The meetings are facilitated and co-ordinated by people independent of casework decisions in the agency working with the family.
[8] This group of people are given 'private' time to reach a plan to facilitate the safe care and protection of a child or children in need.
Some areas such as Child Protection and Youth Offending have used the process extensively, whilst others such as Education Welfare, adoption and adult services are still at the exploration stage.
A referral meeting may be beneficial to clarify: A decision will be taken as to how the first contact with the family will take place.
When contact is made, the coordinator in consultation with the child and their immediate carer identify the family members who they would wish to attend the meeting.
Contact is then made with all the identified members of the conference and a time, date and venue convenient to the family is agreed.
Once people are ready it is then time to: Having welcomed the family and made the introductions it is important to share information next.
[20] There will be differences between the level of monitoring in a child protection case and in a request for family support services.
It should be possible for all those involved (family members and professionals) to call a review if the plan is not working, requires updating, or if anyone has new concerns to highlight.
The UK programme like its counterpart, has focused on these principles: The Act sought to minimise, where possible, the use of legal proceedings in family life and attempt to, "strike a balance between the rights of children to express their views on decisions made about their lives, the rights of parents to exercise their responsibilities towards the child and the duty of the state to intervene where the child's welfare requires it", The Children Act 1989(2).
The challenge for Social Services was how to achieve a safe balance of partnership and parental responsibility whilst protecting the child from possible or further risk.
Initially eight local authorities and voluntary groups piloted the scheme with Hampshire, Essex and Wiltshire taking the lead.
[26] In 2007, Germany has introduced Family Group Conferences for juveniles in Elmshorn, Schleswig-Holstein, called Gemeinschaftskonferenzen (GMK).
These GMKs are organised by the Verein für Jugendhilfe Pinneberg e.V., and the Crime Prevention Council of Elmshorn.