A webinar and resources from Family Rights Group, tailored for members of the Association of Lawyers for Children
In April 2026, the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act received Royal Assent. Section 1 of the Act provides that, in most situations, children’s services will not be able to commence care proceedings until an offer has been made to the parents to participate in a family group decision-making meeting. This webinar has been designed in response to these legal and practice changes, and will provide public children lawyers with crucial information and insights about family group conferences most directly relevant to dealing with care proceedings and related public children law matters.
The session will be delivered by Jessica Johnston, Legal Adviser at Family Rights Group, and Pam Ledward, the charity’s Director for Social Care Practice. In this one-hour session, Jessica and Pam will bring together relevant statutory material, with messages from the international evidence base about family group conferences. You will also hear direct expert insights from families about the difference family group conferences made for them and their children.
About Family Rights Group
Family Rights Group is the leading specialist charity working to ensure children can live safely and thrive in their family, and children in the care system have loving relationships to they can turn to throughout life. The charity is unique in bringing together legal and social work expertise with the direct voice and insights of young people and families.
Family Rights Group is the UK’s leading authority on family group conferences. The charity has a wealth of expertise and knowledge gained over 30 years, since introducing family group conferences to the UK in the 1990s. The charity has pioneered family group conference service standards and oversees a national accreditation framework for family group conference services. Family Rights Group is the number one provider of family group conference coordinator training, and of consultancy and support to local authorities in setting up and developing family group conference services.