4.3.4 Family Group Conferences |
Contents
1. Introduction
A Family Group Conference (FGC) is a decision making process where the family finds its own solutions with the support of professionals.
The process aims to use the strengths and resources of the entire family as the primary planning group to ensure the ownership of the problem and its management.
“Family” is defined broadly to include child, parents, extended family and other adults who may be able to play a role in the child’s life (“honorary” family members).
The role of professionals at the Family Group Conference is to provide information and consultation, rather than to influence or make the decisions.
At the Family Group Conference, the family has private discussion time away from the co-ordinator and professionals in order to produce their plan for managing the child’s welfare. The aim is that the family’s plan should be accepted, supported and resourced, if at all possible.
It is important to consider what happens before and after the meeting in some detail, as good practice and clarity in these areas will contribute significantly to the outcome of the Conference.
Family Group Conferences have been used to make plans for children in a number of different contexts, such as family support, rehabilitation of children, requests for accommodation, where children have disabilities, where parents have a life threatening illness and child protection.
The model itself is very clear and straightforward, but there are a number of issues to consider when putting it into practice. The Project Managers should be contacted to discuss the use of a Family Group Conference in particular cases.
2. Referral
Family Group Conferences are a voluntary option and therefore referrals can only be made with the family’s agreement.
The referral for a Family Group Conference follows the completion of an assessment and as a decision of a Planning Meeting. The referral should be submitted to Child Protection, Quality & Review Service Officer/s.
An independent co-ordinator is appointed to facilitate the Family Group Conference.
The race, culture, religion and chosen language of the family must be carefully considered. It is important that the co-ordinator is acceptable to the family in these areas.
The process of the Family Group Conference should reflect, and be in tune with, the family’s cultural background, and it should be held in the family’s first language with, where necessary, the professionals working with interpreters. See Family Group Conference Flowchart.
3.
Preparation
The co-ordinator, in consultation with the child and immediate carers, identifies the family network.
When inviting family members, a date, time and venue for the meeting, convenient to the family, is agreed. It is crucial to the whole process that it is made possible for all family members to attend, and this may include providing financial support.
At this stage, preparing family members for the Family Group Conference is a key responsibility for the co-ordinator.
The co-ordinator also makes contact with the professional network. They will clarify that the professionals have gathered and prepared information that sets out their concerns and that they are aware of the range of resources available to the family.
4.
The Family Group Conference
The Family Group Conference is divided into three stages: information giving, private family time, and finally, the agreement of the plan.
Stage 1: Information Giving
At the start of the meeting, the Social Worker shares with the family and the co-ordinator:
- Any information they have about the family which is relevant to the plan they are going to make (the Family Group Conference largely uses existing information, e.g. from assessments. The nature of the information provided will depend on the reason for referral).
- Concerns for the child/ren.
- Issues the family’s plan needs to address.
- Their statutory duties and responsibilities.
- The relevant resources available.
The family can clarify the information provided and ask any questions.
It is important at this stage that all those attending the Conference acknowledge there is a need for a plan, even if there are disagreements in other areas.
The family will need to be clear about the decisions they are able to make and about any decisions that have been made, or will be made, in another forum.
Stage 2: Private Family Time
The co-ordinator and professionals withdraw, leaving the family to plan in private. The family has three tasks to agree:
- A plan that meets the needs of the child/young person and addresses any concerns that have been raised.
- Contingency plans.
- How to implement, monitor and review the plan.
The co-ordinator and Social Worker need to be available during this time should the family need any clarification or additional information.
Stage 3: Agreeing the plan and the implementation, monitoring and review arrangements
Once a plan is made, the co-ordinator and the Social Worker rejoin the family to consider the plan, agree who has responsibility for carrying out specific tasks and negotiate resources.
The only grounds to veto a plan that does not have excessive resource implications would be if it put any child/young person at risk of significant harm.
It may be that there is a need for the plan to be agreed within another context, or that the resources requested will need to be negotiated outside the Family Group Conference.
In this situation, the professionals may agree the plan in principle. Contingency plans, monitoring and reviewing the arrangements should also be agreed at this point.
5. Monitoring and Review
The plan must be integrated into the core assessment and care planning. It should be presented to any formal planning process, such as case conferences, LAC reviews and CIN Planning.
Copies of the outcomes must be placed on file and sent to Family Group Conference Project Managers for evaluation.
There is no automatic review procedure for Family Group Conferences, but families and professionals should feel able to request that the co-ordinator calls another conference where necessary. The process for this must be made clear to families.
6.
Flowchart
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