Family Group Conferences (FGCs) are at the heart of the Leeds restorative approach to support families when there is a safeguarding issue. They aim to help families develop their own solutions to the difficulties they are facing.
An FGC is a voluntary meeting where a child’s wider family come together, talk about concerns and make a plan for the future care of the child. FGCs are intended as a respectful and empowering process in which parents, children, wider family members and family friends are given clear information about safeguarding concerns and are asked to produce a plan to address those concerns. Every family is unique. FGCs use a family’s own skills, strengths and personal knowledge to resolve difficulties. A major benefit of FGCs is that the child or young person participates and can influence the plan being made for them.
These are free of charge and are organised by an independent coordinator. This includes finding the right place to have the meeting, sending out invitations and arranging food.
Referrals for FGCs are mainly made through the child or young person’s social worker or Early Help Lead Worker.
All families whose children are discussed at an Initial Child Protection Conference (ICPC) are offered the opportunity to have an FGC to develop their family plan. This offer is made following the ICPC by the FGC service, regardless of whether a child protection plan is agreed or not. Social Workers can refer to the service at any point
Families make the decision on who can attend, and this is usually
- other family members
- friends
- neighbours
- and anyone else the family wants to involve, including professionals
How a meeting can help
The meetings help families who may be having difficulties caring for their children and where there are safeguarding concerns. The coordinator will support families make important decisions about a child or young person.
Families can discuss:
- Safeguarding concerns
- mental health
- substance misuse
- parenting
- conflict
- domestic abuse
- education
- poverty
- separation and divorce
- physical illness
- homelessness
A Family Group Conference is a safe space for each member to hear and talk about anything they're concerned about.
FGC process & Information sharing with practitioners
FGCs are a family led process that is designed to empower families to take responsibility for their children’s well-being and safety. To this end the family are given as many supported choices as possible to ensure they have ownership of the meeting.
To prepare for an FGC, the coordinator will primarily focus on the social worker as the professional point of contact. The majority of their time is spent contacting and preparing family members to ensure information is shared appropriately and family are able to make the necessary decisions when they come together. The coordinator will discuss with family the attendance of other practitioners. They will always support the idea of including other agencies in the FGC process but do not have the right to insist on any professional attendance other than the referrer.
If you are requested to attend: If the family confirm they are willing for others to attend, the coordinator will make contact with the relevant practitioner to discuss the concerns and their role within the meeting. If attendance is possible, this should include a face to face preparation meeting between coordinator and professional.
If you are requested to provide information: The family will often identify practitioners they are willing for the coordinator to contact but who they would not necessarily see attending the meeting in person. In this case, the coordinator will contact the relevant practitioner for discussion and to seek indirect input but will be explicit that this is not with a view to attending the meeting itself.
If you are not requested by family: If the family do not identify a particular practitioner as needing to contribute to the meeting with regard to either information or attendance, despite the coordinator exploring the purpose, it is possible that a practitioner will not be contacted or receive any information from a coordinator during the FGC process.
Given that a key principle of FGC practice is the family choice around attendance and the fact that no-one attends without appropriate preparation, please be aware it is not appropriate to attend an FGC you are aware of unless you have been contacted by the coordinator and specifically invited.
If you have any concerns about a child during the FGC preparation phase, or require information about the case, please contact the social worker as you would normally do. The FGC coordinator does not have any case responsibility during their work and will not be able to meet your needs unless your query is specific to the FGC. The coordinator also contacts the social worker for updates and progress sharing so it is essential they remain the person with oversight of all elements and primary point of contact.
FGC Review process and timescales
At the end of an FGC, a discussion will take place between the family and practitioners about a review. The timing of a review FGC can be very flexible and is based on the needs of the child’s situation and the nature of the Family Plan. In comparison to the standard CP system, an FGC review will always be held more quickly than the 3 months /6 month timescale.
Where there are agreed actions or elements of the Family Plan that have a short timescale for completion, a review can be held in as soon as 3 or 4 weeks to give family an opportunity to ensure they are on track.
Similarly if the required actions are going to need time to achieve, the group can agree a review will not be held until 6 or 8 weeks if this feels more appropriate to the situation.
FCG and the Initial Child Protection Conference (ICPC) pathway
As part of the commitment to working restoratively with families, Children’s Services invested in expanding the Family Group Conference (FGC) service to enable a conference to be offered to more families, earlier in the lifetime of the issues they are experiencing. The long term ambition is to make the offer of a Family Group Conference an entitlement for all families experiencing difficulties. Due to the continued success of FGCs we were granted permission by the Department for Education in 2016 to trial new practices in Leeds, which departed from the existing statutory guidance.
The safety and welfare of the child/ren remains paramount. As far as possible, the pathway adheres to Working Together guidance. Only cases that have been identified as meeting a set of guiding principles (see below) will be considered for FGC, all other cases will continue to be managed in accordance with the existing statutory framework. If at any point the risks are too great to manage via an FGC, the case will revert to the statutory child protection route.
If you are involved with a family where the offer of an FGC is being considered as an alternative to an ICPC you will be asked to attend a strategy meeting to discuss whether it meets the pathway criteria. If the case progresses down this route, in some cases an ICPC will no longer be necessary and the support for the family will be agreed through the family plan and will include support from agencies. You may also be asked to attend the Family Group Conference, if the family would like you to be present.
