NCH The Children's Charity
Key Facts
Location
Project Criteria
Contact
Aileen Gilbert
Email
Project funding
£130,888
Funding round
We are using Family Group Conferencing (FGC) to provide an exciting model of 'Alternative Dispute Resolution' for families who are at risk of becoming stuck in the court system and who are entrenched in conflict. We are also working with the local authority to enable children and young people to remain in their communities and families of origin.
We accept up to 70 referrals per annum to an FGC service, building on our current success. Using conflict resolution skills we will meet with parents already involved in family legal proceedings to encourage them to collaborate over parenting. The FGC approach will then be used to enable change and to strengthen collaborative parenting in the wider family, where necessary parents will be offered a session to focus on parenting skills and conflict management. Assessments will be undertaken to identify risk. The families referred to the FGC service will be offered additional support where family conflict is inhibiting the well being of their children.
Our aim is to avoid the use of costly court and care proceedings by encouraging parents to take responsibility for and retain control over decision making in relation to their children.
We will recruit, train and support a pool of volunteer advocates who will be accessible to children and young people in their family group conferences.