Skip to content

Family Group Conference (NI)

  • Removed

  • This charity was removed from the register on 5 Nov 2021
  • Charity no. 102815
  • Date registered. 18/05/2015

Public benefits

Benefit Element: 1 a) to promote the practice of family group conference for the public benefit and to assist children, young people and vulnerable adults who may be at risk of being abused, or being abused, (whether physically, mentally, sexually or emotionally), or whose social conditions are such that they are at risk of social exclusion

and/or require support to enable them and their families to make effective decisions for themselves, with a view to enhancing the responsibilities within such families and their extended network, effectively managing conflict and building constructive and respectful relationships; and -to develop and promote agreed standards and guidance for family group conference practice. What benefit flows from this purpose? The direct benefits that flow from this purpose include: • promotion of social inclusion for children and vulnerable adults in NI • enhancing the responsibilities within families and their extended network, effectively managing conflict and building constructive and respectful relationships; • developing and promoting agreed standards and guidance for family group conference practice. • Increase of use of FGC through pilots and service development across NI giving better access to families to this service. Benefit Element: 2 b) to promote the use of restorative practices for the public benefit as a means of resolving and managing conflict and promoting reconciliation by: 1) promoting the use of restorative justice and restorative practices in the criminal justice system, in schools, in the workplace and elsewhere in the community in situations where conflict may arise; and by providing for the use of such practices; and 2) by developing and promoting agreed standards and principles for evaluating and guiding restorative practice. What benefit flows from this purpose? The direct benefits that flow from this purpose include: • promotion of social inclusion for children , young people and vulnerable adults in NI • enhancing the responsibilities within families and their extended network and community, effectively managing conflict and building constructive and respectful relationships; • developing and promoting agreed standards and guidance for evaluating and guiding restorative practice Benefit Element: 3 a) to advance education and research into the use of family group conference and restorative practices and publish the useful results of such research and provide training to practitioners and others with an interest in these methods, and mechanisms for the sharing of best practice; to advance the education of the public in the use of these methods and the concept of restorative practice; What benefit flows from this purpose? The direct benefits that flow from this purpose include: • The extension of the use and knowledge of FGC and Restorative Practice in NI to enable citizens to exercise their right to involvement in decision making that affects their family life and should be given the opportunity to exercise this right through Family Group Conference and Restorative Practices. • enhancing the responsibilities within families and their extended network and community, effectively managing conflict and building constructive and respectful relationships increased use of the models. • developing and promoting agreed standards and guidance for evaluating and guiding FGC restorative practice in NI and internationally. Benefit Element : 4 a) to advance such other exclusively charitable purpose or purposes as the Committee may from time to time may be decide in accordance with the law of charity What benefit flows from this purpose? Currently we are not anticipating using this and our Executive Committee would have to decide on any new activity and if it fitted with our charitable purposes. We would also address the public benefit at this time. (See attachment Family Group Conference NI Reference Numb

What your organisation does

Element 1 How is this demonstrated? The benefits are demonstrated through • Feedback from families and staff through evaluations and Listening to Families exercises. • Independent evaluations • Production of Standards documents and Regional FGC Guidance • Completion of FGCs and positive outcomes for families supported by FGCNI • Family Plans

produced by families in pilot projects including work with vulnerable adults. Is any harm or possibility of harm outweighed by the benefit? In implementing FGC practice some staff may voice concerns re families ability to manage conflict in private discussion – however evidence shows that application of FGC Standards, preparation of the family for conferences and a skilled independent co-ordinator significantly reduces this risk. Public Element Who is the benefit for? The beneficiaries are all families in need in NI and whose social conditions are such that they are at risk of social exclusion and/or require support to enable them and their families to make effective decisions for themselves, with a view to enhancing the responsibilities within such families and their extended network, effectively managing conflict and building constructive and respectful relationships. Is there any private benefit – Is it incidental or necessary? Private benefit to Trustees may arise from our Programme of ongoing training on good Governance. On occasion we require experienced FGC Trainers and Managers to deliver our training and this may provide a private benefit to them. This is incidental and essential at this point for the work of the charity. (See attachment Family Group Conference NI Reference Number 2003775 – Public Benefit Requirements Submission for full information).

The charity’s classifications

  • The advancement of education
  • The advancement of citizenship or community development
  • The advancement of human rights, conflict resolution or reconciliation or the promotion of religious or racial harmony or equality and diversity

Who the charity helps

  • Adult training
  • Carers
  • Children (5-13 year olds)
  • General public
  • Older people
  • Parents
  • Preschool (0-5 year olds)
  • Youth (14-25 year olds)

How the charity works

  • Advice/advocacy/information
  • Community development
  • Criminal justice
  • Education/training
  • Human rights/equality
  • Research/evaluation
  • Volunteer development

Charitable purposes

3.1 The Association is established to relieve families and relieve and protect children, young people and vulnerable adults, and to advance the benefit of the inhabitants of Northern Ireland, and of any other part of the World as the Committee may from time to time decide (hereinafter called “the area of benefit”), by promoting methods of family decision making, conflict resolution, conflict management and reconciliation and by advancing education in such methods, in particular: a) to promote the practice of family group conference for the public benefit and to assist children, young people and vulnerable adults who may be at risk of being abused, or being abused, (whether physically, mentally, sexually or emotionally), or whose social conditions are such that they are at risk of social exclusion and/or require support to enable them and their families to make effective decisions for themselves, with a view to enhancing the responsibilities within such families and their extended network, effectively managing conflict and building constructive and respectful relationships; and i) to develop and promote agreed standards and guidance for family group conference practice. b) to promote the use of restorative practices for the public benefit as a means of resolving and managing conflict and promoting reconciliation by: i) promoting the use of restorative justice and restorative practices in the criminal justice system, in schools, in the workplace and elsewhere in the community in situations where conflict may arise; and by providing for the use of such practices; and ii) by developing and promoting agreed standards and principles for evaluating and guiding restorative practice. c) to advance education and research into the use of family group conference and restorative practices and publish the useful results of such research and provide training to practitioners and others with an interest in these methods, and mechanisms for the d) sharing of best practice; to advance the education of the public in the use of these methods and the concept of restorative practice; e) to advance such other exclusively charitable purpose or purposes as the Committee may from time to time may be decide in accordance with the law of charity.

Save