Daybreak works closely with social workers and other professionals to find solutions to problems concerning children, adolescents and vulnerable adults whose safety or welfare may be at risk.
Our work mainly involves delivering family group conferences (FGCs) under contract to local authorities. Plus, through our training and technical assistance we support managers and social workers in children’s services departments who want to provide FGCs themselves.
Find out more about FGCs and our training and technical assistance.
Referrals
In areas where we provide FGCs, a Daybreak manager is nominated to be the main point of contact for the local authority and they have the responsibility for delivering a service of the highest possible quality.
Our involvement begins when a case is referred to the manager by the social worker working with a particular family. This often occurs when care proceedings for a child or children are being considered because of concerns about neglect or abuse. We also receive many referrals at lower thresholds and look to find family solutions that will avoid problems worsening.
We have also pioneered the use of FGCs for adults to address issues such as:
- Physical, emotional or financial abuse.
- Domestic violence.
- Where a vulnerable adult wants to live.
On receipt of a referral, the Daybreak manager will assign the case to a coordinator who will:
- Speak with the referring social worker.
- Meet and talk with the family network.
- Chair the actual meeting.
- Prepare a post-meeting report.
- Where possible, convene a review meeting some months later.
Our coordinators are independent (ie not employed by the local authority) and drawn from the communities within which they work. This often helps them gain the trust and confidence of the referred family.
In addition, they are experienced, highly-trained, committed, culturally-sensitive and innovative. These skills enable them to find solutions to seemingly intractable obstacles to FGC participation and skilfully facilitate the meetings.
The time from referral to an FGC varies considerably, and depends on the complexity of a case as well as the availability of participants, but it usually takes 4-6 weeks.
Your role as the social worker
When you refer a case to Daybreak, the coordinator takes responsibility for all organisational matters relating to the FGC and will keep you fully informed about progress.
But you have a vital part to play too. You decide which cases to refer and when to make a referral. After that, you will need to share all relevant case details with the coordinator. And throughout the entire FGC process, communication must be open, frequent and timely.
It is essential that you attend the FGC to:
- Set out the local authority’s concerns.
- Outline the resources and support available to help the family resolve the issues that have been identified.
- Share any other information pertinent to the case.
But most importantly, you must be there to hear the views and ideas of family members. Ultimately, it’s your role to decide if the plan developed by the family adequately addresses the local authority’s concerns. You decide if it can be recommended for approval.
Outcomes
A very high proportion of FGCs convened by Daybreak lead to plans developed by the family being approved and thus diverting a child or children from the care system.
In 2020-21 we received referrals to more than 1600 children. After initial discussions, 690 FGCs were convened and these resulted in plans being made for 1250 children. The outcomes clearly make the time and effort spent extremely worthwhile and cost effective.
Next steps
If you wish to make a referral, please request a referral form. (Different local authorities use different referral forms, tailored to their own particular needs. Our Head Office will ensure that you’re sent the correct form.) Alternatively, if you would first like to discuss a case, or you would like more information about FGCs and the services we can offer, please contact our Head Office.
