FGDM Facilitator

Central Bedfordshire Council; Caulcott; Hybrid; GBP 34,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid role options

Four-month probationary period

Professional development support

Office locations access

Job summary

Central Bedfordshire Council is seeking an experienced FGDM Facilitator to join the Multi-Agency Child Protection Team. You will coordinate and facilitate Family Group Conferences and other family meetings, ensuring children's voices are central while working with social workers and safeguarding partners.

You will support families to identify strengths, resources and realistic plans, manage complex conversations with sensitivity, and promote restorative, child-centred practice within a

Qualifications

• Strong knowledge and understanding of child protection processes, safeguarding and statutory social work intervention.
• Experience of working with children, young people and families facing complex circumstances.
• Experience of working effectively within a multi-agency safeguarding environment.
• Excellent communication, engagement, facilitation, negotiation and mediation skills.
• The ability to manage conflict, challenge appropriately and facilitate difficult or highly sensitive conversations.
• Strong organisational and planning skills.
• The confidence to work independently while maintaining effective professional partnerships.
• A genuine commitment to restorative, strengths-based and child-centred practice.

Responsibilities

• Coordinating and facilitating high-quality Family Group Conferences, Family Network Meetings and other family meetings.
• Engaging children, young people and wider family networks so their voices genuinely influence planning and decision-making.
• Working collaboratively with the MACPT, social workers and wider safeguarding partners.
• Preparing families and professionals for meetings and building confidence in the FGDM process.
• Supporting families to identify their strengths, resources and wider networks of support.
• Facilitating difficult conversations and managing conflict with confidence, sensitivity and impartiality.
• Supporting families to develop their own safe, realistic and achievable plans for their children.
• Championing restorative, strengths-based, relational and child-centred practice.
• At FAMs, we believe families are experts in their own lives and that lasting change is more likely when children and families are genuinely involved in creating the solutions.

Skills

Child protection knowledge

Multi-agency working

Communication skills

Mediation skills

Conflict management

Organisational skills

Independence

Restorative practice

Job description

Do you believe families are often key to finding solutions to the challenges they face? Are you passionate about safeguarding children while empowering families to make meaningful and lasting plans for their future? As part of our commitment to the Families First child protection reforms, Family Meeting, Advocacy and Mediation Service (FAMs) is looking for an exceptional Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) Facilitator to join our team, working within the Multi-Agency Child Protection Team (MACPT). At the heart of our practice model is a commitment to Making Every Connection Count. We want every interaction, whether with a child, family member, practitioner or partner agency, to be purposeful, respectful and focused on achieving positive change. The MACPT team will include dedicated support from police, health partners, substance misuse services and a Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) practitioner by bringing together expertise across agencies. We aim to identify risk earlier, strengthen family networks, reduce the need for statutory intervention where appropriate and improve outcomes for children. This is an exciting opportunity to help shape a developing service at a pivotal point in our Families First transformation journey. We are looking for practitioners who are passionate about relationship-based practice, confident in providing support and challenge, and committed to working alongside partners and families to achieve lasting change. As an FGDM Facilitator, you will ensure that children and families have a meaningful voice at critical points in their lives. Working closely with social workers, the MACPT and wider safeguarding partners, you will coordinate and facilitate Family Group Conferences (FGCs), Family Network Meetings and other family meetings where there may be significant safeguarding concerns. You will work independently from direct investigation and case decision-making, providing an impartial process that enables families and their wider networks to identify their strengths, explore available support and develop their own robust and realistic plans to promote the safety and wellbeing of their children. You will build trust, navigate complex family dynamics and manage sensitive situations, while ensuring the child's voice remains central throughout.

What You'll Be Doing

• Coordinating and facilitating high-quality Family Group Conferences, Family Network Meetings and other family meetings.
• Engaging children, young people and wider family networks so their voices genuinely influence planning and decision-making.
• Working collaboratively with the MACPT, social workers and wider safeguarding partners.
• Preparing families and professionals for meetings and building confidence in the FGDM process.
• Supporting families to identify their strengths, resources and wider networks of support.
• Facilitating difficult conversations and managing conflict with confidence, sensitivity and impartiality.
• Supporting families to develop their own safe, realistic and achievable plans for their children.
• Championing restorative, strengths-based, relational and child-centred practice.
• At FAMs, we believe families are experts in their own lives and that lasting change is more likely when children and families are genuinely involved in creating the solutions.

As a dedicated FGDM Facilitator working alongside the MACPT, you will have the opportunity to:

• Make a meaningful difference by ensuring children and families have a genuine voice in decisions that affect their lives.
• Work with independence, facilitating an impartial family-led process separate from direct statutory investigation and assessment.
• Strengthen family networks, helping families identify and mobilise support around their children.
• Champion restorative practice through a progressive, strengths-based and relational approach.
• Shape developing practice as part of innovative approaches to family-led safeguarding and child protection.
• Develop professionally, with ongoing learning, supervision and opportunities to further develop your facilitation and mediation skills.

Ready to Make an Impact? If you have the experience, skills and passion to help families find solutions, strengthen relationships and achieve better outcomes for children, we'd love to hear from you.

The following benefits and rewards are available to staff:

• Flexible employer model with hybrid role options and a four-month probationary period.
• Opportunity to join as part of Central Bedfordshire Council's organisational framework.
• Support for professional development and continuing education.
• Employer-provided resources to support work-life balance.

We'll ask you to confirm if you have used AI. All new starters will join us on a four-month probationary period. During this time, if you are offered a Hybrid role you will be required to attend a Central Bedfordshire Council office location more frequently to support thorough and well-supported onboarding into your role. Please keep this in mind if you anticipate extensive travel to Central Bedfordshire. Please note we are unable to offer sponsorship for our roles. Successful applicants that may require a visa will need to consider the options for obtaining and/or maintaining the legal right to live and work in the UK for the duration of the contract offered. Free information, advice and guidance into work or learning provides free, impartial, information advice and guidance to those aged 16+ looking to get into work, learning or exploring a change of career.

We're looking for a confident and compassionate practitioner who can build meaningful relationships, inspire trust and navigate complexity while maintaining professional independence. You will have:

• Strong knowledge and understanding of child protection processes, safeguarding and statutory social work intervention.
• Experience of working with children, young people and families facing complex circumstances.
• Experience of working effectively within a multi-agency safeguarding environment.
• A good understanding of Family Group Decision Making principles and processes.
• Excellent communication, engagement, facilitation, negotiation and mediation skills.
• The ability to manage conflict, challenge appropriately and facilitate difficult or highly sensitive conversations.
• Strong organisational and planning skills.
• The confidence to work independently while maintaining effective professional partnerships.
• A genuine commitment to restorative, strengths-based and child-centred practice.

Accredited Family Group Conference training and/or significant experience of facilitating FGCs would be highly advantageous. Training will be provided for the right candidate.