5.8 Involving Children and Family Members
Contents
- Involving Parents and Carers
- Involving Children
- Criteria for Presence of Child at Conference
- Indirect Contributions When a Child is not Attending
- Direct Involvement of a Child in a Conference
Involving Parents and Carers
5.8.1 | Parents and carers must be invited to conferences (unless exclusion is justified as described in Exclusion of Family Members from a Conference Procedure). Parents/ others with Parental Responsibility who no longer live with the children should also be invited. |
5.8.2 | The social worker must facilitate their constructive involvement by ensuring in advance of the conference that they are given sufficient information and practical support to make a meaningful contribution. This includes:
|
5.8.3 | If parents / carers feel unable to attend the conference, alternative means should be provided for them to communicate with the chair of the conference. |
5.8.4 | Written information about conferences should be left with the family and include references to:
|
5.8.5 | The role of the supporter is to enable the parent/carer to put her/his point of view, not to take an adversarial position or cross-examine participants. |
Involving Children
5.8.6 | The child, subject to her/his level of understanding, needs to be given the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the conference. |
5.8.7 | In practice, the appropriateness of including an individual child must be assessed in advance and relevant arrangements made to facilitate attendance at all or part of the conference. |
5.8.8 | Where it is assessed, in accordance with the criteria below, that it would be inappropriate for the child to attend, alternative arrangements should be made to ensure her/his wishes and feelings are made clear to all relevant parties - e.g. use of an advocate, written or taped comments. |
Criteria for Presence of Child at Conference
5.8.9 | The primary issues to be addressed are:
|
5.8.10 | The test of 'sufficient understanding', is partly a function of age and partly the child's capacity to understand. Generally, a child of less than 12 years of age is unlikely to be able to be a direct and/or full participant in a conference. An older child is potentially able to contribute, but each should be considered individually in the light of maturity, and cognitive development. |
5.8.11 | In order to establish her/his wish with respect to attendance, the child must be first provided with a full and clear explanation of purpose, conduct, membership of the conference and potential provision of an advocate or support person. |
5.8.12 | Written information translated into the appropriate language should be provided to those able to read and an alternative medium e.g. tape, offered those who cannot read. |
5.8.13 | A declared wish not to attend a conference (having been given such an explanation) must be respected. |
5.8.14 | Consideration should be given to the views of and impact on parent(s) of their child's proposed attendance. |
5.8.15 | Consideration must be given to the impact of the conference on the child e.g. if they have a significant learning difficulty or where it will be impossible to ensure they are kept apart from a parent who may be hostile and/or attribute responsibility onto them. |
5.8.16 | In such cases, energy and resources should be directed toward ensuring by means of an advocate and/or preparatory work by a social worker, that the child's wishes and feelings are effectively represented. |
Indirect Contributions When a Child is not Attending
5.8.17 | Indirect contributions from a child might include a pre-meeting with the conference chair. |
5.8.18 | Other indirect methods include written statements, emails, text messages and taped comments prepared alone or with independent support, and representation via an advocate. |
Direct Involvement of a Child in a Conference
5.8.19 | In advance of the conference, the chair and social worker should agree whether:
|
5.8.20 | If the child attends all or part of the conference, it is essential that (s)he is prepared by the social worker or independent advocate, who can help her/him prepare a report or rehearse any particular points that the child wishes to make. |
5.8.21 | Those for whom English is not a first language should be offered and provided with an interpreter. |
5.8.22 | Provision should be made to ensure that a child who has any form of disability is enabled to participate. |
5.8.23 | Consideration should be given to enabling the child to be accompanied by a supporter or an advocate. |


