Willow Lodge is a newly acquired residential children’s home situated on the grounds of Bannercross Hall, Sheffield 11 and is due to open in July 2026. The home will provide high-quality residential placements for 2 children aged 4–10 years. The service is designed to support children who have experienced significant early life trauma, neglect, disrupted attachments, and instability, resulting in complex emotional, behavioural, and developmental presentations.

Staff will actively contribute to care planning and review processes, using consistent observations and reflective practice to inform decision-making and progress. Where appropriate, this will include working towards reunification with family members, supporting children to safely return home through structured interventions, family work, and close collaboration with placing authorities.

For children where, returning home is not in their best interests, staff will support planned transitions into foster care or other long-term placements. This will involve preparing the child emotionally, maintaining clear communication, and ensuring that transitions are gradual and well-coordinated to minimise disruption and promote a sense of security.

You must hold a QCF level 3 diploma in child care in order to apply for these posts and be able to produce your certificate prior to interview. Successful applicants will be DBS checked at enhanced barred level for childrens and adults services and a full employment history will be required on the application form and for reference checks. You may be required to work out of hours and weekends for which enhanced payments will be made.

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.