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Appendix 2: Interview Schedules
FAMILY GROUP CONFERENCES: Review of Literature, Policy and Practice
Interview with key professionals
A: Views about the nature, potential and impact of FGCs
1. What aspects of your own current work are relevant to Family Group Conferences?
2. What, if anything, do you think FGCs can offer children and families, which other forms of decision making and practice cannot?
3. Do you view FGCs as a particular approach which can be used alongside traditional practice or as based on a quite different ethos and way of relating to families which challenge established ways of working?
4. Family Group Conferences have been facilitated by people from different backgrounds. A particular distinction has been made between professional facilitators, usually with social work qualifications and expertise and lay facilitators who have skills in engaging with people and negotiating, but are not necessarily qualified.
What approach has your organisation used?
What do you see as the advantages and disadvantages of each option?
4A A related issue is whether the facilitator should be from the same ethnic or cultural background as the families. Have you encountered this issue in your organisation and, if so, how have you addressed this?
5. Within your service, what kinds of services have been delivered as a result of using an FGC? What has been the balance between those provided formally and those provided by family members? In your experience has this changed as a result of using an FGC approach?
6. In your authority, what arrangements are in place for reviewing
a) that the plan is implemented;
b) its effectiveness?
7. FGCs have been used in a range of situations, but primarily in response to:
a) child protection concerns; b) accommodated children; c)permanency planning b) young people's offending
7A. Based on your own experience, in what types of situations or with what difficulties would you say FGCs are particularly helpful?
7B. Based on your own experience, have you encountered situations in which FGCs are less helpful or unhelpful?
8. In your opinion, what impact, if any, has the introduction of FGCs had on interagency working in your area?
9. In your opinion, what impact, if any, has the introduction of FGCs had on how statutory staff in your area engage with parents and children in situations where there are concerns about a child's welfare or well-being?
Have you noticed a change in notions of partnership or increased awareness of parents' strengths?
10 How is your service funded?
Who are your partner agencies?
B. Views on issues/ tensions raised in the literature.
Though the literature is generally positive about the use of FGCs, some drawbacks or limitations have also been identified. It would be useful to know whether your experience backs up these concerns and to know what steps your agency has taken to minimise the potential negative effects.
Some commentators have identified the following:
1) children's views can be overlooked or not fully taken into account;
2) dysfunctional family dynamics mean the private family time is not always safe for vulnerable family members;
3) FGCs are not suitable in cases involving sexual abuse or domestic violence;
4) Cash-strapped local authorities can use FGCs to pressurise families into taking more responsibility for problems than they wish to;
5) Professionals can dilute the process, to ensure that the plans reflect professionals' priorities e.g. by influencing who attends the conference and what information is given in the initial session.
C. Expectations of the development of FGCs
1. In what ways would you like to see FGCs developed within Scotland?
2. What could be done to make these developments happen? (name up to three)
3. What barriers if any, do you anticipate to the development of FGCs?
4. FGC services have been developed within statutory services and the voluntary/ independent sector. In your opinion, what are the advantages and disadvantages of each option?
5. In your view, what kind of knowledge, skills and training are necessary for:
a) FGC co-ordinators?
b) Social workers and others professionals working on implementing a plan?
6. Would you be in favour of families having a statutory right to be offered an FGC in certain situations? Which situations?
Why do you say this?
Any other comments/ areas not addressed?
FAMILY GROUP CONFERENCES: Review of Literature, Policy and Practice
Interview with policy makers/ academics/others
A: General Views about FGCs
1. What aspects of your own current work are relevant to Family Group Conferences?
3. What, if anything, do you think FGCs can offer children and families, which other forms of decision making and practice cannot?
7. Do you view FGCs as a particular approach which can be used alongside mainstream practice or as based on a quite different ethos and way of relating to families which challenge established ways of working?
8. FGC services have been developed within statutory services and the voluntary/ independent sector. In your opinion, what are the advantages and disadvantages of each option?
9. Family Group Conferences have been facilitated by people from different backgrounds. A particular distinction has been made between professional facilitators who have social work qualifications and expertise, and lay facilitators who have good negotiation skills, but are not necessarily qualified or knowledgeable about child welfare systems.
What do you see as the advantages and disadvantages of having professional or non-professional co-ordinators?
6. FGCs have been used in a range of situations, but primarily in response to:
a) child protection concerns; b) accommodated children; c)permanency planning b) young people's offending
6A. In what types of situations or circumstances would you say FGCs are particularly helpful?
6B. Are there situations in which you would expect FGCs to be less helpful or unhelpful?
7. In what ways, is any, would you expect the use of FGCs to impact on
interagency working.
Would you expect that this would be influenced by:
a. whether FGC service was run by statutory agency or voluntary organisation
b. whether the facilitator was a professional or lay person.
B. Views on issues/ tensions raised in the literature.
Though the literature is generally positive about the use of FGCs, some drawbacks or limitations have also been identified. It would be useful to have your comments/ views on the following:
6) children's views can be overlooked or not fully taken into account;
7) dysfunctional family dynamics mean the private family time is not always safe for vulnerable family members;
8) FGCs are not suitable in cases involving sexual abuse or domestic violence;
9) Cash-strapped local authorities can use FGCs to pressurise families into taking more responsibility for problems than they wish to;
10) Professionals can dilute the process, to ensure that the plans reflect professionals' priorities e.g. by influencing who attends the conference and what information is given in the initial session.
D. Expectations of the development of FGCs
7. In what ways would you like to see FGCs developed within Scotland?
8. What could be done to make these developments happen? (name up to three)
9. What barriers if any, do you anticipate to the development of FGCs?
10. In your view, what kind of knowledge, skills and training are necessary for:
a) FGC co-ordinators?
b) Social workers and others professionals working on implementing a plan?
11. Would you be in favour of families having a statutory right to be offered an FGC in certain situations? Which situations?
Why do you say this?
Views on partnership arrangements and funding
Any other comments/ areas not addressed?
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