Milton Keynes Family Group Conference Service
The Milton Keynes Family Group Conference Service was fully established in 2001. It is a way of working with families where plans and decisions need to be made for children and young people. At a Family Group Conference (FGC) the main people involved are the family and their friends. Families are put in charge of decision making. The agencies will offer information and support. The conference itself may last 2-3 hours. Shared food plays an important part in creating a relaxed atmosphere.
What you have to say can make a difference
Children’s Social Care Policy
Milton Keynes Children’s Social Care policy is to offer Family Group Conferences as a first resort rather than a last resort.
Why this service will be offered to families:
Every family is unique, with its own culture, personalities, history and ways of relating to each other. All families come up against problems from time to time.
Families are able to make safe, effective and creative decisions for the care, protection and welfare of their children if they are given the information, opportunity and support to do so.
A Family Group Conference is the tool offered to families who are in contact with Children’s Social Care to do this.
Principles
The approach from Children’s Social Care and other information givers needs to be one of enabling families to succeed in making safe and realistic plans for their children.
Children’s Social Care will remain open-minded, at all times to the solutions that Family Group Conferences may propose.
Family Group Conference plans will be accepted by Children’s Social Care as long as they keep the child safe from significant harm and are lawful.
Responsibilities of Children’s Services:
Referral to the Family Group Conference Service needs to be early enough to allow families time to prepare to plan. The preparation time will vary depending on the circumstances. A realistic time frame is 3 to 4 weeks.
Early referral is essential in pre-birth conferences.
Families can be offered a visit by an Independent Co-ordinator to explain the process before a decision about referral to the Family Group Conference Service is made. This is recommended where parents may be reluctant to engage with services and there are clear risks to the child/young person.
In extreme circumstances there may be reasons to suggest that the Family Group Conference process will cause significant harm to the child e.g. where there are indications of sexual abuse relating to a number of people in the wider family network. These situations need to be discussed with the team manager, Child Protection chairperson and the manager of the Family Group Conference Service before the family are offered the service.
It is the responsibility of Children’s Social Care to share clear written information with the Family Group Conference participants before they meet. This gives the family time to consider what they can put in place to keep the children safe and whether there are any external agency resources needed to support their plan.
Children’s Social Care actions will be open and honest throughout the process, in advising families about the minimum protection that needs to be in place. This will ensure the child’s safety and enable the Family Plan to be accepted, agreed and implemented by the family and Children’s Social Care.
The Family Group Conference is a decision-making meeting; therefore Children’s Social Care representatives need to be prepared to make decisions at the meeting.
The family will be informed by Children’s Social Care before the meeting of any decisions that must be delayed because of assessments, court proceedings etc.
Family members who put themselves forward to care for a child who’s name is on the Child Protection Plan or is Looked After by the Local Authority will need to be assessed by Children’s Services.
On the rare occasions that the family plan (or parts of the plan) cannot be accepted because it leaves the child at risk of significant harm, Children’s Social Care representative will provide full written details of the reasons for this decision to all who took part in the Family Group Conference.
In these circumstances, the family will be offered the opportunity to meet again to plan how they can address the risk to the child.
It is the responsibility of Children’s Social Care and partner agencies who have committed resources to support the family to carry out their plans.
If for any reason Children’s Social Care are unable to meet their commitments to a family’s plan they must send a letter of explanation to everyone who took part in the Family Group Conference.
At their first meeting all families will automatically be offered a review Family Group Conference within 3 months so that they can check that their plan is working. Children’s Social Care will attend and support reviews in the same way as initial Family Group Conferences.
Early referral in Children’s Social Care’s contact with families generally leads to better outcomes for children. Families will be offered the opportunity of a Family Group Conference in the following circumstances:
- Family Support
- Where a child is either at risk of being, or is, looked after by the local authority.
- When young people who are looked after want to plan for independent living with the support of their wider network.
- Prior to child protection processes or when children are on the Child Protection Plan.
- Prior to processes within the Public Law Outline 2008 for Care Proceedings i.e. prior to the Working Agreement.
- Within the Public Law Outline Processes – as part of the Public Law Outline Working Agreement.
- Where the plan is for adoption /permanence.
Referral forms can be found on ICS.
For further information contact:
Family Group Conference Service
Tel: 01908 392241
Email:
fgc@milton-keynes.gov.uk
Deputy: Carlos Williams
Deputy: Surjit Bains
Business Support: Michelle Taylor
Read:
'Principles for presenting information to Family Group Conferences'
'Trust in the Process' - Milton Keynes Family Group Conference Service.
