Azariah Hope works with Family Rights Group as a panel member and expert by experience on children’s social care, feeding into Family Group Conference (FGC) training. She was also a peer researcher for Foundations’ report on families’ experiences of FGCs, which was carried out by Coram, in partnership with Family Rights Group and Lorna Stabler from Cardiff University. In this blog, she writes about her experience of taking part in the project, and the value of FGCs for families and children.

When I first got involved with Family Rights Group, it was powerful to see how my own suspicions about my experience, when I wasn’t referred to a Family Group Conference service before care proceedings started, were validated by the experiences of parents who, thanks to the service, had either successfully de-escalated their interventions or ensured that children remained in their families when being with parents at that time wasn’t possible.

Ever since I was finally offered an FGC, after two of my children had been adopted, and approaching the end of my third baby’s care order, with my fourth on the way at the time, I’ve become interested in exploring when this service is offered and how, and I’ve been passionate about encouraging relational practice in the children’s social care sector.

Working on this research was insightful, as I had the opportunity to put questions to parents who had used this service, but also to hear from FGC coordinators – professionals, independent from the local authority, who organise and run the Conferences.

What stuck with me was the layer of support that manifested itself to families who engaged with the service, as relationship breakdowns were supported to reconcile through wanting to support children, especially where these relationships involved working with professionals as well as family and friends. I was also impressed by the coordinators’ passion to think with parents about their children’s needs in a vulnerable moment, which was a strength and a protective factor.

I was also left curious around the decision-making process and how the offer differed across different local authorities. There were examples of FGCs being offered early in parents’ journeys, for example at pre-birth, whereas some only received the offer at pre-proceedings. And in general, information sharing was inconsistent across local authorities: in many, parents were made aware clearly of the fantastic ways they could get involved in an FGC, but this didn’t happen everywhere.

I was left holding in mind how FGCs could be encouraged earlier for all and what this would look like, having highlighted the positive impact and crucial influence FGCs have had in relationship building and planning for children’s futures.

Through Family Group Conferences, families can explore co-parenting, extended family involvement, and what further support and services could be required for parents and their children. But, most importantly, the voices of children are at the heart.

With systems under pressure and often not able to fill in relational gaps and extended support during interventions, it is evident how valuable this space is, as it provides safety and reflection as a group outside of professional planning.

What is truly captured through FGCs – and we hope can be embedded systemically – is what family means: when love and practical care are the answer, and when they need to work alongside compassionate accountability from everyone in a child’s life with the support of therapeutic input or other services. An FGC creates a foundation for this – empowering families in understanding their roles and what is in their control in a time that can often feel quite the opposite.

I hope readers will understand the power of offering solutions to families, and to give them the best opportunity to hold space for the children at the centre of their lives.

I would like politicians to see that beneath the data are families facing adversity, often with limited timescales, reduced resources, and increasing risk. Early, meaningful support matters and can prevent escalation.

When considering early help and the family-first approach, it is crucial that policy reflects the importance of earlier involvement of FGCs and how they are offered, and ensures that families with complex needs are not excluded from early support due to thresholds, timing, or access barriers.

Families and professionals share more in common than is often recognised: both operate within systems shaped by policy design and implementation. Policy forms the foundation of the sector, it guides leadership and shapes the frontline practice experienced by families. As children’s social care continues to evolve, practitioners are asked to adopt new approaches that mirror what is expected of parents, reflection, adaptation and accountability. This requires clear guidance and support for both sides.

There is an opportunity to better align policy with the realities faced by families and professionals, allowing for earlier access to support with more effective, responsive, and relational solutions, ensuring that early intervention is not just a principle, but a reality in practice.

Read the full report here: Family Group Conferences – Service design & family experience.