Family Group Conference Lifelong Links Co-ordinator

Are you passionate about empowering families, strengthening relationships, and helping children and young people build lifelong support networks?

We are looking for a motivated, skilled, and compassionate Family Group Conference & Lifelong Links Coordinator to join Durham’s innovative Family Group Conference Service.

You’ll be joining a supportive team committed to:

• Strengthening families and communities.
• Delivering restorative and relationship-based practice.
• Preventing unnecessary admissions to care.
• Improving permanence, belonging, and lifelong connections for children and young people.
• Supporting professional development and continuous learning

As a Family Group Conference (FGC) & Lifelong Links Coordinator, you will work independently with children, young people, and families to identify, strengthen, and reconnect family and community networks. You will coordinate and facilitate Family Group Conferences and Lifelong Links interventions, supporting families to develop their own plans that address safeguarding concerns and enable children and young people to remain safely within their family networks wherever possible.

• Lead and coordinate Family Group Conferences and Lifelong Links interventions.
• Work directly with children and young people to capture and represent their views, wishes, and feelings.
• Explore family and community networks to identify potential support systems.
• Prepare families and professionals for meetings, ensuring all participants can engage meaningfully and safely.
• Facilitate meetings that enable families to negotiate and agree robust, future-focused plans.
• Ensure plans are realistic, evidence-based, and address identified safeguarding concerns.

• Has a Level 3 Health & Social Care or equivalent
• Has experience working with children, young people, and families with complex needs.
• Has experience of promoting the use of family networks.
• Is passionate about relationship-based and restorative practice.
• Has excellent facilitation, engagement, and communication skills.
• Can work independently while managing a diverse and demanding caseload.
• Is confident coordinating meetings involving multiple agencies and family members.
• Has experience of mediation or restorative approaches.
• Can build trust quickly and work effectively in challenging and emotionally sensitive situations.
• Is committed to achieving positive outcomes for vulnerable children and young people.

Please refer to the attached Person Specification for the full criteria.

Optional

If successful, you will be required to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service Enhanced Disclosure.

Durham County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore if successful in your application, an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be sought inclusive of a check of the Children’s Barred List and Adults Barred List, due to the position working in regulated activity.

Applicants should be aware that the DBS check will disclose both spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings, in line with current legislation and will confirm whether an individual is barred from working with children, adults, or both.

Interviews will be held on 7th / 8th October 2026.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran.

We offer a competitive rewards package that includes…