Senior Family Group Decision Maker and Mediation Facilitator

Senior Family GroupDecision Maker and Mediation Facilitator - Families Working Together Team

Salary – £33,945 - £38,223 (grade 6)

Hours - 37 hours per week

Contract type - Fixed Term/secondment opportunity (until end of March 2025) 

Would you like the opportunity to really make a difference to the lives of people in Wolverhampton?

We are seeking a dynamic, forward-thinking individual with experience of facilitating Family Group Decision Making and Mediation who will strive to improve outcomes for families. 

The post-holder will work within a team of Family Group Decision Making and Mediation facilitators, in the Families Working Together Team. 

The Senior Family Group Decision Maker/ Mediation facilitator will carry out complex case management and supervisory functions within the Family Group Decision Making/Mediation Team; with the aim of preventing family breakdown and support Social Workers in holding effective family meetings. 

You will: 

• Manage a small complex caseload, work directly with children, young people and their families in order to promote, strengthen and to develop the potential of parents/carers and their children living together safely in order to prevent children suffering significant harm and/or becoming looked after.
• Be responsible for the planning, co-ordination, facilitation and review of Family Group Conferences and family mediation in a way that responds appropriately to the needs of the individual families from a diversity of backgrounds.
• Contribute to planning, decision making and practice for children and families within Children’s Services in order to prevent family breakdown.
• Undertake a supporting role within the team for the coordination of individual and team performance to ensure that services are delivered in accordance with statutory duties and quality standards, performance measures and indicators. 
• Provide direct line management including supervision and appraisals/professional conversations to an agreed cohort of team members. 
• Co-work cases with less experienced members of the team and to take responsibility as part of that process for sharing knowledge and developing their learning. 
• Work with the Specialist Family Support Manager in ensuring the voice and needs of children and young people are at the fore front of team working.

The post holder will be supervised by – Specialist Family Support Manager 

You will need to have:

• NVQ level 3 or equivalent e.g. in Education, Health or Social Care, Community Development or Diploma in Youth & Community work.
• Accredited Family Group Conference and Mediation Trained or willing to complete the training.
• The achievement of English and Maths or equivalent to level 2 of the National Qualification Framework
•  A positive enhanced DBS disclosure 

Who we are:

The City of Wolverhampton Council is an Ofsted rated ‘Good’ Local Authority with ‘Outstanding’ Leadership and Management. This means that you can expect to receive outstanding support as you begin your career development and journey with us. Wolverhampton City Council has one Ofsted registered short breaks home which is also judged ‘Good’. 

What we offer:

• Good training and development opportunities
• Pension scheme with options to increase your contributions.
• Sick pay and other local authority benefits such as WV Active membership benefits. 
• Access to employee assistance and other local authority discounts in stores. 

This post is subject to an Enhanced DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) check.

For further information about this post, please contact Ruby Hothi via ruby.hothi@wolverhampton.gov.uk 

Our working arrangements

All council roles are allocated to either a fixed, field or flexible work style. Some roles are agile which enable and empowers employees to maximise their performance and productivity, whilst maintaining a healthy work life balance.  Roles with a fixed workstyle work in a fixed permanent council location.  Roles with a field workstyle are usually allocation where employees are required to be out working in the community with a minimum requirement for 'touch down' space at any council location.  Roles with a flexible workstyle have a flexible base location to meet the needs of the business and employees can work from a mixture of home or any council office, partner/client, or external location, as required to meet service requirements.

Please refer to the Job Description for further information on the workstyle assigned to the role you are applying for.

For more information about working for our organisation including the culture of the Council, the Council plan and vision, staff equality forums, core HR policies and much more please click here.

Diversity 

We are committed to building a workforce that is reflective of the diverse community we serve. We want to attract the best applications from people of all backgrounds and underrepresented groups because we strongly believe in adding value through diversity, inclusion, and equality. Our employees enable us to deliver services that are accessible, inclusive, and reflective of Wolverhampton residents. 

Our status as a Disability Confident Employer showcases our commitment to people with disabilities or health conditions, advocating for their opportunities and potential. We've received the Stonewall Silver Award, emphasising our dedication to the LGBT+ community by nurturing an inspiring, inclusive, and equal workplace. As of March 2023, the RACE Code Quality Mark signifies our active engagement with racial equality. These recognitions validate our continuous efforts towards fostering an inclusive work environment that respects and values our diverse employees. 

As part of our commitment as a Disability Confident employer, a Gold Award Armed Forces employer and our commitment to supporting care leavers - we offer a guaranteed interview as long as your application meets the essential criteria for the post. 

We encourage, inspire and value an inclusive culture here at the council where employees can flourish, thrive and be themselves. We have four staff equality forums for employees to join. These help to ensure our employees have a voice, they feel empowered to speak up and where everyone is treated with respect - Learn more about the staff equality forums here

Recruitment of Ex-Offenders 

We are committed to the fair treatment of all our employees, potential employees, or users of our service regardless of offending background. The Council uses the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for any vacancies that require a DBS check to obtain information about applicants to assess their suitability for employment in positions of trust. We do not discriminate unfairly against any individual on the basis of a conviction or any other information revealed as a result of a DBS disclosure - Learn more here

Employment Information & Support 

If you are considering applying for an apprenticeship or a role where the salary is (Grade 2-5), and would like to visit us to learn about the application, interview process and what it is like to work for the council, please click on this link to find out more - Learn more here

Attached documents
Senior Family GroupDecision Maker and Mediation Facilitator JDPS Grade6.doc