Family Group Conferences in Child Welfare [Paperback]

Professionals must increasingly focus on the importance of family involvement in making decisions about the welfare of a child who is abused or needing care. Family Group Conferences has evolved as a positive means to encourage good links between these children and their families, and to help children within the family environment--instead of taking the children out of their homes. This book assists professionals to put the planning and theory of these conferences into practice. It examines the context, origins and development of the conferences, using the research and experiences of social services. It looks at the interaction between the primary carer and the professional and the role of these conferences in relation to specific problems and situations, such as domestic violence. The book offers views from families, social workers and other professionals on the practicalities of Family Group conferences, how they are managed in practice, and their outcomes. Finally, the book includes examples from real-life family conferences.Foreword; Preface; Acknowledgements; 1 Introduction: Care Services and Families:; Families, services and child welfare problems; Deciding seriousness; Engaging in the debate; Gaining agreement; Developing services; The Family Gorup Conference programme; Conclusions; 2 Families and Child Welfare:; Families in the UK; Help and the family; The meaning of family; Conclusions; 3 Family Group Conferences: Policy and Practice:; The background of Family Group Conferences; Key dimensions of a Family Group Conference; The process of Family Group Conferencs; A rough guide to co-ordinating Family Group Conferences; Conclusions; 4 Establishing Family Group Conferences:; Implementation in child welfare; Training; A rough guide to training for family group conferences; The projects in action; Conclusions; 5 International Developments and Research:; The internatl3´