1. Managing Domestic Abuse in Family Group Conferences Debbie Peel – FGC Service Laura Brown – Harbour domestic abuse link worker

4. Stockton Children Children who live in Stockton = 43,200
Looked After Children = 490
Children subject to CP plans = 250
Children In Need = 2,021
Early Help = 3,158

5. Context
The FGC Service in Stockton was established in late November 2017 and we started to take referrals from 4th December 2017.
The figures used in this workshop come from an evaluation of the Service from 04/12/2017 – 30/06/2018.

6. Domestic violence and abuse: definition The cross-government definition of domestic violence and abuse is: any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. The abuse can encompass, but is not limited to: psychological physical sexual financial emotional It can include honour based violence, female genital mutilation, and forced marriage. Controlling behaviour Controlling behaviour is a range of acts designed to make a person subordinate and/or dependent by isolating them from sources of support, exploiting their resources and capacities for personal gain, depriving them of the means needed for independence, resistance and escape and regulating their everyday behaviour. Coercive behaviour Coercive behaviour is an act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten their victim.

7. ‘Violence affects children’s view of the world and of themselves, their ideas about the meaning and purpose of life, their expectations for future happiness and their moral development. This disrupts children’s progression through age-appropriate developmental tasks.’
Margolin, G. and Gordis, E. (2000) The effects of family and community violence on children, Annual Review of Psychology

8. The above chart shows that 70% of the children referred to FGC have been affected by domestic abuse. This is a huge amount of children and we have to be particularly careful about how we manage this issue when carrying out family meetings.

9. What is a Family Group conference?
A Family Group Conference (FGC) is a family led planning meeting in which a child's wider family network comes together to make a plan about the future arrangements for the child. The family plan will ensure that he/ she is safe and his/ her wellbeing is promoted.
FGC’s utilise a family’s own skills, strengths and personal knowledge of their family situation to resolve difficulties.
FGC’s are intended as a relationship based, respectful and empowering process in which parents, children and members of the wider family and friends are given clear information about the concerns held by social care and are asked to work with the FGC Practitioner to produce a joint plan that addresses these concerns and answers specific queries.

10. Question
What could be the implications of using FGC with families where Domestic Abuse is an issue?

11. What does research tell us about domestic abuse and FGC?
There isn’t much of it!!
The use of mediation with couples where there is domestic abuse is widely recognised as dangerous and oppressive for the victim (Liebmann and Wooton, 2010)
FGC tends to avoid
However!
Shining a light on the abuse can work well (Pennell and Burford, 2000)
A recent development by the RJC (Restorative Justice Council) proposes that the offering of private family time during the FGC needs to be re-considered as it can result in those within the family with the loudest voice having the bigger say in plans.

12. Different ways to carry out FGCs
Face to face
Shuttle
Remote

13. Exercise
What would you do?

14. What we did Ran the FGC with two practitioners
Observed the family dynamics
Shined a big light on the behaviour
Abandoned the FGC
Safeguarded

15. What we learned Who the main perpetrator was
How the family functioned together
The family became more able to challenge as they saw us doing this
The family demonstrated more support towards the victim
The family told us things they had not shared with the social worker

16. The future? Harbour safeguarding link worker
Domestic abuse specialist FGC Practitioner?
Research

17. Any questions/comments?
Thanks for your time!
Any questions/comments?
Contact details: