Title: How can Family Group Conferences be embedded as an alternative to Initial Child Protection Conferences to improve outcomes for families on the Child Protection pathway and under which circumstances: A realist evaluation by a research-practice partnership
Funder: Department of Health and Social Care

Abstract: When children’s services have child protection concerns about a child they usually have an initial child protection conference (ICPC). In an internal review by the three local authorities who are partners in this proposal, parents, social work professionals, professionals in partner agencies, and observations of ICPCs all agreed on the negative impact of ICPCs on parental engagement and participation of children, which are crucial to achieving positive change and safe outcomes. ICPC was associated with fear, powerlessness, loneliness, shame, anxiety and trauma, often resulting in dishonesty and superficial compliance. Long reports in professional language and people talking about their family who may not know them often make parents defensive and even hostile to working with professionals. So the partner LAs re-designed their child protection pathway to include a choice of Family Group Conference (FGC). The researchers in this proposal did a review of the research evidence which agreed with and built on these findings and fed in to the design of the new FGC pathway. The research-practice partnership then rapidly tested the new FGC pathway in the three partner local authorities._x000D_ The new FGC pathway engages families and their wider networks earlier, in a strengths-based, less traumatic and shaming forum, to empower families to achieve more genuine and constructive partnership working. Professionals share information prior to the meeting, are known to the family, and more of the family’s network are involved in the plan to keep the child safe. Families are encouraged to present their own plan and speak about what would help them achieve it._x000D_ There is not much knowledge from research about how an alternative FGC will work for which families. This is important to find out as research shows FGCs work differently for different people and so will not help every family. Research also tells us social workers need encouragement to choose an FGC rather than ICPC, as they worry it is riskier for the child._x000D_ For these reasons, the partnership want to find out what works to get professionals to choose the FGC pathway, and which families this new pathway should be chosen for. As these questions are about what works, for which families, and under which circumstances, a realist evaluation approach will be used. This gathers and brings together information to understand how things work for different people._x000D_ The study will have three parts. First, 8-12 new local authorities will try out the new pathway and questionnaires and interviews over 12 months will explore helpers and hindrances to it being acceptable to professionals and families. Second, three focus groups and Children in Care Councils workshops in our partner Local Authorities will find out what outcomes children, families and professionals believe are appropriate to study. Third, in two of the local authorities that try out the new pathway researchers will follow 6-10 families and all involved professionals through the FGC pathway and over 12 months to understand how it did or did not work for them and why._x000D_ There will be three main outputs: 1) a manual for local authorities who want to use the new FGC pathway that tells them how to put it in place and which families they should divert down it to improve the experiences of families using their service; 2) National half-day conference to share findings, 2) reflection workshops for study local authorities; 3) articles for academics and practice.

Lay abstract: Research Questions and Aim_x000D_ RQ1: What works and in what way to enable uptake and embedding of Family Group Conferencing into the Child Protection (CP) pathway as an alternative to an Initial Child Protection Conference?_x000D_ RQ2: What outcomes are deemed most appropriate by families and professionals? _x000D_ RQ3: For which families under which circumstances does Family Group Conferencing enable a more positive experience of the CP pathway and promote the desired outcomes_x000D_ Aim: The overarching aim is to evaluate FGC pathway implementation to understand enablers and barriers to implementation and identify which families are most likely to benefit and in what way to develop a detailed implementation package for national roll out._x000D_ _x000D_ Background: When children’s services have child protection concerns about a child they usually have an initial child protection conference (ICPC). However, ICPC is often found by parents (and children) to be deeply shaming and exclusionary. Proponents of Family Group Conferencing (FGC) suggest it offers an alternative way of protecting children, ensuring parents, children and other family members take part in decision-making and feel more empowered and respected while doing so. FGC as an alternative to ICPC has been introduced by three LAs partnering this proposal. Initial evaluation developed a theoretical framework about how these meetings work and which families appear to benefit. The Department for Education (DfE) commissions the partner LAs as Partners in Practice to spread innovations nationally. Prior to national roll-out of the alternative FGC CP pathway there is a need to clearly understand the core components of the ‘alternative FGC pathway’ and the contextual elements that impact its uptake and embedding, including which families will benefit and in what way._x000D_ _x000D_ Methods: This primary research study is a theory-led mixed-methods realist evaluation. We will recruit 8-12 LAs who are implementing the alternative FGC pathway and collect primary data (focus groups, phone interviews, questionnaires). To identify appropriate outcomes, we will conduct workshops and focus groups with service providers, families with CP experience, and care-experienced young people. In-depth case studies in two LAs will produce a detailed description of whether and which families will benefit, under which circumstances, and in what way. Researchers-in-Residence will observe meetings, analyse routine data, and conduct 6-10 family case studies._x000D_ _x000D_ Analysis: Realist synthesis will inform co-production of the implementation manual, outlining what works to uptake and embed the alternative FGC pathway in different LA contexts, and how it can improve outcomes and for which families under which circumstances. Routine data analysis will determine its effect on key CP outcomes (step up/down, child placement, meeting attendance)._x000D_ _x000D_ PPI: Family members with CP experience and care-experienced children will have significant involvement in implementation package development._x000D_ _x000D_ Impact and dissemination: The research will improve the targeting of the CP pathway to families’ needs, desired outcomes, and circumstances through national roll-out of an evidence-informed manual and training. Dissemination will include a half-day national conference and reflection workshops for all study sites and papers for academics and practice.

Research activity codes: 8.1 ORGANISATION AND DELIVERY OF SERVICES
Health categories: GENERIC HEALTH RELEVANCE