislation including up-to-date knowledge of fostering regulations, policies and procedures.

You will be creative and motivated to support service expansion and improvement and have significant management experience. You will be responsible for: Supervisory Teams including Mockingbird Constellation teams, Recruitment Teams, Panel Advisor, SGO assessments and Holiday and Support team.

You will be joining a dynamic senior management team and working closely with other Provider Services such as adoption service, residential services and strategic contracts.

Key Benefits

Annual leave 26 days per year plus public holidays, rising to 31 days after 5 years’ service. Opportunity to purchase an additional 5 days per year leave.
At least 3 daysper year dedicated for Continuous Professional Development with excellent career progression routes including leadership and management University courses
Up to 6 days paid carers leaveis available for those with caring responsibility
Relocation package up to £7,494 towards costs if you need to relocate
Hybrid and flexible working
Employee assistance programme providing valuable advice on a range of issues such as personal finances, counselling sessions and legal advice.
Generous Local government pension scheme
Discounts off Vodafone, Westfield Health and Public transport
Salary sacrifice employee car lease scheme and city car club
Cycle to work scheme and free eye-sight tests
Affordable housing and within 10 minutes’ drive of the Peak District

Interviews will be held face to face on 10^th June

Further information from Dean.Howson@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.