Family Group Conferencing (FGC)
All families, from time to time, experience difficulties for one reason or another and the majority manage to solve these without outside help. However, many families face multiple complex difficulties, which sometimes include the challenge of dealing with the realities of seeing their own children involved in the criminal justice system. In these circumstances they sometimes need outside help, but the approach taken by some support agencies can leave families feeling that they have lost control of their lives and are being directed by others.
Family Group Conferencing is a different way of working with families which empowers them to take a fresh look at their own difficulties and to work out their own plan to resolve these issues, with the support of care professionals and others where this is needed.
South Tyneside YOS has two FGC projects, and both follow very similar principles. A conference facilitator will normally make contact with the family and explain what FGC is. The important point here is that families have a choice around taking part – the process is voluntary. When a family decides this is the way forward for them, the facilitator will support them in deciding what issues need to be looked and who else it would be good to invite to the conference – this could be relatives, members of the community, or other agencies, really anyone the family thinks could help them in deciding what to put into their plan. The advantage of having other agencies present is that they may be able to offer help in dealing with issues that might only be solved with professional support.
An FGC is held in a particular way. After introductions everyone is given the chance to ask important questions, or give information which might help the family focus on the priorities for their plan. Normally this is followed by ‘private time’ for the family, time they can spend finally deciding what will go into their plan – sometimes they might invite the facilitator to join them to clarify some issues, or perhaps even to structure the plan. This is then shared with the rest of the meeting, including other professional and agreed. After the meeting, the family will normally have someone from the YOS or another agency, who will support them in carrying out the plan and reviewing progress.
