The Family Group Conference (FGC) is a model of family intervention originating from the Maori of New Zealand. During the 1980s it expanded to encompass other countries. The goal is to lend prominence to families so that they themselves and their network can make decisions to address their concerns.
Since 2017, Osona Acció Social has been promoting a pioneering experience in Catalonia with the FGC, training 50 professionals. This has given rise to a steering group that engaged in 14 attempts to implement the FGC between 2017 and 2021.
The families were referred by the Basic Social Care Service (SBAS) and the Specialised Child and Adolescent Care Service (SEAIA). The concern was primarily focussed on childhood and adolescence, and within three families, on senior citizens. The FGC preparation process got underway with 71% of families, and of these, 60% saw the process through to completion.
The external assessment identified improvements among all families where the FGC was conducted and also among families where the process was initiated, albeit not completed, probably thanks to early work being carried out. The level of satisfaction was high among families, facilitating teams and referral professionals.
This research has given rise to the development of a qualitative and quantitative assessment system in conjunction with the various agents involved. Likewise, improvements have been identified in order to deliver implementations of the FGC in future.
