The FGC Coordinator Training Course

CPD-Accredited Family Group Conference and Restorative Practice Training

Become a Confident Family Group Conference Coordinator

Develop the knowledge, skills and practical confidence to coordinate Family Group Conferences and support families to take an active role in safeguarding and decision-making.

Our four-day FGC Coordinator Training Programme combines the principles and values of Family Group Decision Making with practical preparation, facilitation skills, safeguarding awareness and restorative practice.

The programme is designed for practitioners who want to develop their skills as Family Group Conference Coordinators, including those working towards independent coordinator roles.

Four-Day FGC Coordinator Training Programme

The programme takes participants from the foundations and values of Family Group Conferencing through to preparation, facilitation and practical application.

Across the four days, participants have opportunities to explore scenarios, practise skills and consider how families may experience the FGC process.

The training reflects the core elements of the FGC process — from referral and preparation through to the conference, private family time and development of the family plan.

The course emphasises child and family-led decision-making, informed consent, independence, neutrality and meaningful participation.

Clear Completion Requirement

To receive a Certificate of Completion, trainees must attend and complete all four days of the FGC Coordinator Training Programme.

Partial attendance does not meet the programme's completion requirement and will not result in a certificate being issued.

Participants who complete the full programme can access the additional support offered by Veritas Training, including:

• Free supervision for their first allocated case or first piece of FGC work completed following training

• Ongoing reflective supervision

• Professional practice guidance

• Access to supervision booking through the website

Flexible Training for Individuals and Organisations

We offer flexible delivery options to support both individual practitioners and organisations developing FGC Coordinator capacity.

One-to-One Training

Intensive Online Training

Focused online training with personalised support for individual practitioners, newly appointed coordinators and professionals developing their FGC coordination skills.

Small Groups — 2 to 12 Delegates

Online or Face-to-Face Training

Interactive training for small professional groups, teams and practitioners who want to develop a shared understanding and consistent approach to Family Group Conferencing.

Larger Cohorts — 13 to 30 Delegates

Online or Face-to-Face Training

Workforce development for local authorities, charities and other organisations seeking to develop or expand their capacity to deliver the Family Group Conference model.

What You Will Develop on the Course

The training is designed to develop both knowledge and practical coordination skills.

Understanding the FGC Model

Develop a clear understanding of the principles, values and purpose of Family Group Conferencing, including family-led decision-making, empowerment, participation and independence. We don’t tell families what to do — we create the space for families to decide.

Coordinating the FGC Process

Develop the knowledge required to accept a referral, understand the purpose of the meeting and coordinate the process through preparation and conference. The training materials identify accepting a referral and facilitating the process as core course aims. The coordinator facilitates the process. The family owns the decisions.

Preparation and Engagement

Learn how to build effective relationships with families and referrers, gain informed consent, prepare participants, identify potential difficulties and organise the practical arrangements for the meeting.

The Child's Voice

Explore practical ways of ensuring that children's and young people's views are meaningfully represented, including direct participation, advocacy, written contributions and creative approaches.

Independent and Neutral Facilitation

Develop an understanding of the coordinator’s independent role. The coordinator facilitates the process, not the decisions — they do not hold case responsibility, provide therapy or decide on behalf of the family, but support participation and help families develop their own plans while communicating safeguarding concerns to the professional responsible for the case.

Safeguarding and Professional Boundaries

Understand how the coordinator works independently of case management while remaining alert to safeguarding concerns, and how information and concerns should be handled alongside the referring practitioner and relevant local procedures.

Facilitating the Conference

Develop practical skills in welcoming participants, establishing a respectful environment, facilitating information sharing, encouraging questions, maintaining focus and supporting the family to develop a clear plan.

Family Plans and Private Family Time

Understand the purpose of private family time and the coordinator's role in supporting the family to consider the information presented and develop its own plan.

Practical Simulation

Apply your learning through practical exercises and scenario-based work designed to build confidence in real-world FGC coordination.

Reflective Supervision for Independent FGC Coordinators

Training is only the beginning of professional development.

Veritas Training provides online reflective supervision for Independent Family Group Conference Coordinators.

Sessions are available for 30 to 120 minutes, depending on the complexity of the work and the coordinator's needs.

Supervision can support:

• Case reflection and professional decision-making

• Restorative practice

• Preparation and facilitation

• Complex family dynamics

• Safeguarding considerations

• Professional accountability

• Reflection on the coordinator's role and practice

Your First Case

Veritas-trained coordinators receive free supervision for their first allocated case or first piece of FGC work following training.

Following this, supervision is available as a paid professional service for individual coordinators and organisations.

Sessions can be booked individually through the website or arranged as part of an ongoing supervision package.

Urgent Professional Support

Where urgent professional support is required, coordinators may contact their supervisor by mobile phone when available. If the call cannot be answered immediately, a text message can be sent requesting a call-back.

Why Train with Veritas Training?

Training Grounded in Real Statutory Practice

Our training is informed by extensive experience across children's social care, child protection, court work, safeguarding and professional leadership.

We understand that coordinating an FGC requires more than knowing the process. It requires the ability to work confidently with families, professionals and complex circumstances while maintaining independence, neutrality and appropriate professional boundaries.

Practical Learning

Our approach combines knowledge, discussion, reflection and practical application.

The aim is not simply to understand what an FGC is, but to develop the confidence and skills needed to coordinate the process in practice.

Family-Centred Practice

At the heart or ethos of veritas training is a simple principle:

Ask the family.

The training materials emphasise the coordinator's role in empowering families to think about and make decisions about their own circumstances, rather than taking control of those decisions.

 

Your Development as an FGC Coordinator

Whether you are developing FGC coordination skills within your current role, moving towards independent practice or building FGC capacity within your organisation, Veritas Training provides a structured foundation for your development.

Learn the process. Develop your confidence. Strengthen your practice. Put families at the centre.

Train with Veritas to learn, grow and build your future.

CPD-accredited learning | Four-day FGC Coordinator Programme | Online and face-to-face delivery | Reflective supervision | UK-wide