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Are you a parent, kinship carer relative or friend of a child who is involved with, or who needs the help of, children’s services in England? We can help you understand processes and options when social workers or courts are making decisions about your child’s welfare.

Our advice service is free, independent and confidential.

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To speak to an adviser, please call our free and confidential advice line 0808 801 0366 (Monday to Friday 9.30am to 3pm, excluding Bank Holidays). Or you can ask us a question via email using our advice enquiry form.

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Our online advice forums are an anonymous space where parents and kinship carers (also known as family and friends carers) can get legal and practical advice, build a support network and learn from other people’s experiences.

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Our get help and advice section has template letters, advice sheets and resources about legal and social care processes. On Monday and Wednesday afternoons, you can use our webchat service to chat online to an adviser.

 

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How a family group conference helped Poppy* to keep her baby within her care.

The Government’s Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will make it mandatory for local authorities to offer families a family group decision making (FGDM) meeting, before issuing care proceedings, in order to address concerns about their child’s welfare.

Family group conferences (FGCs) are the gold standard when it comes to FGDM approaches, the below example from a local authority highlights the impact a FGC can have on a family and their child.

Family Rights Group

 

When Poppy discovered she was pregnant for the 12th time, she resigned herself to the very real prospect of her baby being removed from her care upon birth. She found it hard to be excited or prepare for her baby to arrive. Prior involvement with children’s services meant that none of her 11 older children were currently living with her. Living in temporary accommodation at the time and having moved away from her home area to be near her own mother, she wasn’t in regular contact with any other family members. She had no contact or information about her baby’s father.  Having experienced abusive relationships in the past and given her ongoing struggles with mental health, she felt she wouldn’t be able to be a good mother. Due to these concerns about Poppy’s unborn baby, Poppy was referred to her local family group conference service by a social worker when she was around six months pregnant.

Initially Poppy was hesitant to engage with practitioners, including the family group conference (FGC) coordinator, due to her past experiences of working with children’s services.  Although she was now working with a new social worker, initial conversations were tentative. The FGC coordinator continued to persevere and explore how best they could work together, and he eventually gained Poppy’s trust. As the referral progressed, it soon became apparent that Poppy had several family members in her hometown who understood the concerns raised by social workers and were willing to help. She decided to move to live with relatives, and near to other extended family members about a month into the family group conference process.

Despite the fact that Poppy lived outside the local authority area, the FGC coordinator continued to visit her and her family and established a potential support network. A number of family members were already caring for some of Poppy’s older children and one family member agreed to be assessed as a potential carer for the baby if a decision was made to remove Poppy’s baby from her care.  Although conversations were sometimes challenging, it was clear that there were people willing to offer the practical and emotional support Poppy needed upon giving birth. Despite the travelling time involved, Poppy’s social worker and FGC coordinator continued to work together to make sure everything stayed on track and progress towards convening a family group conference.

After gathering suggestions for potential local venues from the family and identifying timeframes that suited existing schedules, the FGC coordinator convened a successful family group conference. On the day, seven family members came together, including Poppy’s mother. The family outlined ways to support Poppy – these ideas included dropping off groceries, planning regular visits when Poppy moved into her own accommodation and helping Poppy with travel fare and phone credit to ensure she didn’t feel isolated. The family group conference process was vital in identifying ways in which the family could provide support, which in turn proved essential in helping to instil a sense of confidence in Poppy about her ability to care for her baby. Having so many people willing to show up for her reassured Poppy that not only was she not alone, but that she wasn’t a horrible person or a failure. Her family were able to show that they cared and wanted to help her thrive as a mother.

The family plan was a key part of the information shared with the new local authority when the responsibility for meeting the support needs of Poppy and her baby, identified in the FGC and a child protection plan, were transferred to their area. Six months on, Poppy still has her baby in her care and continues to be supported by her family as outlined in their FGC plan (and in other ways, such as night-time cups of tea and a chat!). No safeguarding concerns have been reported, Poppy has continued to engage well despite her initial reservations and the family are now looking towards a more positive future. Poppy has returned to education, and it is hoped that her baby will no longer be subject to a child protection plan imminently, with a view to ending social work involvement altogether.

*Names have been changed.

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