Children 1st hosts international learning event on Family Group Decision Making
Pictured left to right: Linda Jardine from Children First with FGDM experts Paul Reddiex, Paul Nixon, Cathy Ashley OBE and Lisa Merkel-Holguin
Internationally renowned experts on Family Group Decision Making, which puts families’ voices at the heart of decisions being made about their children, gathered yesterday at an event hosted by Children First in Edinburgh.
Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) brings a child’s wider family together to agree a plan to support their child, before a life-changing decision is made about that child’s future. This restorative approach, which supports children to stay with their family networks where safe to do so, already has a strong basis in Scotland with FGDM available in 23 local authorities.
At the event, international evidence on the clear benefits of FGDM was shared by world-renowned experts with an audience of key leaders from across Scotland.
The event is leading a collaborative international movement by sharing learning from the US, New Zealand and England that can help shape the future direction of FGDM in Scotland.
The audience heard from:
- Lisa Merkel-Holguin, a world leading academic with 30 years of knowledge in Family Group Decision Making. She is Associate Professor and Director, National Centre on Family Group Decision Making at Kempe Center, Colorado, United States. Her presentation focused on FGDM as a means of freedom and justice for families, and for workers.
- Paul Nixon, a Specialist in Restorative Practice and Leadership, has worked for more than 34 years as a practitioner and leader in Child Protection. He is New Zealand’s longest serving Chief Social Worker and previously led North Yorkshire Children’s Social Care. He shared what he believes are the 10 key obstacles and opportunities to moving forward with FGDM in Scotland.
- Cathy Ashley OBE, Chief Executive and Paul Reddiex, consultant at Family Rights Group, an organisation that promotes policies and practices that keep children safe within their family and strengthen the family and community networks of those children who cannot live at home. They shared the successes and barriers of scaled implementation in FGDM and Life Long Links in England which aims to connect young people in care to a support network of people who are important to them.
Linda Jardine, Director of Children and Family Services at Children First, said: “Children and families voices matter and they must be heard. Family Group Decision Making ensures this is possible when life-changing decisions are being made about a child’s future.
“There is a strong foundation of best practice in Family Group Decision Making in Scotland that is already delivering a positive impact for children and families by valuing their voices and supporting them to be the experts in their own lives.
“By working together with international partners, we can help keep Scotland’s Promise that all children grow up safe, loved and respected, and where possible, with their family.
“One parent told us that he believed Family Group Decision Making, “…should be a right for all families and children to have this opportunity.” At Children First we passionately believe this too.”
Paul Nixon, former Chief Social Worker New Zealand, commented: “Children First Scotland’s event, brought together, much like a FGDM meeting, key leaders from across Scotland to think about how this approach can be developed with its own Scottish identity to help more children who are at risk here.
"The event has identified some positive steps that can be taken to develop and implement FGDM nationwide and track and report on progress so everyone can learn about how FGDM is changing outcomes for the better for children in Scotland.”
Families have told the charity how FGDM has helped them.
“We needed someone to come in and help us listen to each other” said one parent.
“It stopped everyone fighting” a young person explained.
One mum shared, “if we hadn’t had a meeting, I don’t know where we’d be now”.
To find out more about FGDM, and the positive impact it has on families, click here to read the Family Group Decision Making Evaluation by Robert Gordon University published earlier this year.