Developing FGC Standards in Northern Ireland

Mena WilsonFamily Group Conference Forum Organiser (NI)

Objective

This workshop will • share our experience in Northern Ireland of working

together to develop the standards; • the process and challenges of this work and • how the standards are being used by FGC services in

their work.

Where We Are

3

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is a small country. Part of the UK at 243, 610 sq Km ,

N Ireland is only 14,148 sq Km - just over a third of the size of the Netherlands

N Ireland has a population of only 1.8 m(as compared to 2.7m in the city of

Amsterdam).

FGC Services

• N Ireland is organised into 5 Health and Social Care Trusts• Each Trust has a FGC Service

• Services in 4 Trust Areas are run in-house by an Independent Team within Social Services

• Voluntary Organisations run FGC Service in 2 Trust Areas. • Since 2006 the Dept of Health in N Ireland has set “priority for

action” targets for FGC – “that 500 children to have experienced an FGC each year”.

• Services have met and surpassed the target each year.• Family Group Conference Forum(NI)

What was our thinking?

• Why have standards?• What do we mean by standards?• Things to consider when beginning…

Why do we need standards• The standards have been developed

to assist children, young people, adultsand families as well as professionalsboth understand what a Family GroupConference is and what they can expectif involved in one.

• These standards identify the basicrequirements that can be expectedfrom a Family Group Conference.

Writing FGC Standards

Audience Market Costs Budget

Distribution   Type and Style of document Shelf Life Practicalities    Consultation required Internal & external    

What currently informs your FGC practice?

What work has already been done?

What resources do you already have? (people and information)

Process

Initial thinking Workshop

Leader and Working Group

First Draft to select

readership

Second Draft for wider

consultation

Completion and Launch

Goals for the initial thinking workshop

• To examine the National FGC Standards for Scotland, and the way in which the

document was produced and with what rationale, in order to discuss how the NI Forum might approach a similar task.

• To reach a general consensus as to what kind (if any) of Standards/Guidelines

document would be appropriate for use nationally in NI.

• And within this discussion to consider the current Regional Guidance for FGC.

• To agree a strategy for work arising from today’s workshop e.g. working groups.

Workshop Followed the FGC format

Decision to be made today? Why are we here? GoalsConsensus

 Preparation/ Why Scotland did it How we did itInformation Sharing What we learned 

Look at the Standards  Private Family Time What are the chief points (+/-) that strike NI?

What will NI take from this document? (Form & Content)What will NI do differently? (Form & Content)

 

Family Plan Feedback/Opinions Consensus DiscussionReady to start writing own Standards

 

Development Plan Direct work (small groups?) on getting started Completion of a working plan 

Monitor & Review How? Who? Timescales?

Empowering Families:

Regional Guidance on the provision of Family Group Conferences in HSS Trusts Children and Young People Services. July 2011

Referral

Completed usually in6 weeks however depends on individual family circumstances – Co-ordinator engages directly with child, family, extended family and friends and professionals. All prepared for FGC. Advocate offered to child/ vulnerable adult.

1. Information sharing by professionals 2. Private Family Time- voices of child and

family members, discussion and agreements made.

3. Family Plan – actions and contingency plan agreed

Family appoint a monitor from within family to be the Guardian of the plan and ensure all agreed actions are fulfilled by family and social services.

Plan reviewed with family’s agreement at any time (usually 12 weeks ). Support and solutions are sought for any actions not fulfilled.

Application form completed by social worker with consent of parent(s) gained.

Case allocated to Independent FGC Co-ordinator

Preparation

Family Group Conference

Implementationof the Plan

Review of the Plan

4 THE FAMILY GROUP CONFERENCE PROCESS

Considerations

• Process• Content• Format

Process

Required • “Driver”/Leader to keep to time-

scales• Appropriately informed people in

the workgroup• Identification of target audience • Consultation/other agency

involvement with appropriate timing: who and when?

• Someone good to write/edit it• Family and child involvement

Challenges • Expense• Time required: very difficult to do

a full time job and write this document – at risk of becoming an add-on

Content

Required / Desirable • Inviting presentation • “Keep it simple”• Reader friendly• Accessible and well-signposted (consider colour

coding)• Children & Family views respectfully

represented• Cover as many scenarios as required• Build on / reflect a strong practice base• Look to other agencies for input• Include legal and policy context including Care

and Leaving Care• Include Health and Safety e.g. for Lone workers

Challenges • Defining the document – is it solely

Standards? • Suggestion: “Principles, Standards

and Procedures”, which includes ethos, outcome measurements and good practice guidelines

• Standards must be measurable

Format

Required • Consider amalgamating the

document with existing Regional Guidance

• Different media/types of presentation need to be explored

Challenges • Cost• Appropriate designer/publisher

Work plan

• Identify leadership: champion (driver) to keep the group and process on track, co-ordinate and organise it, and keep the vision

• Set the timescale• Identify key participants- the right people with the right variety of skills

who believe in the FGC model e.g. a Committee/Reference Group – for consistency and commitment

• Define who is the audience? This will define language and style etc• Decide if this is a regional or national document?• Identify a skilled writer, editor and proof-reader• Establish wider contacts/groups etc for networking and input and link into

key agencies/people e.g. Department, CEO’s, policy-makers• Decide how best to identify key roles and gather other views

• What would you consider the key standards for our work ?

Standards• Standard oneThe FGC Service will provide a high quality service which works withinthe NI FGC Standards.

• Standard twoThe voice of the child/young person/vulnerable adult will be central to theFGC process and must be sought and heard at all stages of the process.

• Standard threeEveryone participating in the FGC will be prepared and supported throughoutthe process.

• Standard fourFamilies have a right to private family time within a safe and supportiveenvironment in order to make decisions and plans.

• Standard fiveFamilies have the right to have safe plans agreed and resourced.

• Standard sixFamilies have the right to be involved in the development of FGC Services.

Activity

Consider your standard and what needs to be in place to meet it…

Contents of Standards Document• One Introduction • Two Key principles of the process • Three Family Group Conference process • Four Family Group Conference Standards

Challenges of the work• Links to other guidance and policies• Addressing potential range of application• Inclusion of family feedback• Focussed and time limited piece of work• Launch and celebration of the work

How standards guide our work• In accredited training programme-assignment

links practice to the standards• Managers use standards in supervision and

team meetings• Regional Guidance refers to it• Next step – Baseline to evaluate practice• Use in negotiations with Social Services –helps

protect the model.

Mena WilsonFamily Group Conference Co-ordinator

www.fgcforumni.org