Issue - meetings

      To receive a report from the Chief Executive.

Resolved:

Cabinet agreed to:

1)    Approve a budget of £900,000 over a possible five years, for the delivery of Family Group Conferences. The contract will be offered initially for three (3) years with a possible two-year (2) extension. 

2)    Approve that Family Group Conferences is commissioned externally through an open procurement from 1 April 2025.  

3)    To delegate authority to approve and award a new contract and any future extensions and all associated documents to the Director of Commissioning and the Corporate Director responsible for People in consultation with theDeputy Leader and the Cabinet Member responsible for Children’s Services, Education and Skills. 

Reason for Proposals 

To make Family Group Conferences (FGC) available to all families that would benefit from this approach.  

According to results from a study conducted by Coram in June 2023 children whose families were referred for FGC are significantly less likely to go into care or to be taken to court for decisions about their care.  This service not only forms an important intervention to support the well-being of children but also prevents the potential for costlier interventions later. 

The FGC service offers cost effective family focussed support for families. The Coram Report recommends that ‘Local authorities should continue the use of FGCs at pre-proceedings stage where services already exist and consider their introduction in other areas’.   

The Independent Review of Children’s Social Care – Final report by Josh McAllister recommends that more should be done to involve family members and wider networks in the decision about children’s care.

Cllr Laura Mayes, Deputy Leader of the Council, presented a report outlining proposals about how Family Group Conferences (FGC) should be delivered across Wiltshire.

The Deputy Leader explained that the FGC have been successfully used in Wiltshire for many years to provide family meetings as part of legal proceedings. The FGC offer families an opportunity to define achievable and sustainable solutions with the support of their extended networks. It was noted that children whose families were referred to FGC were significantly less likely to go into care. An in-house option had been considered; however, the risks outweighed the benefits.  

Cllr Jon Hubbard, Chairman of the Children’s Select Committee, reported that he and the Vice-Chair had received a briefing on the proposals on 13 September 2024. Cllr Hubbard reported that he was very much in favour of this service being commissioned externally and that it was an effective measure for the child as it was far better for them to remain with their family than be in care.

Resolved:

Cabinet agreed to:

1)    Approve a budget of £900,000 over a possible five years, for the delivery of Family Group Conferences. The contract will be offered initially for three (3) years with a possible two-year (2) extension. 

2)    Approve that Family Group Conferences is commissioned externally through an open procurement from 1 April 2025.  

3)    Delegate authority to approve and award a new contract and any future extensions and all associated documents to the Director of Commissioning and the Corporate Director responsible for People in consultation with theDeputy Leader and the Cabinet Member responsible for Children’s Services, Education and Skills. 

Reason for Proposals 

To make Family Group Conferences (FGC) available to all families that would benefit from this approach.  

According to results from a study conducted by Coram in June 2023 children whose families were referred for FGC are significantly less likely to go into care or to be taken to court for decisions about their care.  This service not only forms an important intervention to support the well-being of children but also prevents the potential for costlier interventions later. 

The FGC service offers cost effective family focussed support for families. The Coram Report recommends that ‘Local authorities should continue the use of FGCs at pre-proceedings stage where services already exist and consider their introduction in other areas’.   

The Independent Review of Children’s Social Care – Final report by Josh McAllister recommends that more should be done to involve family members and wider networks in the decision about children’s care.