Would you thrive in an environment where you help families find their own solutions, strengthen relationships and create lasting change for children and young people? If so you’ll be excited to hear about this opportunity to join the Family Group Conference (FGC) Service in Cambridgeshire.

Cambridgeshire County Council fully supports the principles of the Families First programme and is currently working on implementing the model in a thoughtful and planned way that meets the needs of our local communities and workforce. As part of our continued growth and commitment to family-led practice we are expanding our Family Group Conference Service recruiting three full-time Family Group Conference Coordinators (37 hours per week) on a permanent basis.

These new posts reflect significant investment in and growing demand for Family Group Conferences, enabling more children, young people and families across Cambridgeshire to access support earlier, strengthen family networks and achieve positive outcomes.

Working as part of a dynamic, supportive and highly regarded team, you will play a vital role in helping families identify solutions, build on their strengths and make informed decisions for their children. You will be joining a service that values innovation, collaboration and the belief that, with the right support, families are often best placed to identify the solutions that work for them and their children.

The role covers the whole of the county, but the office base is Hillrise in Huntingdon, though other locations can be discussed at interview.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact: Family Group Conference Service Manager, Lucy Maurice at Lucy.Maurice@cambridgeshire.gov.uk or on 07824 623322.

Closing date 22nd September. Interviews will be held in person on 5th, 6th, 7th and 12th October and will include a written in tray exercise.

Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service. The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

What will you be doing?

As a Family Group Conference Coordinator, you will support families whose children are involved with Children’s Social Care by facilitating Family Group Conferences that enable families to make informed decisions and develop their own plans for the future.

You will work with children and young people who may be at risk of becoming looked after, who are already looked after, or where plans are being considered for reunification or care within the wider family network. Throughout the process, you will ensure that the voices of children and young people are heard, valued and reflected in family plans.

Key Responsibilities

• Coordinate and independently facilitate Family Group Conferences.
• Prepare children, young people, family members and professionals for meetings.
• Support families to develop safe, realistic and effective family-led plans.
• Use mediation, negotiation and facilitation skills to enable constructive discussions and decision-making.
• Promote and support the continued development of Family Group Conference practice across Children’s Services.
• Ensure children’s wishes, feelings and experiences remain central to the process.

About you

To be successful in this role, you will:

• Be passionate about working collaboratively with children, young people and families.
• Believe in the effectiveness of family-led planning and strengths-based practice.
• Have excellent communication, facilitation and relationship-building skills.
• Be motivated, adaptable and committed to improving outcomes for children.
• Be confident working independently while contributing positively to a supportive team environment.
• Hold a full, valid driving licence with the ability to travel countywide independently and extensively working from a variety of locations across Cambridgeshire
• Be prepared to work flexibly, including occasional evenings, to meet the needs of families.

For a full list of the requirements of the role, please check out the Job Description & Person Specification.

Our benefits

We value our colleagues in Cambridgeshire County Council and have developed a number of benefits in addition to the basics like annual leave, sick pay, pension and mileage…

• A comprehensive wellbeing package to cover all aspects of wellbeing, both in and out of work, which can also be accessed by your family
• Buy up to 4 weeks additional annual leave (pro-rata) through our salary sacrifice scheme
• Take your bank holidays flexibly to better suit your personal circumstances
• Make Additional Voluntary Contributions (Shared AVCs) to your pension with tax and National Insurance savings
• Access to development opportunities, apprenticeships and qualified coaches to support your personal and professional growth
• Paid volunteering hours each year so you can make a positive impact on our community during your normal working day
• Access to Peer Support Groups through our IDEAL staff equality, diversity and inclusion network
• Opportunities to nominate and receive Employee Recognition Awards
• An Our Cambs Rewards account, giving you access to in-store and online discounts as well as our Car Lease and Cycle to Work schemes

Take a look at our Employment Benefits Brochure attached to this advert to find out more.