News
Publication promotes radical way of working with families
Thursday 13 September 2007
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CHILDREN 1ST has published a groundbreaking document - Ask the Family: National Standards to support family-led decision making and Family Group Conferences (FGC) in Scotland - which aims to help children at risk of being taken into care remain within their families.
CHILDREN 1ST has pioneered the use of family group conferencing, which brings members of a child's extended family together to come up with options for their care where they are at risk of abuse or neglect or their parents are unable to care for them due to substance abuse, physical or mental ill health.
Family group conferencing offers a radically different way of working from "traditional" social work. Though the FGC co-ordinator will work individually with family members in the weeks leading up to the meeting and introduce it on the day, they then depart for a specific period of time and leave the decision making to the family. The process is based on the belief that given the right resources and support, most families will make good decisions for their children.
Family group conferencing is routinely used in Australia, New Zealand, the USA, Europe and some local authorities in England, including Essex and Kent. In April, the Scottish National Party pledged in its election manifesto to "expand family group conferencing from the local authorities which currently use it out to the whole country."
The first CHILDREN 1ST FGC service was set up in 1998 and we currently operate 14 FGC services across Scotland.
The National Standards outline the theory behind family group conferencing, identify how FGC fits in with Scottish, UK and international legislation, including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and explores situations where FGC can make a positive difference: in child protection and youth offending cases, and to resolve education, health, disability, contact and residence issues.
It also looks at the roles of the different professionals involved in FGC and outlines a step-by-step guide on how to set up and sustain a successful FGC service.
Anne Houston, chief executive of CHILDREN 1ST, said: "Family group conferencing is a method of working whose time has definitely come. Empowering and supporting extended families to deal with problems affecting their children is now a well-established way of working which has been proven to be successful, even in what are traditionally thought of as "high risk" situations.
"We believe that children and young people fare best when they are looked after by their family, and all the findings show that children in kinship care experience far less trauma and better outcomes than young people in the care of the local authority.
"Family group conferencing is an established tool used by social care professionals in many countries, and we want to see a Scotland where no life-changing decision is made about a child without at least the opportunity of a family group conference."
The FGC National Standards cost £49.95 and discounts are available for multiple orders. Copies can be ordered from the FGC development unit on 0131 319 8069 or email fgc@children1st.org.uk.
Last updated: Saturday 11 April 2009
