Qualified Children's Social Worker - Child focused courts

Cafcass; Sheffield; Hybrid; GBP 38,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Local Government pension

Job summary

Cafcass is recruiting social workers to engage directly with children and families across Hull and Sheffield, supporting child-focused court proceedings and reporting for the family court. The role emphasises safeguarding, advocacy, and evidenced-based practice within a high-visibility reform program.

You will conduct comprehensive assessments, ensure children’s views influence decisions, and prepare clear reports, while working within a supportive team across private and public family law

Qualifications

• Bachelor-level social work required.
• Active registration with Social Work England.
• Understanding of family court processes and both private/public law.

Responsibilities

• Undertake direct work with children and families involved in family court proceedings.
• Ensure children's voices are heard clearly and influence judicial decision-making.
• Collaborate with judges, legal professionals and partner agencies.
• Practise social work that is purposeful, evidence-informed and values-led.
• Conduct high-quality assessments focusing on safety and wellbeing of children.
• Engage directly with children to understand and represent their views.
• Prepare clear analytical reports for the family court, including Child Impact Reports.
• Apply robust risk assessment and mediation to support child-focused decisions.
• Work across private and public law contexts with a solid understanding of the legal framework.
• Manage caseloads independently while contributing to a supportive team.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Organisational skills

Communication skills

Resilience

Independent working

Education

Social Work qualification

Registered with Social Work England

Understanding of family court processes

Job description

Location: Engaging directly with children and families across the Hull and Sheffield area with a contractual office base in Hull or Sheffield. A once-in-a-generation opportunity to practice social work differently Family justice is changing, and Cafcass is at the heart of that change. With the national rollout of Child Focused Courts, we are leading a transformation in how children's voices are heard and how decisions are made in family proceedings. Child Focused Courts place children's safety, wellbeing and lived experience at the centre of decision‑making from the very start of proceedings. This problem‑solving, less adversarial approach allows decisions to be informed earlier by a clear understanding of children's experiences, including through the preparation of Child Impact Reports.

Many practitioners involved in early Child Focused Court pilots describe this way of working as professionally rewarding, aligned with core social work values, and genuinely impactful for children.

Successful applicants will complete several pre-engagement checks, including a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. If any criminal offences are disclosed, we will conduct an individual assessment in line with the and the .

Both documents - and any others we think you may want to view - are a 'vacancy document' you can access when you are on our recruitment system and available to you before you start to apply.

Watch our video to find out we don't just listen children’s voices but we can be their voice.

We recognise that social workers bring experience from a wide range of settings, including local authority, court, voluntary, safeguarding and therapeutic roles.

Responsibilities

• Undertake direct work with children and families involved in family court proceedings
• Ensure children's voices are heard clearly and influence judicial decision‑making
• Collaborate closely with judges, legal professionals and partner agencies
• Practise social work that is purposeful, evidence-informed and values-led
• Conduct high‑quality assessments that focus on Children's lived experience, safety and wellbeing
• Engage directly with children, ensuring their views, wishes and feelings are understood and represented
• Prepare clear, analytical reports for the family court, including contributions to Child Impact Reports.
• Apply robust risk assessment and mediation skills to support child‑focused decision‑making
• Work effectively across private law proceedings, with a strong understanding of public law context
• Manage your caseload independently while contributing to a supportive, learning-focused team environment,

Qualifications

• A recognised Social Work qualification
• To be registered with Social Work England
• An understanding of family court processes and private and/or public law
• Strong analytical, organisational and communication skills
• Resilience, professional curiosity and confidence in working independently

Benefits and perks

• Opportunities to contribute to nationally significant reform in family justice
• Strong professional supervision and reflective practice
• Access to learning from ongoing Child Focused Court pilots and national rollout activity
• A competitive salary and Local Government pension
• Generous annual leave and wellbeing support
• The resources, equipment and flexibility needed to work effectively, connect with children and your colleagues

Equality and inclusion

Cafcass is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the children and families we serve.

We welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds and value professional diversity, lived experience and different career pathways.