Family Group Conference Coordinator

These roles have a starting salary of £34,660 per annum , based on a 36-hour working week.

We are excited to be hiring new Family Group Conference Coordinators to join our fantastic Family Group Conference (FGC) service and our East Team which is located in Reigate at our Woodhatch Place office.

We support hybrid and flexible working with the right balance by coming together in person and support working from home alongside travel around the county visiting children, their family and their support network members.

Our Offer to You

• 26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
• Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
• A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents

The Surrey Context

The Families First Partnership Programme (FFPP) is a national programme and a central part of the government's wider children's social care reform agenda, as per the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026. It aims to make the system work better for everyone involved - families, practitioners and leaders - by supporting earlier and more effective intervention and stronger partnership working.

A key element of the programme is the commitment to embedding family-led planning across all aspects of Family Help. For us here in Surrey this includes expanding access to Family Group Conferencing, ensuring more families can benefit from this approach at the right time. These new Family Group Conference Coordinators roles will play a vital part in supporting the growth and delivery of Surrey's Family Group Conferencing service, helping to ensure children and families receive the support they need, when they need it, helping to improve outcomes.

About The Role

We are seeking compassionate, skilled, and highly organised Family Group Conference (FGC) Coordinators to join our team. This is a rewarding opportunity to support children, young people, and their families to make safe and sustainable plans for the future.

As an FGC Coordinator, you will play a key role in empowering families to make informed decisions, strengthening support networks, and enabling positive change. You will ensure the FGC process is inclusive, well planned, and centred around the voice of the child.

In this role you will:

• Coordinate and deliver Family Group Conferences, ensuring high-quality, family led planning
• Engage children, young people, and their wider family networks to understand concerns and promote meaningful participation
• Create a safe, inclusive environment for families to explore solutions and develop their own plans
• Work collaboratively with social workers, early help practitioners, partner agencies, and community services
• Manage referrals, maintain accurate records, and ensure conferences are timely and well-organised
• Promote restorative, strengths-based practice across all interactions
• Advocate for the child's voice, ensuring their wishes and feelings are central to the planning process

Your Application

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our  behaviours :

• Level 3 qualification in a relevant subject and/or evidence of substantial experience in a relevant field
• An excellent communicator with the ability to build trust and rapport
• Skilled in conflict resolution, mediation, or restorative approaches
• Confident in managing group dynamics and facilitating sensitive conversations
• Highly organised, with strong attention to detail
• Passionate about working collaboratively with families and professionals
• Able to work independently with creativity, resilience, and emotional intelligence
• Experience and ability to build positive relationships with children and young people quickly by understanding their lived experiences to advocate on their behalf
• Understanding Family Group Conferencing, principles of family decision making and social care legislation

Surrey has both urban and rural areas and candidates will be expected to have a valid driving licence to drive in the UK, access to a vehicle and be willing to travel across a wide geographical area. Reasonable adjustments where needed will be made for successful applicants who have a disability or long term health condition to enable them to fulfil the requirements of the job. 

An enhanced DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children's and Adults' Barred List checks will be required for this role.

To apply, we request that you submit a CV and answer the following 4 questions:

1. Please tell us about your experience of working with children, young people and families in the context of Family Group Conference meetings. What key challenges have you encountered, and how have you adapted your approach to support positive outcomes?
2. How do you ensure children, families, and wider networks feel included, heard, and respected in your work?
3. Please tell us about a time you worked in partnership with other professionals or agencies? What was your role, and how did your contribution support effective joined up working and shared outcomes?
4. Give an example of when you adapted your approach or used learning to improve your practice or a process

The job advert closes at 23:59 on the 1st of November 2026 with interviews planned to follow.

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description and our Life at Surrey Handbook to get an insight into working at Surrey.

Contact Us

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. Please contact via email Linde Webber View email address on surreycc.gov.uk or Emily Bamford View email address on surreycc.gov.uk . 

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation and will move to new authorities in April 2027. This role is currently employed by Surrey County Council and will remain so until then. If you are employed by Surrey County Council on 1 April 2027, your employment will transfer under TUPE arrangements to one of the new councils, with your current terms and conditions protected. The provisional allocation for this post is East Surrey Council, subject to final confirmation through the wider transition process later this year. Please see more information here:  Information for applicants on Local Government Reorganisation - Surrey County Council .

Our Commitment

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum shortlisting criteria as displayed on the advert, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we're committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.