Family Group Advisor

West Sussex County Council; Littlehampton; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 37,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Local government pension

27 days holiday (plus buy extra)

Flexible working options

Parental leave (maternity/paternity)

Training and development

Staff discounts

Employee wellbeing programmes

Job summary

West Sussex County Council invites applications for a Family Group Advisor within the Family Group Conferencing service. This role shapes and delivers the Families First programme, supporting children and families with preventative and targeted help.

You will work across West Sussex to deliver conferences, explain processes, and gather feedback to improve outcomes. The role requires commitment to the ethos of Family Group Conferencing, collaboration with social care teams, and the ability to

Qualifications

• Level 2 Maths & English.
• Level 3 education with practical experience.
• Experience in Social Care with families and children/young people.
• Experience with Social Work teams and knowledge of assessments.
• Knowledge of mediation and restorative practice.
• Understanding of Family Group Conferencing ethos and standards.

Responsibilities

• Manage all Family Group Conference referrals within agreed timescales.
• Visit families and networks to explain the process and mediate participation.
• Prepare professionals with clear written information and maintain records.
• Facilitate conferences, centring the voice of the child and family-led planning.
• Participate in supervision and contribute to service development and training.

Skills

Maths & English Level 2

Education

Level 3 education

Job description

Salary: £33,673 to £36,586 per annum

Contract Type: Permanent

Working Pattern: Full time – 37 hours per week

Location: Your current work base is Arun Civic Centre, Littlehampton. The use of Arun Civic Centre is currently initially expected to be in place for three years to April 2029. The substantive hub for your service is Worthing and therefore, there is the potential for services to relocate to Worthing in the future. There is expectation for independent countywide travel as necessary.

We are delighted to offer an exciting opportunity for a Family Group Advisor to join our dynamic new Family Group Conferencing service. This is a fantastic time to become part of a growing team and play a key role in shaping and delivering our ambitious Families First programme. The Family Group Conference Service is an integral part of the Children, Young People and Learning Directorate. We work with children, families and young people to help ensure that every child is supported to achieve his or her potential. We work collaboratively with social care so that all children and families have the right help, support and protection, including through preventative approaches and targeted help when needed.

The Family Group Conference Service works with families to identify the support needed to care for children safely within their own family networks and communities.

A standout candidate for us would have a commitment to the ethos of Family Group Conference; experience of working with families in a collaborative and strengths-based way; be a team player, willing to help others achieve their goals; be flexible, resilient and be able to remain calm and focussed under pressure.

Working for us and How we Support You

Through Children’s Services, we will work with children, families, and young people to help ensure that every child, family and young person is supported to achieve his or her potential. The foundations for future mental health, emotional control, intelligence and parenting ability are all set in place in the early years, and the home surroundings, family life and parenting are all important factors in determining positive outcomes for children in the future.

Benefits

As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance and are rewarded for the work they do. Upon joining us you will have access to a range of benefits including:

• an excellent local government pension scheme
• generous holiday entitlement of 27 days (plus opportunity to buy additional leave)
• a range of flexible working options, depending on your job role
• maternity, paternity, dependency and adoption leave
• volunteering opportunities
• training and development opportunities, including coaching and mentoring
• a range of discounts giving our staff access to hundreds of offers; groceries, travel, cinema tickets, days out, leisure activities, high street retailers and the opportunity to save over £1,000 a year through our West Sussex Choices benefits platform (see our Staff discounts page if you are a business looking to offer a discount)
• health and wellbeing benefits including access to our Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and Voluntary Health Cash Plans

For a full list this can be found at our Rewards and Benefits page.

The Opportunity

As an independent Family Group Advisor, you will take responsibility for managing all Family Group Conference referrals within agreed timescales, working closely with children (where appropriate), families and professionals across West Sussex. This includes visiting with families and their networks to explain the Family Group Conferencing process, mediating and encouraging participation from relatives and wider support networks, and supporting family networks to prepare for the conference. You will also prepare professionals for conferences, supporting them to provide clear, concise written information for families, and ensure all activity is accurately recorded in line with policies and procedures. You will facilitate conferences, ensuring the voice of the child is central, and that families have the information and support they need to make informed decisions and create a family led plan while maintaining independence and confidentiality within safeguarding requirements.

Working in partnership with families, referrers and partner agencies, you will promote inclusive, empowering practice that places the child’s voice at the centre of the Family Group Conferencing process. You will gather feedback from children, families and professionals to support service development, contribute to training for colleagues and community groups, and complete all associated administrative tasks, including follow-up reviews. You will also participate in supervision and ongoing development to maintain high-quality practice, and carry out all duties in line with equality, diversity and health and safety standards.

This Is Where You Come In

To be successful in the role you will need to:

• Level 2 Maths & English.
• Level 3 education, with practical experience of working in a related field.
• Experience in Social Care, specifically working with families and children/young people who are experiencing a range of difficulties.
• Experience of working alongside Social Work teams and knowledge of assessments as well as the underpinning legislation or co-production activity.
• Knowledge and experience of mediation and/or restorative practice.
• Understanding of the ethos, aims and principles of Family Group Conferencing and understand how these fit with FGC National Standards.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation and how this might impact on Family Group Conference.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including an ability to provide written reports and plans for both families and professionals.
• Ability to work with a diverse range of families, ensuring consideration of equality, diversity and inclusion is integral to the Family Group Conference process.

For more information on the Key Skills as well as the Qualifications and/or experience required, please refer to the Job Description attached.

Further information

The reference number for this role is 170.

For an informal conversation or for further information regarding the role, please contact Bernie Mullett (Pause Practice Lead) at [e-mail]. For issues or queries regarding your application please contact [e-mail].

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to basic DBS check, 5 years referencing and a health check.

Equity, inclusion and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support your application, please contact [e-mail].

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.