Q: We have been referred to have an FGC, what happens next?
A: An experienced FGC coordinator will make contact to arrange a time to visit you. They will explain in detail the process and stages of an FGC, answer your questions and discuss any concerns you may have. Whether to go ahead with the FGC will be your choice and meeting with the coordinator does not commit you to going ahead. You can decide afterwards.
Q: Who should be invited?
A: You should invite any family members and friends who are important to you and your family, whom you trust and who could contribute ideas, advice or practical help to resolve the difficulties that have been identified. You should also invite anyone else who currently gives you valuable support and could make a useful contribution to the meeting, such as members of a community organisation or faith group.
Q: I have been referred for an FGC, but don't have contact with my family?
A: People do not have contact with their families for a whole range of reasons. The coordinator can help you think about who could be in your support network. They might be good friends, neighbours, or other community members. They do not have to be blood relatives, just people who care and you trust.
Q: Who will be there?
A: The people who attend the meeting will all be known to you. As well as your family and friends, your social worker and other service providers will be there.
Q: Why does the social worker have to be there, we don't really get on?
A: The social worker will have made the referral of your case to Daybreak. It is the social worker’s job to share the local authority’s concerns, as well as details of the support they can offer to you and your family. They will also be able to answer any questions you may have.
Q: How long will it last?
A: Meetings vary, so it is difficult be certain how long each one will last. However, the average time is 2-3 hours. You will be able to take a break at any time and refreshments will be available.
Q: What will happen if people don't want to come?
A: The coordinator will work hard to make it possible for people to attend by addressing their concerns and dealing with any problems. If people still don't want to attend, the coordinator will discuss it with you and with the social worker. Then, together you can make a decision about whether or not to go ahead with the meeting.
Q: Where will it take place?
A: The meeting will be held in a neutral venue, such as a community centre, church hall or other local facility of your choice. The coordinator will discuss the venue with you and, if you agree, they will make the booking.
Q: Can we meet at my house?
A: We will only hold a meeting at someone’s house in very exceptional circumstances. We find that a neutral venue works best for all participants.
Q: There is an injunction against one of my family to keep him/her away from us, so can that person still be there?
A: When there is an injunction, the person can only attend if you are content for that to happen. The court/police will then need to agree to a variation of the injunction. However, this only occurs rarely. In most cases we would hold two separate meetings or seek an advocate to represent the person who is the subject of the injunction.
Q: What happens if we don't get on?
A: Your coordinator will try to meet individually with everyone who is to be invited, or speak to them if face-to-face contact is not possible, and will discuss with each person what is expected from them and what they expect from others. Ground rules will be agreed at the start of the FGC to enable everyone to have their say and to ensure everyone present is treated with respect. Participants will be informed that anyone breaking the ground rules may be asked and expected to leave, and reminded that the purpose of the meeting is to reach decisions that will benefit the child or vulnerable adult. All these measures are intended to make sure that the meeting goes well, even if some family members do not usually get on well together.
Q: I want to be there but can't because of work, so how can I tell the family what I think?
A: Please discuss this with the coordinator as they may be able to suggest a way for you to participate. However, if it is absolutely impossible, the coordinator will discuss with you various options to ensure you are involved and kept updated.
Q: I want the children to come, but what happens if people start arguing?
A: Your coordinator will discuss this concern with you and with your social worker. But be assured that arrangements will be in place to enable the children to safely step out of the meeting with a support person, if that becomes necessary. It might be decided that it would be best for the children only to attend certain parts of the FGC.
Q: Do the children have to attend?
A: In an FGC it is important for the children, who are the focus of the meeting, to have a voice. But if for any reason they can't attend, the coordinator will explore other ways to get their voice heard. This might involve a trained advocate or another person trusted by the family, who would speak to the children in advance and then represent them at the meeting.
Q: What will happen if I don't do it?
A: If you decide that an FGC is not the right thing for you and your family, the coordinator will inform the social worker and will then send you a closing letter. They will then seek an alternative way of resolving the problem. However, if you change your mind, you can ask for a new referral.
Q: I have been invited to attend an FGC, what do I have to do?
A: Key family members have given us details of people in their support network whom they trust and would like to involve in a meeting that will make a plan to keep a child or vulnerable adult safe and well supported. You have been identified as someone important in that network and so the family would very much like you to be there. If you are able to attend, your role—along with other family members and friends—is to consider the concerns presented during the first part of the meeting and make a plan to address those concerns.
