Introduction

Family Group Conferences (FGCs) are a restorative child-welfare practice that have the goal of enabling families to develop and apply their own solutions to any child welfare challenges they may be facing. FGCs, known as Family Group Decision Making (FGDMs) in North America, are characterised by being a family-led, strengths-based, solution-focused process which is able to mobilise informal support mechanisms.

The basis of a restorative approach is that people can be more productive, creative and cooperative and make positive choices when professionals do things with them, rather than to them or for them. A restorative approach requires a shift in thinking on the part of the referrer demonstrating a willingness to share power and responsibility with a family, during the process and following the making of a family plan.

Family Group Conferences can be used in any situation where plans and decisions need to be made about a child or children, in the main where there are safeguarding or child welfare concerns. A case study is provided below that demonstrates how FGCs can be used in safeguarding situations. This case study will be linked with the evidence outlined throughout this chapter.

For professionals working with FGCs there is therefore a value commitment to FGCs – they believe in working with, empowering and enabling families to resolve the challenges they face. This chapter is, however, primarily concerned with the research evidence that underpins FGCs – it asks ‘what evidence is there for the effectiveness of FGCs in terms of both process and outcomes?’ The chapter will conclude by exploring some implications that follow from the evidence for policy and practice and will suggest some future directions for research.

Family Group Conferences: evidence and outcomes

There is now an extensive literature relating to FGCs and FGDMs, but there are relatively few studies that report outcomes: in particular there are not many longitudinal studies, which can therefore report outcomes over a period of time. The process-based literature is, however, more extensive. By outcomes we refer to ‘what changes as a result’ of the FGC, by process we refer to how FGCs ‘are experienced’. Both elements, outcomes and process, are outlined in the discussion of five key research projects which illustrate key findings in relation to FGC research.