Independent Coordinator - Family Group Conference

Independent Coordinator - Family Group Conference

Fixed Term, Full Time - 37 hours per week

£37,185 to £50,081 per annum

Location: Countywide

Working Style: Community-based worker

We are recruiting to multiple vacancies. Please note these vacancies are available as a fixed term contract or secondment opportunity for up to 2 years.

Here in Essex, we continue to raise the bar about practice and our investment in our workforce is second to none. It’s an exciting time to join us having received our 2^nd Outstanding Ofsted rating in a row.

Children and Families in Essex is recognised as a service where social work can truly develop and prosper. We foster a culture of collaboration, integrity, and compassion—promoting the wellbeing of children, young people, and their families, and protecting them from neglect and abuse. Working closely with partners, we deliver a range of early help, family support, and effective social work interventions that build resilience, remove barriers, and empower children and young people to look forward to a brighter future.

The Essex Family Group Conference Service is a dynamic team of social workers and alternatively qualified practitioners who coordinate and facilitate Family Group Conferences (FGCs) across the county. These conferences enable families to identify solutions to current challenges and create a Family Action Plan tailored to their needs.

We’re looking for a qualified professional with experience in direct work with children and young people, who can build positive relationships with hard-to-reach families. Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively within a multi-agency network are essential.

To read more about our business area, please visit: Children & Families

Please take a look at our ‘No Magic’ Children & Families video

Accountabilities

• Responsible for coordinating and facilitating Family Group Conferences (FGC) in which family members are supported to develop a Family Action Plan which attempts to identify their own solutions to the difficulties they are currently experiencing.
• Working collaboratively with referring social workers and members of the family network, maintaining an independent stance in line with the FGC model, undertaking face-to-face preparatory work with parents and the wider family network to enable them to meet together for their FGC.
• Responsible for engaging with families with complex needs and from diverse backgrounds to develop suitable solutions and ways in which to achieve these.
• Responsible for supporting children through direct work to share their views with family members, whilst ensuring that the child remains central to the FGC process.
• Responsible for organising family meetings to produce the family plan, compiling and distributing this within agreed timescales.
• Responsible for maintaining accurate records for the purpose of the FGC.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

The Experience You Will Bring

• A recognised social work qualification i.e. Diploma, degree or Masters in Social Work, CQSW, CSS or equivalent, with current registration with Social Work England (SWE) as a registered social worker or alternative qualified worker.
• Completed Family Group Conference Training is desired – if not you will be required to complete the 3-day Family Group Conference Training.
• Evidence of continuing professional development, aligned to any relevant Professional Competency/Capability frameworks or Knowledge and Skills Statements.
• Significant experience of working within Children’s Social Care demonstrating a comprehensive and up to date understanding of all relevant legislation, regulation and guidance.
• Excellent communication skills and evidence of engaging with families with complex needs, from diverse backgrounds.
• Experience of dealing with challenging situations with the ability to negotiate and influence.
• Good organisational skills are essential, with the ability to organise meetings and develop plans from outcomes.

The role requires you to be mobile throughout a wider operational area including travelling around the county of Essex and beyond, transporting service users and their belongings and to be able to do so in an emergency. Driving licence and car or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means is essential.

Interviews

Interviews are scheduled to take place on Wednesday 10^th and Thursday 11^th December 2025 at County Hall, Chelmsford.

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.

In February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government’s devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more about devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR) on our careers site.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk

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