Barnardo's
Derwent Family Group Conference Project
What is a Family Group Conference
Family Group Conferencing helps families to make plans and decisions when they are going through difficult times with issues that many of us face at some point in our lives - from a child not attending school or at risk of offending, through to children and families working their way through a family break-up. A Family Group Conference is a chance for you, your family and other important people in your life to meet together to try to sort out some of your problems. These important people may include family, friends who feel 'part of the family' and people who work with you, such as family workers, health visitors, teachers or youth workers.
Your Family Group Conference
Why have a Family Group Conference?
You and your family know more about what goes on in your life than we ever can.You have ideas about what is needed to make things work.
An FGC can help sort out:
- a child/young person with problems with attending school or exclusions
- a child/young person at risk of offending and antisocial behaviour
- children and families working their way through a family break up
- where a child/young person will live
- child welfare and protection concerns
- a child/young person with a disability where additional support is required
- a child/young person who is a young carer.
A Family Group Conference is a way of helping you and your family to make your own decisions about what is best for your future.
What happens before your FGC?
Before your Family Group Conference takes place you will be contacted by an independent co-ordinator.The co-ordinator will visit you and will help you to decide who to invite and set a date for your meeting.
Your co-ordinator will want to meet all the members of your family and support network to explain about the meeting and help arrange for people to come. She or he will help you decide where to meet, make arrangements with the venue, arrange refreshments and make sure that everyone can get to your meeting.
Your co-ordinator will help to prepare you and your family for the meeting. It is important that everyone has a say and you may want a supporter or an independent advocate at your meeting to help you make your point. Your co-ordinator can arrange this for you and will make sure all voices are heard.
What happens at your FGC?
Your Family Group Conference will take place in three parts:
Part one - Information sharing
This is the part of the meeting where you get the information you need to make a plan. Any workers involved with your family will explain their concerns and tell you about the sort of help that they can offer and what support is available.
There will be lots of chances to ask questions so that everyone is clear about what has been said.
Part two - Private family time
The family will then be left alone to:
- discuss the information
- decide who will do what
- work out and agree a plan
- decide what support is needed
- decide how as family you are going to check that the plan is working.
You don't have to hurry, your co-ordinator will be nearby if you need any more help or information.
Part three - Explaining your plan
Everyone will then return for the third part of the meeting.This part of the meeting is to make sure that everyone is clear about what has been agreed.
Your plan will be discussed and, if necessary, agreed by any workers involved.
At this point a date will be arranged for a review meeting.
What happens at the review meeting?
After the meeting the co-ordinator will make sure that everyone who was invited to the meeting gets a copy of the plan.
At the review meeting everyone comes together again to discuss progress since the first FGC and make any changes needed to the plan.
Contact us
If you feel that your family, or a family you know would benefit from a Family Group Conference or you would just like to find out more about Family Group Conferences then please contact the Derwent Family Group Conference Team.
Barnardo's Derwent Family Group Conference Project,
The Revive Healthy Living Centre,
Roe Farm Lane, Chaddesden, Derby DE21 6ET
Tel: 01332 288710
