Support worker in Sheffield

Are you passionate about making a real difference in the lives of children and young people? We are looking for dedicated Children’s Support Workers to join our team supporting children and families social workers on the frontline and help provide vital support to families and young people in need.

What you’ll do:

• Work alongside Social Workers to offer advice and practical support to children and young people identified as “in need” under the Children Act 1989.
• Provide guidance to families and carers on meeting the needs of their children.
• Assist with assessments and co‑work with social workers and other agencies.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of plans for children who are looked after, in need, or under child protection, and monitor progress in partnership with professionals.
• Promote education, training, employment opportunities, and social skills for young people.
• Support young people in securing and maintaining suitable accommodation.
• Build strong links within local communities to maximise support for children and young people.
• Help young people develop self‑care and independent living skills.
• Promote health and wellbeing, ensuring access to appropriate healthcare services.

What we’re looking for:

• A caring and proactive individual with excellent communication skills.
• Experience of undertaking risk assessments for children in need.
• Significant experience of having worked with vulnerable children and families in a statutory social services setting.
• Ability to work collaboratively with families, social workers, and partner agencies.
• Significant experience of safeguarding vulnerable children and promoting the welfare of children and young people.
• NVQ/QCF level 3 in children’s care.

Make a meaningful impact in your community. Receive ongoing training and professional development. Be part of a supportive and dedicated team.

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.

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.