Pilot project provides family members with child care role

Darlington Borough Council's social services department began piloting Family Group conferences in February this year.

The conferences, which originate from New Zealand, involve families coming together to work out ways of stopping "at risk" children from being taken into local authority care.

Unlike the old system, which focused mainly on the parents, social workers now encourage other family members, friends, and even neighbours, to become involved in looking after the child.

This can take the pressure off the parents and can make the difference between children remaining with their family or being take into care.

Eight Family Group conferences have taken place since February, and in the majority of cases, the child has remained with the family.

Councillor Bill Dixon, cabinet member with responsibility for social services, said the family conferences has made a "massive" difference in some cases.

He said: "Social services have traditionally not allowed anyone else but the parents into meetings when discussing the child's future.

"The parents were often faced with being in a room of 15 to 20 professionals and this can be very intimidating.

"Now, if there is a will in the family to look after their own children, Family Group conferences can unlock this potential and make a big difference between a child staying with the birth family or being looked after by the local authority."

Bob, not his real name, is one person who has benefited from the new system.

His children were identified as being at risk because of "incidents" in the family home, relating to his alcoholic wife.

The family took part in a Family Group conference and in their case, they got neighbours and friends to become involved in drawing up a plan.

It has resulted in the children staying at home, rather than having to go through the trauma of being put in care.

Bob said: "As a result of the conference, we feel more in control of our own family than we ever have in the past.