Family Group Conference Assistant Manager

About The Role

Working Hours: 35 Hours per week

Contract Type: Full time/Permanent

Additional Payments: Essential car user allowance

Closing Date: 14 April 2026

Closing time: 11.59pm

Interview Method: Face to Face

This role is subject to:

• Legal right to Work: In accordance with Home Office guidance, successful candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK before commencement of employment.
• 2 References: where possible we require 3 years' history
• Qualification: Diploma Level III Caring for Children and Young People (equivalent or above).
• Medical Clearance: Pre-placement health assessment (PPHA)
• Essential Car Documentation: This post is a designated Essential Car User. Therefore, you must always hold a full valid driving licence and provide your own car for use at work. You will receive the Essential Car User Allowance.
• Driving Licence: The successful candidate must always hold a full valid driving licence as you will be required to drive a vehicle adhering to council regulations.
• DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) clearance: this post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (amended in 2013). Appointable candidates will be required to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Information provided by you or the DBS will be dealt with in a confidential manner and in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice which can be viewed here. We have a policy on the Employment of Ex-Offenders, and it is available upon request.

We're looking for an experienced and motivated Family Group Conference (FGC) Assistant Manager to support the leadership and development of our busy FGC service. You'll help ensure families receive high quality, independent, family led conferences that improve safety, stability and outcomes for children and young people across Manchester.

What You'll Do

• Lead, supervise and develop a team of FGC Facilitators, including Lifelong Links staff.
• Ensure high quality conferences that result in safe, effective family plans.
• Screen and allocate referrals, managing waiting lists and prioritising urgency.
• Support staff through coaching, practice observations and risk based decision making.
• Work with partner agencies to embed family led planning across ICPC, PLO and wider safety planning.
• Promote the FGC and Lifelong Links service across the city.
• Monitor and analyse service data to support continuous improvement.

Why Join Us? Become part of a supportive leadership team in a local authority rated Outstanding by Ofsted. We value creativity, inclusion and continuous improvement - and we invest in our staff to help them grow and thrive.

Ready to Make an Impact? If you're passionate about family led practice and ready to step into a leadership role, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply now and help shape better outcomes for Manchester's children.

For an informal discussion, please contact the hiring manager, Joanne Cochrane on or email to arrange a convenient time to discuss the role.

About the Candidate Who You Are

• Confident in leading people and supporting good practice.
• Skilled at building relationships with families and professionals.
• Calm, decisive and resilient in challenging situations.
• An excellent communicator who listens, reflects and challenges constructively.
• Committed to strengths based, inclusive and child centred practice.

What You'll Bring

• Level 3 Diploma in Caring for Children and Young People (or equivalent/above).
• Extensive experience of FGC/Family Group Decision Making.
• Knowledge of Lifelong Links (or willingness to build expertise).
• Strong organisational, analytical and decision making skills.
• Full driving licence and access to a vehicle.
• Willingness to undertake physical intervention training and an enhanced DBS check.

About Us We're the local council for one of the UK's most vibrant and diverse cities.

Working for Manchester isn't just a job - it's an opportunity to contribute to a city that leads change and transforms lives. Whether it's strengthening communities or driving innovation in public services, you'll play a vital role in creating opportunities and shaping a brighter future for everyone.

Our Manchester is our vision for a fairer, greener, and healthier city - a vision shaped by the people of Manchester. It guides everything we do at the Council and is brought to life through the Our Manchester behaviours.

• We take time to listen and understand.
• We work together and trust each other.
• We show that we value our differences and treat each other fairly.
• We 'own it' and we're not afraid to try new things.
• We're proud and passionate about Manchester.

Benefits we offer

• Generous holiday allowance: Enjoy up to 26 days annual leave per year plus bank holidays. Increasing to 31 days after five years of local government service. Want more leave? You can purchase up to two additional weeks.
• A buzzing pension: You'll be enrolled in the UK's largest local government pension scheme, with plenty of options to top up your benefits. Includes life cover of three-times your salary as a lump sum.
• Enhanced parental and carers leave: Take advantage of our enhanced family leave options, designed to provide ample time for you to bond with your new born or support your family during critical life events.
• Brilliant perks: Access a range of discounts, from saving on the weekly shop to holidays and days out with MCR+. Plus discounts on phone contracts, cycle to work scheme, free flu jabs and eye tests, and more.
• Learn and grow: We are dedicated to nurturing talent and providing you with the tools to thrive. Take part in a diverse set of learning opportunities, from workshops and training sessions through to apprenticeships and qualifications. All this begins with our comprehensive onboarding process.
• A Good Employment Charter member: We are committed to offering secure, flexible work and embedding fairness into everything we do. We review pay annually, recognise three trade unions, and are constantly working to offer the best possible health and wellbeing support throughout all stages of your working life.
• Up to 3 days volunteering leave: Give back to the community with three days pro rate of paid volunteering leave, in addition to existing benefits.

Creating an Inclusive Team at Manchester City Council At Manchester City Council, we're dedicated to creating a workplace that truly reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We actively welcome applications from people of all ages and backgrounds, particularly from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities, Disabled people and young people.

Support During the Process

• Interview Adjustments: Let us know if you need any adjustments to demonstrate your suitability during the interview.
• Accessible Formats: Our ReciteMe tool can be accessed through the "Accessibility tools" button at the top of our careers page. This tool offers features like text to speech, translation into multiple languages, and adjustable text size and colour to make our site more accessible for everyone.

Guaranteed Assessment Scheme We guarantee assessments for applicants who meet the recruiting panels minimum shortlisting requirement for the role and identify with at least one of the criteria below:

• Members of the Armed Forces members or veterans
• Current or former care leavers
• Have a disability or long term condition

When You Join Us We're a Disability Confident Employer, offering:

• A workplace adjustment hub which provides specialist support, advice and guidance to ensure you have the adjustments needed to thrive at work.
• Disabled Staff Network, Neurodiversity Staff Network and Mental Health Staff Network that provides a safe inclusive space to share experiences and opportunities to influence council practice.
• A strong commitment to ensuring all information adheres to accessibility standards and that our workplaces are accessible and disability friendly.

For more information about the role or any adjustments, email .

What we will need from you if you're successful In accordance with Home Office guidance, successful candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK before commencement of employment. This is not a role we consider to be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route based on Manchester City Council policy. Candidates are therefore encouraged to consider their own right to work options without the requirement for Manchester City Council sponsorship.

Pre-Employment Checks If you are successful in securing a position with us, the pre employment checks required will depend on the role you've applied for, see the top of the advert for details.

These checks are an important part of our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our workforce and the community we serve.

Other relevant information We want everyone to be able to be themselves at work and give their best. If you need additional support to undertake the duties of the role, we'll make every effort to source any necessary aids, adaptations or equipment. If, however, any task proves to be unachievable, we will look at redesigning parts of the role.
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