Family group decision making

Ensuring East Lothian’s babies, children and young people are happy, healthy, and heard.

A family group meeting is voluntary, and you have a choice about whether you want to be involved and contribute to the decision making for your child/family.

Meetings can be arranged for different reasons such as:

• look at how to help a child or children who are having difficulties
• bring the wider family together to support the child and those who are looking after them
• help families make plans for children
• to make sure a child sees the people important to them

Our aim is:

• draw on the strength of the extended family and include them in the decision making and planning process for children
• reduce the number of children cared for out with their own families and increase the number of kinship care placements

What we do

We set up decision making meetings between families and professionals. Prior to arranging a meeting we meet with all the important people attending the meeting to prepare. Family meetings are blame free, child centred and future focused.

The family meeting lasts as long as the family need it too, and there are three stages to the meeting.

Meetings have 3 stages:

The introduction

This is a time for the family members to hear from the social worker and any other professionals who have been invited. This is the time to find out what they are saying and for you to ask any questions you have.

Private family time

This is where all the professionals, including the coordinator, leave the room and let the family discuss what they think should happen and make a plan.

Coming back together

Once a family has made a plan the social worker and coordinator will be invited back into the room to see if the plan can be agreed and how it can be put into practice, reviewed, and monitored.

Contact us

Email fgdm@eastlothian.gov.uk for more information.