Even if you are not asked to attend the FGC you will still be asked to provide information regarding your knowledge of the child/ren and family to inform decision making around management of risk and to inform ‘the bottom line’ to be addressed in the family plan.
Every practitioner involved with a child where the ICPC Pathway is being used will receive a copy of the Family Plan. If you think an FGC has happened and you have not seen the plan, please contact the social worker.
FCG and the ICPC pathway - guiding principles
Circumstances in which the risk may be safely managed via the Family Group Conference process and family plan
- If the family demonstrate that they are willing to work with agencies
- S47 enquiries to identify the circumstances surrounding the concerns, including
- previous history have been completed, and there is an understanding of the risks;
- Identified risks can be managed in the short term
- Ensuring a lead practitioner is in place (this will normally be the social worker) oversee the child’s safety prior to the FGC being convened
Family Group Conference
Once the family has agreed to take up the FGC offer, the FGC coordinator will begin contacting the network and preparing them to attend the FGC. If by 15 days after the first strategy discussion, the coordinator is making little progress /has been unable to make contact then discussion takes place within CSWS about whether to hold a further strategy discussion to decide whether to revert to the ICPC route.
- It can take up to 6 weeks for the FGC to be convened. A minimum level of contact to take place (CIN visits) will be agreed with the child / family and the lead practitioner during that time, this will be at least weekly. This would usually be agreed as part of the plan from the strategy discussion.
- The FGC co-ordinator will work alongside the social worker to achieve a timely meeting and a safe plan
- Reasons for the concerns will be clearly outlined to the family during both the preparation for the FGC and in the information sharing part of the meeting
- The ‘bottom line’ position will be clearly communicated during both the preparation and in the FGC (what is needed to keep the children safe and meet their needs)
- The family will be supported to have private family time where they will agree their plan to safeguard the child /children
- Once the family have agreed their plan it will be shared with the practitioners at the meeting during the final stage of the FGC. Practitioners will have the opportunity to ask any questions they might have about the plan.
- Family will agree who will monitor the plan and family and practitioners will agree when a review of the plan will be held. It is usual for a review to take place within 8 weeks.
- The lead practitioner (social worker) will ensure a phone / other verbal check in with other agencies takes place 8 weeks after the FGC and recorded. The purpose of this contact will be to obtain the views of involved practitioners on progress, including whether there have been any issues in delivering agreed support to the family.
- There should be a formal review of the plan (CIN) held within 3 months of the plan being agreed at the FGC. This will involve the family, lead practitioner, social work team manager and / or Advanced Practitioner – information and the views of other agencies on progress will be sought in advance of the review.
- If the plan cannot be agreed because it compromises the safety of the child, an initial child protection case conference will be called.
- Throughout this process, the social work service team manager and lead practitioner can seek advice and guidance from the Integrated Safeguarding Unit Conference chairs.
- This may include advice on defining the ‘bottom line’ to be shared with the family.
- If it is felt at any stage that the plan is not being implemented then family need to be given the opportunity to come back together to discuss why the plan is not being followed. If there is an immediate safeguarding issue then CSWS will decide whether to revert to the child protection process.
- No further reviews of the plan will be held when the family and practitioners agree that there are no further safeguarding concerns and the children’s needs are being met
Key agency responsibilities in the ICPC pathway
Children’s Social Work Service / Social Worker
- Consider guiding principles for FGC process as part of s47 enquiry
- Make initial referral to FGC service
- Follow up FGC referral and work alongside FGC co-ordinator in advance of FGC to ensure a timely meeting and safe plan
- Meet with the parents in advance of FGC to discuss available support services and to confirm the ‘bottom line’
- Attend Family Group Conference and provide information
- Complete verbal check-in with other involved agencies 8 weeks after initial FGC
- Consult with CP chairs as appropriate to ensure the ‘bottom line’ is addressed as part of the FGC process and family plan
Family Group Conference Co-ordinators
- Ensure direct contact is made with the family within 15 working days of the initial strategy discussion, to outline the FGC process and establish whether the family are in agreement
- Report outcome of initial contact with family to social worker to inform the strategy meeting
- Work alongside social worker in advance of the FGC, to ensure a timely conference and safe plan
- Book Family Group Conference and invite attendees
- Ensure that key risks to the child or children are made clear in the wording of questions to be put to the Family Group Conference, in a way that ensures that the child’s safety is paramount and the family understand practitioner concerns
Police / health / other practitioners involved with the family
- Attend / provide information to the strategy meeting within 15 working days of the initial strategy discussion
- Ensure services / support are delivered as agreed in the strategy meeting and family plan
- In some cases the family may ask for other practitioners to attend the FGC as well as the social worker and this should be prioritised where possible
- Provide a verbal update on family progress and services delivered within 8 weeks of the FGC taking place (sooner should the need arise)
Child Protection Chair Team Managers
- Be available for consultation throughout the FGC process,
Where can I get more information?
If you need further information about the process or wish to consider a referral you can contact the FGC manager for your area for advice.
Bernie Jackson South FGC Team Manager
Mob: 07891 274216
Sian Owen ENE FGC Team Manager
Mob: 07891 279 623
Annie Soul WNW FGC Team Manager
Tel: 07712214893
Or email: fgcadmin@leeds.gov.uk