Family Welfare Conference

Presentation to the national conference of YOUTHREACH Co-ordinators, Blarney, February 27^th 2002.

Breda Lynch

Project Manager, Family Group Conference Pilot Project

Mid-Western Health Board

Email: blynch@mwhb.ie

 Children Act 2001

• Replaces all remaining sections of 1908 Act
• Provides framework for the development of the Juvenile Justice System
• Provides for the introduction of the Family Welfare conferencing system and other types of Conferences
• Provisions for dealing with "out of control" non-offending children

  Key Principles

• Diversion from the Criminal Justice System
• Earlier intervention by Health Boards
• Criminal Activity is a Family Issue
• Provision for "out of control" non offending children

  Main Features

• Age of criminal responsibility raised from 7 to 12 years
• 12 to 14 years, need to prove that the young person knowingly committed an offence
• 12years+, maximise diversion preoffending and/or post offending

  Conferencing

• "Family Welfare Conference" facilitated by the Health Board:
• When a Care Order or Supervision Order is being considered by the Court
• When the Health Board is seeking a Special Care Order (Health Board initiative)
• "Family Conference" facilitated by the Probation and Welfare Service
• "Conference" facilitated by the Juvenile Liaison Officer

  Functions of F.W.C.

• Decide if the child is in need of care and protection
• If so, recommend appropriate order - be sought by the Health Board
• Apply for a different type of order e.g. Care Order or Supervision Order
• Make recommendations to the Health Board re the care and protection of the child

  Health Board Obligations

• "The Health Board may provide any assistance for the child or his/her family as it considers appropriate, having regard to the recommendations of the Conference"
• Section 13 (1)

  Target Group

• Total of .75m children in the Republic aged between 7 and 18 years
• "Real and substantial risk to their health, safety, development or welfare"
• 50% of this target group of Act already in Health Board Care

  Family Group Conference Principles

• Concern for care, protection, welfare and placement of a child
• Family agrees to participate
• Strengths in the family
• Family and agency share a purpose
• Name concerns openly
• Focus on strengths
• Minimalist intervention
• Absolute privilege

  Family Group Conference Criteria

• Key Family Members
• Engage extended family and professionals
• Significant Decision
• "Bottom Lines"
• Private time
• A summary plan
• Independent Coordinator

  Mid Western Health Board Pilot Project

• Run and funded by MWHB
• 6 month duration
• Project Manager
• Steering Committee
• External Consultant
• Two Independent Coordinators
• 6 F.G.C.’s to be completed

  Objectives

• To scope the tasks involved in the regionalisation of F.G.C.
• To establish guidelines and procedures for the successful implementation of F.G.C’s/F.W.C. ‘s to the MWHB
• To develop a fit with current professional processes of investigation, case conferencing, decision making and review

  Stages

• Pre-Referral
• Referral
• Preparation
• Information Giving
• Private Family Time
• Presenting the Plan

  Timeframe

• Pre-Referral - Flexible
• Referral - 4 days maximum
• Preparation - Average 3 weeks
• Information Giving time - Average 45 minutes
• Private Family Time - Average 1 hour
• Presenting the Plan - Average 50 minutes
• Implementation of the Plan - Flexible

  Implications of Children Act 2001

• Narrow statutory basis
• Lack of legal definitions
• Lack of statement of explicit principles in legislation unlike New Zealand
• Each Health Board can interpret the F.W.C. differently
• Resource implications

  The Future

• Referrals
• Resources
• "New F.W.C. ideas does not prevent H.B.’s from convening F.W.C...at a much earlier stage: (Mary Hanafin 28/11/00)
• Training - Customise the MWHB experience
• Coordinators
• In-house/outhouse
• contract/panel/employees

  The Future (2)

• Policy and Procedures
• Do our current practices include extended families?
• Definitions
• Broad/operational/work
• "Output driven"
• Plans made in the heat of the moment
• Coercion of permission
• A shift in thinking

  Why Family Welfare Conferences?

• Recent legislative and Policy developments
• Emphasis on Partnership
• Children return home (Millham 1986)
• Shortage of foster placements
• Increase in Court Orders
• "Best interests of the child"
• Strengths-focussed perspective
• "Deficit" family members
• Families don’t abuse, rather individuals within it