Engaging and involving in Family Group Conferencing
By Kar-Man and Tim
Building the idea of the family group as a resourceful resource is a key aspect of FGC coordination. This perspective highlights the strengths and capabilities within the family, empowering them to take an active role in decision-making. The coordinator should establish the family as decision-makers, recognising their expertise in understanding their own needs and aspirations. Additionally, involving the family as decision designers ensures their active participation in designing and shaping the plans that emerge from the FGC.
The coordinator holds the responsibility for managing group dynamics and making final decisions on who should participate in the FGC. This includes considering the family’s preferences, power dynamics, and ensuring a balanced representation of perspectives.
From the adults’ point of view the difference between FGC and other formal meetings with professionals is that at FGC, you are not just given a date and time to attend a meeting to sit there and listen to other people talk about you. Instead, you are there to help people understand the best way to support you. You are not just the person with the problem there but also part of the solution. The sense of autonomy is crucial to help eliminate the feeling of shame and turn to a more positive feeling about doing something good for yourself, and with the support from the family and friends’ network, can strengthen the relationship with one another as FGC promotes open and honest conversation which helps deepen the understanding with each other.
Sometimes, various reasons prevent a person from sharing their struggles with others, even the closest family members or friends, and they might not know about the struggles. Therefore, a skilful FGC coordinator is crucial to an FGC, engaging with the person, guiding through the process, and encouraging and empowering participation. It is about more than preparation, organisation, and facilitation, despite all those being essential skills for an FGC coordinator.
Engaging and involving participants is a crucial aspect of Family & Group Conferencing (FGC) that contributes to its success.
Food at family and group meetings can play a significant role in engaging people and lowering tension. By providing food, the FGC creates a more relaxed and welcoming atmosphere, allowing participants to feel more comfortable and open to sharing their perspectives. Food also serves as a symbolic gesture, demonstrating that the FGC is a different kind of meeting, emphasising collaboration, and building relationships.
Widening the circle and involving all family members and key professionals is key to a successful FGC. The more individuals involved, the richer the perspectives and contributions to the decision-making process. The coordinator might adopt the mindset that the more, the merrier, as it allows for a diverse range of voices and experiences to be considered.
Drawing a family tree or eco map of the adults’ network can be a helpful starting point for discussions about who should be involved and invited to the FGC. This visual representation helps identify the group and professionals who should be included in the process, ensuring that everyone who has a stake in the decisions is present.
Recognising the family, its members, boundaries, and capacities is essential for effective FGC coordination. The coordinator should have a deep understanding of the family dynamics and the strengths each member brings. By recognising and valuing the family as a team, the coordinator can foster a sense of collective responsibility and collaboration.
