Effective Participatory Practice: Family Group Conferencing in Child Protection by Marie Connolly with Margaret McKenzie, Aldine de Gruyter, 1999 140 pp. ISBN 0-202-36108, $19.96 p/bk

Family Group Conferencing (FGC) in child protection is a method of involving families in planning. This paper reports on a study undertaken in the Victorian child protection system, which examined (1) the extent to which the Victorian FGC program actually involves families in the planning process, (2) the extent to which FGC develops case plans which are appropriate, and (3) the extent to which FGC develops case plans which are sustained over time. Researchers observed 28 conferences and phone interviews were conducted with more than 100 participants including family members, staff members and representatives of non-government agencies providing placement and support services. The results suggest that FGC is more successful in involving family members in case planning than more traditional planning processes. Family members believe that FGC leads to more appropriate case plans which are more likely to be sustained. Child protection workers on the other hand believe that more appropriate case plans are developed in traditional planning meetings, rather than FGCs, and that case plans developed in traditional meetings are more likely to be sustained over time. Possible explanations for these findings are discussed, in particular that FGCs may be used for more difficult cases.

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Family Group Conferencing. Involving the Wider Family in Child Protection Decision Making

MINORIGIUSTIZIA ◽

10.3280/mg2016-001013 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 113-124

Author(s):

Jim McGrath

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Child Protection ◽

Family Group ◽

Family Group Conferencing

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Voice, power and discourse: Experiences of participants in family group conferences in the context of child protection

Journal of Social Work ◽

10.1177/1468017311410514 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 184-202 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Tara Ney ◽

Jo-Anne Stoltz ◽

Maureen Maloney

Keyword(s):

Social Justice ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Reflective Practice ◽

Social Worker ◽

Child Protection ◽

Family Group ◽

Successful Outcome ◽

Family Group Conferencing ◽

Child Protection Workers ◽

The Social

• Summary: The purpose of this article is to explore the tensions that emerge when two very different discourses – the ‘democratic’, participatory discourse of FGC and the legalistic, bureaucratized discourse of conventional child welfare practice – attempt to integrate. We present the findings of a qualitative study, where we conducted 74 interviews, involving 26 adult family members/caregivers (three youth); six child protection workers; and three FGC coordinators. By listening to the voices of participants, we explore the complexities and tensions that exist at the nexus of (at least) two competing discourses, when the FGC process takes place within the child protection bureaucratic structure. • Findings: Our findings show how participants’ voices were co-opted by the more forceful child protection discourse, itself shaped by legal, bureaucratized, and neoliberal discourses. This research shows how in each case participants’ experience of power was subjugated, even though, in each instance, the case was perceived to have had a successful outcome by the social worker and FGC coordinator. • Applications: If those involved in administering and delivering family group conferencing continue to at least be aware of how power operates in this context, then the possibility exists to realize FGC's broader social justice and transformative goals. Further, a reflective practice ( Schön, 1991 ) can mitigate the possibility of cooptation from particular bureaucratic, legal, and neoliberal discourses which dominate at different times, and which are incompatible with the inherent values and objectives of the FGC.

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Family Conferencing: Responsibility at Grassroots Level – A Comparative Analysis between the Netherlands and South Africa

Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal/Potchefstroomse Elektroniese Regsblad ◽

10.17159/1727-3781/2021/v24i0a9325 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 24 ◽

pp. 1-32

Author(s):

Arda Spijker ◽

Madelene De Jong

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Social Network ◽

The Netherlands ◽

Child Protection ◽

The Elderly ◽

Family Group ◽

Next Of Kin ◽

Family Group Conferencing ◽

The Social ◽

Wide Range

As family group conferencing is gaining world-wide recognition as an alternative dispute resolution process, this article aims to outline the origin and relevance of this process, which promotes solution-finding to family problems by the family themselves and/or the social network and usually results in a plan or agreement that will be implemented collaboratively by the people involved. Although it was originally used in child protection matters, the process is now used for a wide range of problems pertaining to families and individual family members, including divorce matters, the illness or death of a family member, the care of the elderly, family financial problems, bullying, addiction cases, domestic violence and child justice matters. The process is also suitable for application in problems concerning any group, neighbourhood or school. Next, the application of family group conferencing in both the Netherlands and South Africa is first examined and then briefly compared. It appears that family group conferencing through Eigen Kracht in the Netherlands is an established practice which consists of a relatively simple and quick process and yields positive results for families/communities experiencing problems. Recently the Dutch Youth Act of 2015 (Jeugdwet) made legislative provision inter alia for a family group plan to be drafted by parents, in conjunction with next-of-kin or others who are part of the social environment of a youth/juvenile person. On the other hand, although extensive legislative provision is made for family group conferencing by the Children's Act 38 of 2005 in children's court proceedings and by the Child Justice Act 75 of 2008 in the child justice system in South Africa, the process has not yet reached its potential in terms of the implementation of the concept. Lastly, some recommendations are made which mainly aim to contribute to the implementation of the concept in South Africa, in that the model will eventually be fully developed and utilised for the benefit of individuals, children, their families and/or social network.

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