Senior Social Worker - Contextual Safeguarding & Risk

Sheffield City Council HQ; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Generous holiday entitlement

Professional supervision

Job summary

Sheffield City Council is seeking a Senior Social Worker to join the Risk Outside the Home (ROTH) Team, focusing on contextual safeguarding and extra-familial risk. You will work with children, young people and families experiencing exploitation, missing episodes, and online harm.

This role involves high-quality assessments, complex case management, and collaboration with police, education and health partners to deliver trauma-informed, child-centred interventions.

Qualifications

• Qualified Social Worker with Social Work England registration.
• Relevant post-qualifying experience in Children's Social Care.
• Experience working with adolescents affected by exploitation, missing episodes, contextual safeguarding concerns or serious youth violence.
• Strong risk assessment and analytical skills.
• Excellent relationship-building and engagement skills.
• Sound knowledge of statutory safeguarding responsibilities.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Commitment to anti-oppressive and inclusive practice.
• Experience of contextual safeguarding approaches.
• Experience of disruption planning and multi-agency safeguarding activity.
• Experience supporting colleagues, students or newly qualified social workers through informal mentoring.
• Knowledge of community safeguarding and place-based approaches.

Responsibilities

• Manage complex statutory cases involving exploitation, serious youth violence, missing episodes, online harm and extra-familial risk.
• Complete high-quality assessments that analyse family strengths, contextual risks, peer relationships, locations and online environments.
• Develop and progress Child in Need, Child Protection and Care Planning interventions.
• Deliver direct work with children, young people and families using relationship-based and trauma-informed approaches.
• Work collaboratively with police, education, health, youth justice and community partners.
• Contribute to contextual mapping, disruption activity and safety planning.
• Ensure children and young people are actively involved in assessment, planning and decision-making.
• Chair or contribute to multi-agency meetings where appropriate.
• Maintain clear, analytical and timely recording and reporting.
• Support reflective discussion and shared learning within the team.

Job description

Sheffield City Council is seeking a Senior Social Worker to join the Risk Outside the Home (ROTH) Team, focusing on contextual safeguarding and extra-familial risk. You will work with children, young people and families experiencing exploitation, missing episodes, and online harm.

This role involves high-quality assessments, complex case management, and collaboration with police, education and health partners to deliver trauma-informed, child-centred interventions.