Social Worker - Family Assessment Services

Portman Recruitment; Sheffield, Matlock; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Portman Recruitment is seeking experienced Social Workers for Family Assessment Services in Sheffield and Matlock. You will complete structured parenting and family assessments, gather evidence, analyze parenting capacity, and produce clear recommendations to support future decisions.

The role offers a very low caseload, dedicated supervision, and professional support, with a typical 12-week assessment cycle and a base in the closest service to your home.

Qualifications

• Recognised Social Work qualification.
• Current Social Work England registration.
• At least 1 year post-qualification experience.
• Experience working with children and families.
• Strong assessment and analytical skills.
• Excellent report-writing ability.
• Experience producing reports for court/safeguarding.
• Ability to work objectively with families in complex circumstances.
• Full driving licence and access to a vehicle.
• Flexibility to support services across Sheffield and Matlock.

Responsibilities

• Complete comprehensive, evidence-based parenting and family assessments.
• Assess parenting capacity and the needs and safety of children.
• Produce high-quality analytical reports with clear professional recommendations.
• Prepare reports suitable for court proceedings and safeguarding decision-making.
• Build positive and professional relationships with parents and children.
• Work collaboratively with residential teams, Local Authorities and other professionals.
• Ensure assessments remain objective, evidence-based and child-focused.
• Maintain accurate case records and documentation.
• Complete assessments and reports within agreed timescales.
• Contribute to positive outcomes and permanency planning for children.

Skills

Social Work qualification

Social Work England registration

Post-qualification experience

Experience with children and families

Assessment & analytical skills

Report-writing ability

Court/safeguarding reporting

Objectivity with families

Driving licence

Travel flexibility

Education

Social Work degree

Job description

Social Worker – Family Assessment Services

Locations: Sheffield & Matlock
Salary: up to £47,028.80
Hours: 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday
Job Type: Full-time, Permanent

The Opportunity

We are recruiting experienced Social Workers to join specialist Family Assessment Services across Sheffield and Matlock.

Your main office base will be the service closest to your home address, making this a particularly attractive opportunity for Social Workers based across South Yorkshire, Derbyshire and the surrounding areas.

The service offers a very low and manageable caseload, allowing Social Workers to spend more time working directly with families, completing high-quality assessments and producing strong analytical reports rather than managing excessive case numbers.

You may occasionally be required to support another service depending on operational requirements.

About Our Client

Our client has been a national leader in social care for over 25 years, committed to innovation, excellence and making a genuine difference to the lives of children, young people and families.

Their experienced multi-disciplinary teams deliver specialist services including:

• Family Assessment Services
• Children's Residential Homes
• 16+ Supported Living
• Learning Disabilities Services

Each service is designed to provide safety, stability and positive outcomes for the children and families they support.

The Role

As a Social Worker within the Family Assessment Service, you will play a key role in completing structured parenting and family assessments.

You will work closely with parents and children over the course of the assessment, gathering evidence, analysing parenting capacity and producing clear recommendations to support future decision-making.

Assessments will typically take place over approximately 12 weeks, giving you the opportunity to build meaningful professional relationships with families and develop a detailed understanding of their circumstances.

A major attraction of this role is the low caseload, enabling you to focus on the quality of your assessments and reports.

You will also benefit from dedicated Social Work Practice Managers, qualified social work supervision and ongoing professional support.

Key Responsibilities

• Complete comprehensive, evidence-based parenting and family assessments.
• Assess parenting capacity and the needs and safety of children.
• Produce high-quality analytical reports with clear professional recommendations.
• Prepare reports suitable for court proceedings and safeguarding decision-making.
• Build positive and professional relationships with parents and children.
• Work collaboratively with residential teams, Local Authorities and other professionals.
• Ensure assessments remain objective, evidence-based and child-focused.
• Maintain accurate case records and documentation.
• Complete assessments and reports within agreed timescales.
• Contribute to positive outcomes and permanency planning for children.
  

About You

To be considered, you will need:

• A recognised Social Work qualification
• Current Social Work England registration
• At least one year's post-qualification experience
• Experience working with children and families
• Strong assessment and analytical skills
• Excellent report-writing ability
• Experience producing reports for court, safeguarding or professional decision-making
• The ability to work objectively with families in complex circumstances
• A full driving licence and access to a vehicle
• Flexibility to support services across Sheffield and Matlock where required

Experience within any of the following areas would be particularly relevant:

• Child Protection
• Duty & Assessment
• Court / Proceedings
• Parenting Assessments
• Family Assessments
• Safeguarding
  

Working Pattern

This is a 40-hour-per-week role, Monday to Friday.

Your primary office will normally be whichever of the Sheffield or Matlock services is closest to your home.

There may occasionally be a requirement to travel between services depending on operational needs.

Mileage incurred when travelling between services is reimbursed in line with company policy.

What Our Client Offers

up to £47,028.80, depending on experience and qualifications.

Very Low Caseload

A genuinely manageable caseload allowing you to spend more time:

• Working directly with families
• Completing detailed assessments
• Producing high-quality reports

Clear development opportunities including progression towards:

• Senior Social Worker
• Practice Manager
• Service Manager
• Head of Service
  

Training & Professional Development

• Ongoing specialist training
• Professional Social Work supervision
• Fully funded professional development opportunities
• Access to specialist legal advice
• Support from experienced Social Work Practice Managers
  

You will join an experienced and supportive team with regular supervision, professional guidance and management support.

The organisation places a strong emphasis on giving Social Workers the time and resources required to complete high-quality assessments.

Interview Process

Formal interviews are held at the organisation's head office.

For suitable candidates who would like to understand more about the position, an initial telephone or Teams conversation with the hiring team may be available.