It was crunch time for the Johnston family.* There were serious concerns about the welfare of their five children, aged one to 13, and social workers were proposing that at least two should be adopted.
A family group conference (FGC) was their last chance to find a solution. "It was critical stuff," says Liz Reilly, an independent co-ordinator employed by the North Somerset FGC Project. "There were 23 people at the meeting who had come from all over the country."
FGCs are designed to involve families in making decisions concerning children - an approach shown to achieve good results and help avoid the costs of legal proceedings and care placements. In this case, the Johnstons devised a plan that was sanctioned in court and put into action.
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