Involving Young People in Parenting Programmes

Minimum - 2 workers, who can run both groups if necessary.

Optimum – 5 workers, 2 for LWT group and 3 for ACWA group.

Staff who are inexperienced with group-work would benefit from group facilitation skills training.

The CFF can provide training for their programmes. Other programmes could be used, often with accompanying training.

Can use commercially produced programmes.

Can develop in-house programmes.

Can use commercially produced programmes.

Can develop in-house programmes.

Venues with a room large enough to accommodate group-work.

Refreshments for the break.

A variety of venues in the community.

Food is always served at a conference.

Venues with at least 2 rooms large enough to accommodate group-work and at least one room large enough to bring the 2 groups together for a social activity, usually refreshments/food Transport.

Child care facilities.

Dependant upon current practice within the service or the programme used.

This site had 6 group sessions, with pre group home visits.

Sessions were weekly.

Total time scales vary according to individual case. The most important phase is the preparation for the conference and the time taken for this is dependant upon the number of family members and agencies involved.

A review of the plan takes place 3 months after the conference, but further reviews can be arranged if necessary.

Varies according to individual families needs. Can be anything from 1 to 12 sessions, but on average between 3 and 8 sessions. These take place over a variable period of time.

This site conducted sessions at 3 to 4 weekly intervals for an average time scale of approximately 6 months.

Dependant upon the current practice in the service or the programme used.

This site used a 7-week programme, with additional sessions where necessary to meet individual needs.

Sessions were weekly.

The model has 7 core 2-hour sessions and 4 x 2-hour booster sessions if they are felt necessary.

This site used the 7 core session. Where no previous work had been undertaken with families, the programme was preceded by 3 introductory parents’ sessions, which allowed the parents to “offload” before the programme sessions began.

Sessions were weekly.

Workers need dedicated time for planning and debriefing.

There needs to be an element of joint supervision or consultation to address co-facilitation and process  issues.

Family Group Conference Facilitators, will require supervision from a FGC Co-ordinator.

If there are several facilitators, this supervision should be supported by a “practice development forum” or peer supervision.

Family therapists must have clinical supervision from a trained Family Therapy Supervisor at least once a month.

The Family Therapists need some discussion and reviewing time for the cases they are co-working.

Parenting and Young Persons’ worker need to have some dedicated joint planning and reviewing time to ensure that the programme is addressing issues consistently.

As the 2 workers are working within the same family, some joint supervision is advisable.

Need adequate time for staff to prepare and debrief each session.

This site implemented a consultation model, with a member of the management team as consultant to the group facilitators at the beginning, middle and end of each group process. If this does not take place in this way it is recommended that there is some form of joint supervision of the group facilitators.

Will need to consider when to start young persons’ group. Experience has shown that this model most effective in terms of engaging clients if young persons’ group begins approximately 3 weeks after parents’ group.

If the same workers are doing both groups issues, they will need to address the issue of confidentiality with parents and young people at beginning of the intervention.

Many agencies are not familiar with this model. Training and awareness raising sessions can address this and ensure suitable referrals.

This model is an empowering process, not a programme.

Needs qualified staff and qualified supervisors.

This model of intervention is intensive in nature and can last over long periods of time.

This model is therapeutic and not a programme.

This model took place across 3 sites, which raised the issue of consistency across the sites. Strategies need to be in place to address this issue in a multi-sited service, such as practice forums/meetings for staff from all the sites.

A joint session at the end of the programme was found to be a good way of resolving some issues and reviewing the progress made.

Requires high level of resources. Sessions are very content driven this model is highly prescriptive, including the facilitator’s role.

Some cultural and linguistic issues with the US based session content. A UK version is currently being developed. Kinara staff found the model to be more suited to a younger age range – 10 to 14 years – but some older young people completed the programme successfully.