Family%20Group%20Conferencing%20an%20inclusiveness%20and%20empowering%20process

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Family Group Conferencingan inclusiveness and
empowering process
Presenters Jenny Lang Marion Barnett Enda Cotter
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BACKGROUNDto Family Group Conferencing

• Instituted in New Zealand in 1989 due to over
  representation of Maori children in child welfare
  juvenile justice systems

• Based on the principles of restorative justice,
  FGC promotes and enables a child centred family
  focussed approach

• Universal applicability in many other countries
  and is presently used in juvenile
  justice, child protection educational systems

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• The YFS approach to Family Group Conference
  includes
• Social Justice
• Human rights
• Family centred and strengths orientated
• Child and young person inclusive
• Culturally based
• Community based
• Family Group Conferencing is an innovative
  approach to working with families. The FGC
  process aims to engage and empower families to
  make decisions that will protect and care for
  their children as well as maintain childrens
  contact with their family and extended family.

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To date 70 referrals have been received with 52
conferences being completed

• Participants have included
• Over 400 family and extended family members
• 285 Professionals
• And importantly the views and participation of
  161 children/young people

• Families referred to YFSs FGC service have been
  identified from a number of cultural backgrounds
  including Indigenous Australian,
  English/Australian, Samoan, Romanian, Spanish,
  Cook Island, Torres Strait Islander families

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Definition of FGC

• Family based decision making process where
  families are actively involved in making plans
  for the future of a child after serious concerns
  have been raised in relation to their care and
  protection.

Definition of Family
In the context of FGC Family is broadly defined
as the immediate family, extended family,
significant others and cultural community of the
child
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Child Centred Family Focussed Principles

• Ensuring the safety of child/ren

• Generally in the childs best interests to be
  cared for within the family group, where this is
  not possible significant links are maintained
  within the family group

• Working in partnership with families to enhance
  family strengths

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DECISION MAKING COULD BE ABOUT...

• Where the child/ren are to live
• How the family can be supported in caring for
  the child/ren
• What family members can provide that will ensure
  the safety well being of the child/ren

Recognised entities undertake two key functions
in providing the department with cultural
and family advice and promoting the best
interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander children 1. to be involved in decisions
about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
children made by the Department of Child Safety
and 2. to support and provide information to
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families to
help them understand the purpose and impact of
the statutory child protection process.
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Who attends FGC

• The child and their advocate
• The childs immediate extended family
• The families significant others
• Community or cultural members
• Support person/s for family members
• Service provider professionals working with or
  the family
• Resource professionals who may work with the
  family and/or provide information
• DChS - Child Safety Officer
• Conference Facilitator/s

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• PROCESS DIAGRAM
• 1. Referral
• 2. Conference Preparation
• 3. Conference
• Introduction
• Information Giving
• Family Private Time
• Plan Confirmation
• Closing
• 4. Post Conference
• 5. Conference Review

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FGC Process
Phase 1 - Referral Intake

• CSO discusses with CSSC Key Contact

• Referral discussed with family forwarded to
  YFS facilitators Marion Barnett , Jenny Lang
  Enda Cotter

• On completion of an Induction Meeting with the
  key family members facilitators proceed with
  preparation of FGC

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Phase II - Conference Preparation

• Facilitator contacts family members to
• invite to conference
• identify other members to invite
• explain FGC process, purpose goals
• gain insight information from members

• Family members are supported to identify
• the families strengths, concerns needs
• decisions that need to be made
• who in the family has something to offer
• who in the family can assist in decision making
• what information, resources support is needed
  to develop implement a plan

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Phase II - Conference Preparation Cont.

• Facilitator works with professionals to
• explain FGC process, purpose goals
• discuss involvement role
• discuss protective safety issues
• identify information resources they can offer
• ensure contributions are meaningful relevant
  in supporting decision making implementation of
  the plan
• define bottom lines to assist with decision
  making

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Phase III - Family Group Conference

• Stage 1 Introductions - Who are we?
• The Facilitator welcomes
  and introduces family
• members and professionals.
  Participants are introduced
• to each other in terms of
  their relationship to the child /ren
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• Stage 2 Information giving - Why are we here?
  
• Family is given all
  relevant information by professionals
• involved and by the CSO
  to assist them with decision
• making. Bottom lines are
  presented by the Team Leader.
• The family has the
  opportunity to clarify any of the
• information presented.

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Phase III - Family Group Conference Cont.

• Stage 3 Private Family Time - What are
  we going to do?
• The Facilitator and
  professionals leave the family
• to plan in private
• The family deliberate on the
  information given and formulate
• their family plan

• Stage 4

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Phase III - Family Group Conference Cont.

• Stage 4 Plan Presentation Fine Tuning
• The plan is presented to the meeting,
  discussed and agreed
• upon. The Team Leader and CSO ensures the
  plan meets
• the safety needs of the
  child
• There should not be room for dispute if the
  bottom lines
• clearly discussed with the family before hand
• The only valid reason for not agreeing on the
  plan is the
• risk of significant harm to the child/ren
• Stage 5 Closing

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Phase IV - Post Conference

• Facilitator will present a report to the CSSC
  including
• process content of the conference
• logistics, resources statistics
• participant evaluations of the conference
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Phase V - Review

• Facilitator will present the findings received
  from the family during a family meeting held by
  the DChS, 6 months after the conference

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