SERVICES

Families

Family Group Conferences

 At Circles we offer a complete service to local authorities and third sector organizations to support the development of Family Group Conferences.

Family Group Conferences were initially used in the early 1990s after their success in changing decision making processes for children and their families in New Zealand.  This restorative approach to child safety and welfare has had a significant impact on how the state consults with and relates to children and their wider families - enabling them to recognize the power, influence and wisdom of family networks.

Family Group Conferences (FGCs) are recognised as an important part of strengthening relationships between staff and families, enabling families to make safe and appropriate decisions which in turn leads to better outcomes for children.

With nearly 20 years experience of implementing this process in a number of authorities across the country, Circles offers the following support:

  • Exploratory discussions about local and culturally appropriate implementation of FGCs in your area

  • Awareness raising FGC training for leaders and steering groups

  • Advice and support in recruiting appropriate staff

  • Guidance around policy and procedure implementation

  • Full FGC co-ordinator training

  • Ongoing practice guidance, supervision and advice

  • Training design and delivery for referrers and multi-agency professionals

  • Training for potential advocates attending FGCs

For an initial informal conversation about your needs, please contact us.