New research launched to build national picture of family group conferences

Family Rights Group has collaborated with Foundations, Coram, Daybreak and Data to Insight on new research exploring how family group conferences are used across England.

Family group conferences are a family group decision making approach at which a child’s family and friends come together to plan for their care and protection. The process is family-led and has strong evidence of diverting children from care and supporting children to remain safely in their family.

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, currently going through Parliament, will require all local authorities to offer family-group decision-making (FGDM) before care proceedings.

While family group conferences are the most prevalent family group decision making approach used in England, there is currently no national data or standardised system to track how often FGCs are offered, who takes them up, or their long-term outcomes.

New report highlights data gaps

Today’s new report reveals variations in how local authorities approach FGC data in their area. While many record outputs, such as the number of referrals and conference meetings held, only a limited number report on the outcomes of FGCs for families. To fill these gaps, the report recommends a national voluntary collection of local authority-level FGC data, a move supported by the local authorities surveyed.

New national survey – help build a national picture

In response to the findings, Foundations, Coram and Family Rights Group are today launching a national data collection of local authorities in England. The survey will collect aggregated data at a local authority level which will be used to understand how many families are offered an FGC and whether there is variation in those that are offered an FGC and those that take it up. This data will be critical in informing the support offered to local authorities as they roll out family-group decision-making, following the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. The data collection will run until 4 April 2025.

New research to strengthen evidence on FGCs

Family Rights Group is also partnering with Foundations and Coram to conduct research with local authorities into the accessibility and equity of FGCs, particularly for racially minoritised and marginalised families’, drawing on the experiences of parents and carers.

The research will include in-depth case studies with six local authorities, including interviews and focus groups with parents, carers and local authority staff to understand the barriers and enablers to offering and taking up FGCs.

Members of our parents’ and kinship carers’ panels will be involved in an Experts by Experience Advisory Group of parents/carers who have lived experience with FGCs or children’s social care.

The report’s recommendations will be co-produced in workshops with local authorities and the advisory group, and is due for publication in September 2025.