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- Author or Editor: Deanna Edwards x
This introductory chapter provides an overview of family group conferences (FGCs) in the UK. FGCs have been used in the UK since the early 1990s and are now used worldwide following their inception in New Zealand in the 1980s. FGCs belong to an area of social work practice often known as ‘strengths based approaches’ because they seek to utilise the existing and developing strengths of the family and reduce or eliminate concerns. They are used in a wide range of social care child welfare situations from early intervention onwards, but recent use has focused upon their use in child protection, pre-proceedings, and proceedings cases. Ultimately, they seek to empower families: their key principles include the family as primary decision maker, the use of private family time, and the independence of the FGC coordinator.
This chapter provides guidance for convening a family group conference (FGC). The FGC process is designed to be family-led and empowering. As much of the decision-making as possible should therefore be undertaken by the family, including decisions about the practicalities of the meeting. It is also important to consider the role that advocates can play in ensuring that the views of vulnerable family members are represented. An FGC can only be an empowering process for families if individuals are enabled to express their views. Ultimately, it is a complex and time-consuming piece of work and should be undertaken by a skilled and well-trained and supported coordinator. Indeed, ongoing training and support for coordinators is crucial and should include full FGC training, safeguarding training, and shadowing opportunities.
Family group conferences (FGCs) are a strengths-based approach to social work practice, empowering families to take responsibility for decision-making. It is a cost-effective service, which is currently used by the majority of local authorities.
This collection discusses the origins and theoretical underpinnings of family led decision making and brings together the current research on the efficacy and limitations of FGCs into a single text.
This insightful book also covers topics such as the use of FGCs in different areas of children and families social work, uses case studies to illustrate current practice, and explores whether FGCs should become a mainstream function of children and families social work.
This textbook offers students and practitioners an accessible introduction to strengths-based approaches in Social Work and Social Care practice. Covering the theory and research in support of these approaches, and packed full of case studies, the book will allow readers to develop a critical understanding of how strengths-based approaches work, and how they can be successfully applied in order to improve outcomes for people with lived experience.
Covering the five main models of strengths-based practice, the text presents international research and evidence on the efficacy of each approach, enabling students and practitioners to apply the benefits in their own social work practice. The guide features the perspectives of people with lived experience throughout and includes the following key learning features:
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case studies of best practice;
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points for practice: succinct tips for practitioners and students on practice placement;
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further reading list and resources;
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glossary.
This chapter looks at the views of family members who have been involved in child welfare family group conferences (FGCs). FGCs originate in New Zealand from roots that are firmly embedded within service-user rights and empowerment. Therefore, it is not surprising that FGC projects have developed strategies for involving families in developing services. At present, there are pockets of good practice in terms of service-user involvement. However, it must be acknowledged that service-user involvement in all areas of social care remains a pipe dream for many reasons, which include scarce resources in terms of staff and financial commitments. Nevertheless, it is recommended for new and established projects to continue to evaluate service-user experiences of FGCs and to use these evaluations to enhance provision, and to give FGC service users the opportunity to contribute to FGC training.
This concluding chapter argues for the potential of family group conferences (FGCs) to lead to positive outcomes for families in a diverse range of social work practice areas. The research and evidence base, while patchy, is clear on this. Policy makers, practitioners, and advocates of the FGC process have a responsibility to ensure that the practice does not become marginalised by austerity measures and increasingly risk-averse practice contexts. After all FGCs not only embody the key principles of key social work legislation and policy in the UK but also the values of social work practice. Indeed, the principles of FGCs are clearly aligned to the International Federation of Social Work definition of social work and the model provides the opportunity for local authorities to become increasingly reflective of the holistic approach to social work practice.
Family group conferences (FGCs) are a strengths based approach to social work practice, empowering families to take responsibility for decision-making. It is a cost-effective service, which is currently used by the majority of local authorities. This book discusses the origins and theoretical underpinnings of family-led decision-making and brings together the current research on the efficacy and limitations of FGCs into a single text. The book also covers topics such as the use of FGCs in different areas of children and families social work, uses case studies to illustrate current practice, and explores whether FGCs should become a mainstream function of children and families social work.
Family group conferences (FGCs) are a strengths based approach to social work practice, empowering families to take responsibility for decision-making. It is a cost-effective service, which is currently used by the majority of local authorities. This book discusses the origins and theoretical underpinnings of family-led decision-making and brings together the current research on the efficacy and limitations of FGCs into a single text. The book also covers topics such as the use of FGCs in different areas of children and families social work, uses case studies to illustrate current practice, and explores whether FGCs should become a mainstream function of children and families social work.
This chapter provides an overview of strengths-based approaches to social work practice. It begins with a comprehensive definition of what is meant by the strengths-based perspective and how it is applied in both a children-and-families and an adult social work context. It refers to underpinning legislation, guidance and policy and considers the principles and values of the approach and how these apply to the professional capabilities framework used in social work assessment and practice. The chapter takes a critical approach and discusses the potential for strengths-based approaches to be misused within a neo-liberal practice context, for example, as a way for local authorities to save money and locate the root of service users’ issues within the individual rather than the environmental context. Finally, it gives an overview of some of the research findings in strengths-based practice and their application to practice.
This chapter discusses the origins of strengths-based practice and presents the underlying core principles. Strengths-based approaches are then discussed and located in the key sociological theoretical contexts of social constructionism and social capital and the psychological concept of resilience, before moving on to locate strengths-based approaches within core social work theory:
• empowerment theory;
• ecological systems theory;
• culturally appropriate social work practice.
The chapter ends with a discussion of strengths-based approaches in relation to the core principles of social work practice as outlined by the IFSW (2014) Global Definition of Social Work and locally in the UK, to the key principles of core social work legislation.
