The family meeting process
Before the meeting, a professional will make a referral to us, if the family is happy to participate.
One of our coordinators will meet the parents or carers to explain why the meeting is happening, how it will work and the questions we'll ask. Our coordinator will also ask the child or young person if they want to come to the meeting and if there's anything specific they would like to discuss.
The family can decide when and where they'd like to meet and who they want to invite (our coordinator will arrange it and speak with all attendees beforehand).
All information shared with the coordinator will remain confidential unless it poses a risk to someone.
Meeting stages
During the meeting, there are three stages.
Stage 1: information sharing
Everyone will introduce themselves. The referrer will explain to the family why they are worried about the young person and what needs to change. The family may ask for any additional information they need to help them create a plan to resolve the problems.
Stage 2: time to talk
The family will be given questions to answer and the coordinator and referrer will leave the room. Families can take breaks, ask for help and take as long as they need. This private family time will allow families to:
- discuss the information provided
- work out and agree a plan
- decide who will be responsible for each aspect of the plan
- decide what support they need to make their plan work
- decide how they can check the plan is working
- come up with a back-up plan in case it is needed
Stage 3: agree on the plan
When the family is happy with their answers, the coordinator and referrer will come back in. They'll go through the plan and agree on any actions.
After the meeting toe co-ordinator will write up the plan and send copies to everyone involved, which they should now follow. If families can't agree on a safe plan it may be possible to hold another meeting;
If this isn't possible, alternative arrangements to resolve the original concerns will be made by the referrer.
The family’s lead worker and a nominated family member will check that the plan is working.