At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a team to support foster carers and improve outcomes for children in care.
- Company: Join Sheffield City Council's dedicated Fostering Service team.
- Benefits: Generous holiday entitlement, flexible working options, and professional development opportunities.
- Other info: Commitment to diversity and inclusion, with guaranteed interviews for eligible candidates.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in the lives of children and young people through impactful leadership.
- Qualifications: Qualified Social Worker with experience in children's social care and team management.
The predicted salary is between 46202 - 52100 £ per year.
The job requirements are detailed below. Where applicable the skills, qualifications and memberships required for this job have also been included.
Full Time Senior Fieldwork Manager – Mainstream Fostering
About the Role
This is an exciting opportunity to join Sheffield City Council’s Fostering Service as a Senior Fieldwork Manager within our Mainstream Fostering Team.
We are committed to ensuring that children and young people who cannot live with their birth families have access to safe, nurturing and stable family-based care, enabling them to remain connected to their communities wherever possible.
As Senior Fieldwork Manager, you will provide strong operational leadership and oversight to a team of supervising social workers and support staff, ensuring high-quality support, supervision and development opportunities for Sheffield's foster carers.
You will play a key role in driving excellent practice, safeguarding children, and ensuring positive outcomes for children and young people in foster care.
Working as part of the wider Fostering Service management team, you will contribute to service development, quality assurance, performance management and strategic planning.
To support a flexible and responsive service, you may also be required to contribute to other areas of the Fostering Service in line with service priorities.
About You
We are looking for an experienced, motivated and child-centred social work professional who is passionate about supporting foster carers and improving outcomes for children and young people.
You will be a qualified Social Worker, registered with Social Work England, with significant post-qualification experience in children's social care and experience of supervising or managing staff within fostering or related services.
You will be able to demonstrate
- Extensive experience within fostering, permanence, children's social care or related services.
- Experience of managing, supervising or developing social work staff and promoting high standards of practice.
- Strong leadership skills, with the ability to motivate, support and develop individuals and teams.
- A sound understanding of fostering legislation, regulations, national minimum standards and safeguarding responsibilities.
- Confidence in providing oversight of complex cases, fostering assessments and support plans.
- The ability to review workloads, monitor performance and ensure timely, high-quality service delivery.
- Excellent analytical skills and confidence in making decisions in complex and uncertain situations.
- Strong skills in quality assurance, performance management and continuous service improvement.
- The ability to manage complaints, concerns and challenging situations professionally and constructively.
- Excellent communication, negotiation and partnership-working skills.
- A commitment to working collaboratively with foster carers, children, families and partner agencies.
- A creative and solution-focused approach to problem solving.
- A passion for championing the voice of children and ensuring they experience safe, stable and nurturing family homes.
What We Offer
This is an excellent opportunity to join a supportive and ambitious service that is committed to continuous improvement and professional development.
We offer
- A strong culture of learning and development.
- Access to high-quality management and leadership training pathways.
- Regular professional supervision and support.
- Opportunities to contribute to service development and innovation.
- A collaborative working environment with experienced colleagues across Children's Services.
- The opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of children, young people and foster families across Sheffield.
Above all, we are looking for someone who is committed to making a lasting difference for children and young people through high-quality fostering support and leadership.
Interviews will be held on
Friday 24 July 2026.
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 everyoneand where appropriate to the role the successful applicant will be required to undertake relevant safeguarding checks.
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StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Fieldwork Manager Fostering in Sheffield
✨Dive into Local Community Groups
Social work thrives on community connections, so get involved in local groups or forums specific to your interests. Whether it’s volunteering at local shelters or joining community action boards, these are great ways to boost your visibility and make direct contacts that could lead to opportunities like the one at Beighton.
✨Attend Social Work Events and Workshops
Keep an eye out for workshops, seminars, or conferences in social work. These events are fantastic for meeting professionals in the field, learning about emerging trends, and spotting job openings. Plus, you might just bump into someone from Beighton!
✨Showcase Your Passion and Expertise
Use platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn to share your journey and insights into the social work sector. Whether it’s writing about your experiences or sharing relevant articles, this helps to establish you as an engaged professional. Potential employers, like Beighton, will notice your enthusiasm!
✨Leverage Your Network
Don’t hesitate to reach out to professors, mentors, or even past colleagues who are in social work. They might have inside knowledge about openings at Beighton or be able to connect you with someone who’s hiring. Networking is key, especially in a full-time role where relationships matter.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Fieldwork Manager Fostering in Sheffield
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Social Work:In your cover letter, let us see your passion for social work shine through! Talk about the experiences that made you want to pursue this career—whether it’s volunteering, personal experiences, or academic projects. We want to know why this field matters to you.
Emphasise Relevant Qualifications:Make sure your CV highlights any relevant qualifications, like degrees in social work or certifications like a DBS check. If you've done any workshops or training, don’t forget to include those as well. We're keen to see your commitment to your professional development!
Detail Your Experience with Clients:Since this is a hands-on field, detailing any direct experience you have with clients is crucial. Whether it's internships, volunteer roles, or previous jobs, highlight those experiences in your CV to show us you've got the practical skills necessary for the job!
Tailor Your Application to Beighton:Before hitting send, make sure to tailor your application specifically to Beighton! Research our mission and values, and refer to them in your cover letter. This shows us that you understand our work and are genuinely interested in being a part of our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Beighton
✨Understanding the Role of Empathy
In social work, understanding and demonstrating empathy is key. Be prepared to share personal experiences or scenarios where you effectively showed compassion and support. This helps show that you genuinely care about the well-being of others, which is crucial in social work.
✨Demonstrating Knowledge of Frameworks
Familiarise yourself with the frameworks and models used in social work, such as the Strengths-Based Approach or the Ecological Perspective. Be ready to discuss how these frameworks apply to your work, especially if you can tie them into real-world examples or case studies you've encountered.
✨Showcasing Your Multi-Disciplinary Skills
In a full-time social work role, you'll often collaborate with healthcare professionals, educators, and law enforcement. Be prepared to describe your teamwork experiences and how you've effectively communicated with other disciplines to achieve the best outcomes for clients.
✨Preparing for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that put you in hypothetical social work situations, such as dealing with a crisis or managing a complex case. Think through your thought process for these scenarios beforehand, considering how you'd assess the situation and what steps you'd take, as this demonstrates your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
