Questions and answers: family meetings
Who will be at the meeting?
Attending the meeting could be:
- the child or young person (if they want to come)
- their parents or carers
- anyone else they want to invite who can provide support or help to make positive changes happen, such as trusted friends or relatives
- the lead professional working with the child/family, i.e a social worker or teacher
- a coordinator; they're independent of children services and don't make decisions about a young person's future
- a translator or sign language interpreter, if needed
Where and when will the meeting happen?
A family meeting can happen at any time when you or your family feel it would be good to talk about what is going on and make a plan to help things change for the child.
The coordinator will help to find a neutral venue close to where you live, e.g. a church hall, village hall or a children's centre.
If you prefer to hold the meeting online, the coordinator can organise a virtual meeting via Microsoft Teams
Who is the coordinator and what will they do?
The co-ordinator is an independent person who will organise the meeting with you. They will:
- meet with you before the meeting and visit the child / young person
- help you decide who will be invited to the meeting and where it should be held
- meet with the people you have given them to invite (this should include everyone you would find helpful to have at the meeting)
- be sensitive about different religions and cultures which will help them to make sure the meeting is as comfortable and as easy to understand as possible; they can arrange an interpreter if needed
- make sure that everyone who is at the meeting follows some basic ground rules; they make sure everyone knows that they are there to make a plan that will help support the child being discussed
- will help everyone to stay calm and make sure everyone has an opportunity to have their say
How long does it take?
The whole process from referral to meeting should take around 4 to 6 weeks, but urgent family meetings can be organised if needed.
What about confidentiality?
The family meeting coordinator will not share any information, unless you agree to this and will maintain confidentiality at all times. This confidentiality will only be broken if anything is disclosed which must be shared by law, i.e. the safety of a child, young person or vulnerable adult.