Family Group Conference Coordinator

Stockport Council; Stockport; On-site; GBP 33,000 - 35,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Parking on-site

Professional development

Access to Research in Practice

Job summary

Stockport Council is seeking a Family Group Conference Coordinator to join the team in the Grand Central area, blending office and homeworking. The role requires coordinating family group conferences and supporting families to develop bespoke plans in a restorative framework.

The post is full-time, permanent, with hybrid working (minimum 3 office days per week). The department emphasises safeguarding, collaboration and continuous professional development within a supportive council environment.

Qualifications

• Clear communication with children, young people and families.
• Experience in mediation or conflict resolution is desirable.
• Understanding of restorative approaches to family work.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate family group conferences to empower families to develop bespoke plans.
• Work directly with children, young people and families to support their social care journey.
• Provide child-centred practice and uphold the Family Rights Group model within the service.

Skills

Communication skills

Mediation experience

Job description

Family Group Conference Coordinator
Scale 6 (£32,578 £34,811)
37 Hours, Full Time
Permanent
Hybrid: Grand Central and homeworking (there will be an expectation to work in the office a minimum of 3 days a week)

Application Deadline: 18th September 2026 11:59pm
Shortlisting Date: 21st September 2026
Interview Date: 28th and 29th September 2026
Interview Type: In Person

Join us at Stockport Council Best for Inclusion winner at the Greater Manchester Good Employment Awards 2026

Your Role

We are looking to recruit to our Family Group Conference Service and have an exciting opportunity to be part of a team involved in supporting children, young people and their families.

At Stockport Council we have a desire to continue to provide and strengthen our Family Group Conference offer. Our service supports children and families at various points in their social care journey, but we do have a specific focus on supporting families in pre-proceedings, to help families develop their individual support and care plans.

We are looking to appoint a full‑time Family Group Conference Coordinator to join our friendly team.

The role of the Family Group Conference Coordinator is an exciting opportunity to deliver a child‑centred practice model that is based on supporting families to develop their own bespoke family plans by bringing them together.

As a Family Group Conference Coordinator, you will have a range of responsibilities including working directly with children, young people and their families, co‑ordinating their family group conferences to empower them to effect change.

About You

We are looking for people from a range of backgrounds who have direct work experience, or a background related to working and supporting children, young people and families.

You will be able to demonstrate good communication skills and ideally have some experience in mediation.

You will understand the Stockport Family restorative approach of working with families and will be able to manage conflict in a restorative way.

You will be an enthusiastic individual who is passionate about supporting families, and able to work with a range of different people and professions.

Ideally, you will have some basic knowledge of safeguarding, although this is not essential, and you must possess a basic awareness of Family Help and social work practice, including the pre‑proceedings process under the Public Law Outline.

You will be committed to the principles of our Family Group Conference service which utilises the Family Rights Group model to empower families to plan and resolve their own situation as a family.

About Us

In Stockport, our vision is for all children to have the best start in life. We co‑designed an outcomes framework that we are committed to as our vision for supporting children and families in Stockport which is:

• I feel safe
• I feel part of my local community
• I enjoy good health and wellbeing
• I am confident and able to reach my goals
• I am happy and have people I can trust
• The people that love and care for me are enabled to do this
• My voice is heard and acted upon

We have a model of restorative practice which means relationships are central to everything we do, not just with our families but with our colleagues too. We care about our use of language too, and we are very ambitious for the families we work with.

We believe that change is possible through the building of strong relationships where there is both high support, and where necessary, high challenge. All colleagues are offered training to help us develop this restorative approach.

To support our colleagues with this, we have teams with experienced leaders, and a dedicated workforce development team. We provide reflective and clinical supervision and we also offer innovative support services for families, which have been praised by the Department for Education including New Beginnings and Comma.

Our commitment to our staff

• Direct access to a social work experienced and qualified team leader who is dedicated to overseeing the Family Group Conference Team.
• You will attend accredited training by the Family Rights Group for Family Group Conference to equip you with the skills and knowledge to deliver a fantastic service to children and their families.
• We have a strong workforce development programme we provide an introduction to restorative practice to set the foundation, and a host of other training including working with SEND needs.
• We encourage continual CPD and allow for protected time for you to do this. All our workers are offered a yearly professional development review (PDR) to see what’s next in your career.
• We provide a solid corporate induction into the council, and you will be offered a bespoke induction into the service - our senior leadership also maintain a relationship with our new starters, to ensure that they are settling in well.
• We offer high quality reflective supervision on a monthly basis from your line manager.
• As our services are integrated there’s a wealth of expert advice all around you to access from various services and colleagues.

What can we offer you?

We offer:

• Modern and pleasant offices newly refurbished end of 2022, with the latest technology so you can work hybrid, and located in the town centre
• Full subscription to Research in Practice to access the latest research publications
• Discounted multi-storey parking on‑site
• Annual ‘Ambitious Stockport’ Awards to recognise colleagues who live our values every day in their professional lives.
• We have the ‘Stockport Family Annual Conference’ where we come together and celebrate the success and outstanding practice of our services and colleagues.

Why Stockport?

As a local authority, Stockport offers a supportive and vibrant working environment. Our teams are dedicated to delivering the very best outcomes for our children and families and we work together with our multi‑agency partners in a positive and upbeat way.

You can find out more about what it’s like working for Stockport Family here.

At Stockport Council we are one ambitious team on a mission to create opportunities for everyone who lives, works and spends time in the borough. Working at Stockport Council means contributing to one of the most thriving towns in the North. We’re keen to recruit people with the right values and behaviours that can help us ensure our workplace values are at the heart of everything we do.

We are proud to be recognised under the Good Employment Charter as an organisation committed to the wellbeing of our colleagues. As members of the charter, we have been recognised as a great place to work for all colleagues and pledge to pay the real living wage, engage staff in key decisions and endorse fair and flexible working conditions.

If you would like to find out more about the role please contact Jerry Anderson on 07875990136 or [e-mail] or Mathew Finegan on 07356 128 185 or [e-mail] for an informal discussion about the role.

The successful applicant’s appointment will be subject to satisfactory pre‑employment clearances including a Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Stockport Council holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not currently qualify.

Please note that we have made a commitment to improve the employment opportunities for people with disabilities, care leavers and ex‑military personnel. As part of the Guaranteed Assessment Scheme you will therefore be guaranteed to be shortlisted for Assessment if you meet both the criteria for the scheme and the essential job role criteria.

Find out if you meet the criteria here.

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