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Research and Practice Network

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Welcome to the Research and Practice Network.

Family and Group Conferencing (FGC) is growing as an approach in adult social care and mental health services. It offers an inclusive process in which people can plan for their support and/or recovery on their own terms - alongside family, friends and other people that matter to them.

The Research and Practice Network provides a forum for developing practice through learning together and exchanging ideas, experiences and findings from research.

This network is hosted by Community Catalysts CIC.

Community Catalysts CIC

Research and Practice Network, University of Birmingham 14 May 2024

The event brought together some familiar faces and quite a number of new ones – all with a shared interest in sharing and learning together about current practice across the UK. It was particularly exciting to welcome practitioners from two localities in Scotland, a London Borough developing a new service, people with lived experience of FGCs and participants from the voluntary sector (Community Catalysts, Daybreak Family Group Conferences and Alzheimer’s Society).
For the benefit of those who were not able to attend (and those who were), we are uploading a range of material from the Day - videos, presentations and photos. Watch this space!

In the morning, members of the University of Birmingham research team presented on the findings from the national survey and stakeholder interviews (Sharanya Mahesh), and our current best characterisation of the adults’ FGC practice model and its underpinning Programme Theory (Jerry Tew). Programme Theory provides a mapping of the sorts of outcomes that may be achieved by FGC, how it works (mechanisms and processes), and contextual factors that are likely to support positive outcomes.
There was discussion of key values, including how not to compromise the independence of coordinators, especially given the pressure (sometimes) to step in and fill gaps where social workers or social care practitioners should really be providing the relevant back-up or support. The idea of FGC as a ‘courageous conversation’ had strong resonance with those present. Incorporating some final tweaks based on the feedback received, the characterisation of the adults’ FGC practice model, and its underpinning Programme Theory, is now available.

FGC practice model and programme theory

The afternoon featured a series of presentations and discussions around current practice and practice issues.
Sean Ahern and Maria Smith from Camden presented a fascinating story of how Dennis was encouraged and supported to have a Conference to bring together the people who were important to him, and could help to give more consistent support in enabling him to have a safer and more rewarding life in his older age – but in a way that respected who he was and the life that he had led.
Michaela Calvert presented a deeply insightful account of her own experience of having a FGC, how this had changed things for her and what she had learned from this. Crucial to her had been how the process levelled power hierarchies and brought everyone together (professionals and network members) as part of her circle - and how this enabled her to find her voice at the centre (in her supportive chair that was specially transported in to the venue).

Annie Ho (independent social worker) presented her reflections based on her experience of Court of Protection cases and Safeguarding Adults Reviews (SAR). These tend to be situations where the person at the centre may lack capacity to articulate their wishes and preferences, and in which there can be deeply entrenched family relationship issues and/or disagreements between network members and professionals. These can cause great harm to those involved and result in huge costs to network members and/or wider professional systems (including legal costs). Could a FGC process offer a more restorative opportunity to air and resolve differences and reach a degree of accommodation and shared understanding around the needs of the vulnerable adult? A relatively small investment could potentially reap great benefits for those involved and also prevent futile expenditure of time and money on things that do not actually help the person at the centre.

Alivia Bray and Yasmin Morgenstern from Essex presented on how they have adapted and developed Family Group Conferencing in an adult mental health service. There is much about FGC that can be somewhat counter-cultural in an NHS setting where decisions are usually made by clinicians rather than the person and their network. What was particularly interesting was the time that goes into working with the person during the preparation phase in order to support them in developing their own personal recovery plan which is confidential to them. It is then for the person to decide what of this they wish to share with their network and practitioners in the FGC process. This reverses the conventional power relations of clinical practice and puts the person in the ‘driving seat’ of their recovery process, alongside the people that matter to them.

Danielle Valente from Birmingham outlined their plans for integrating FGC practice within the Transitions Service for young people with ongoing support needs as they move from receiving support from children’s to adults’ services. A particular issue can be enabling parents and family members to adjust to the young person becoming an adult – and the implications of this in terms of how they go about supporting their loved-one through their adult life, and offering recognition to them as a person who will be directing their own life as far as possible.

Paul Allen (also from Birmingham) rounded off the afternoon session by reflecting on a particular conference process and some of the issues that this raised in terms of the conversations that go into preparation. This highlighted the importance of the coordinator managing the ‘space’ for conversations to take place, but being comfortable living with the uncertainty as to what outcome may emerge from these.

A short video of the Research and Practice Network Event, held at the University of Birmingham on 14 May 2024.

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Deliberative Forum: firming up our understanding of how Family and Group Conferences (FGC) for adults work

Crowndale Centre, Camden – Thursday 7th September 2023

In the Deliberative Forum, we invited a range of people with knowledge and experience in relation to Family and Group Conferences to check out and take forward our emerging understanding of how FGCs for adults’ work, and what differences they can make in people’s lives. Most importantly, this included people with experience of having a conference, as well as co-ordinators, managers and those who may refer people to FGC services.

Firming up our understanding of how FGC for adults works

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latest in our series of monthly blogs

5 Stages: Fulfilling 5 needs in Family Group Conferencing

Welcome to the newest blog in the "Family and Community Group Conference Lived Experienced Practice Notes" series, brought to you by Kar Man and Tim. In this blog we are sharing our insights and experiences of what FGCs are actually like.

5 Stages

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stories from direct experience

How FGC can help people

One of the best ways of learning about FGC is from the stories of people who have direct experience. Visit our Stories page to find out more.

Stories

Research

FGC: Characterising the Practice Model and Developing Programme Theory

The formulation of the practice model (s) and programme theory statements are drawn from a realist synthesis of the research and practice literature, a national survey of practice, targeted interviews with a range of people involved in delivering FGC service (including people with direct experience of going through the process) and a Deliberative Forum that brought together FGC coordinators, social workers, service managers, academics and people with lived experience.

A visualisation of programme theory

Lived experience

The power of the FGC

At the recent Research and Practice Network Event held at the University of Birmingham on 6th May, Sean Aherne, the Family Group Conferencing Manager at the London Borough of Camden was able to share the story of Dennis, whose experience of a close friend's FGC prompted him to request his own FGC to make a change in his life.

A self – referral

Training opportunities

Adult FGC Coordinator training with Daybreak

Do you work with Adults? Are you looking for a restorative model that empowers and enables your client to engage in a process that puts them at the centre, and leading, on their own planning and decision making?
Daybreak are offering an in-person training course in November, as well as an upskilling course...

Adult FGC Coordinator training opportunities with Daybreak

The FGC lived experience blog

3 women around a meeting table

Welcome to the "Family and Community Group Conference Lived Experienced Practice Notes" blog series, brought to you by Kar Man and Tim. In this series, we will share our insights and experiences from Family and Group Conferencing (FGC).

The FGC lived experience blog