Family Group Decision Making
One family – One network – One connected journey
At Sandwell Children’s Trust, we believe that families are often best placed to identify the people, strengths, and resources that can help keep children safe, happy, and connected to those who matter most to them.
Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) is a family-led process that brings together children, parents, wider family members, friends, and other important people to make decisions about a child’s future. It provides families with the opportunity to develop their own plans and solutions while working in partnership with professionals.
Everyone has a voice
FGDM creates a safe and supportive space where everyone can share their views, be listened to, and contribute to decisions that affect the child’s wellbeing. The process is coordinated by an independent facilitator who helps ensure that all participants, including children and young people, have the opportunity to take part in a meaningful way.
During an FGDM meeting, professionals provide information about any concerns, risks, or support available. The family then has dedicated private time to discuss these issues and develop a plan. This plan should address the identified concerns, build on family strengths, and promote the child’s safety, wellbeing, and long-term stability.
Our approach is based on the principles of:
- Putting children and young people at the centre of decision-making.
- Recognising the strengths and expertise within families and communities.
- Promoting family participation and choice.
- Respecting diversity, culture, identity, and individual circumstances.
- Working collaboratively to achieve positive outcomes for children.
By involving the wider family network at an early stage, FGDM can help identify sustainable support arrangements, strengthen family relationships, and reduce the need for more formal interventions where it is safe and appropriate to do so. It supports families to take ownership of plans and encourages shared responsibility for achieving positive change.
Through Family Group Decision Making, we aim to empower families, strengthen support networks, and ensure that children grow up with the care, stability, and sense of belonging they need to thrive.
Keeping children connected to the people who know, love and care for them is the golden thread throughout the Me & My Family journey.
- We recognise and value the people who already know, love and care for the child.
- We identify and consider kinship care early, not as a last resort.
- We work alongside families to understand their strengths, relationships and support networks.
- We empower families to provide practical, emotional and relational support when it is needed most.
- We support kinship carers with the right help, at the right time, to help children thrive.
- We strengthen relationships and help children remain connected to their family, community, culture and identity.
- Kinship care is a continuation of the Me & My Family journey, not the start of a separate pathway.
- Our focus is on creating safety, stability and belonging through trusted relationships.
- Children leave with stronger lifelong relationships and support networks, not smaller ones.
The child and family’s end-to-end pathway through support
UNIVERSAL AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Build support networks early through universal services and community links
- We focus on helping children build strong relationships and positive connections.
- We make sure families can easily access universal services and support in the community.
- Together, we look at your child’s strengths, their needs, and who is best placed to help.
- By building support networks early, we aim to prevent worries from growing and stop problems from escalating.
We make sure support is inclusive for children and young people with SEND at every stage.
We adapt communication, put reasonable adjustments in place, and bring in SEND specialists early so your child gets the right help from the start.
ADDITIONAL FAMILY HELP
Targeted and intensive support for families with more complex or multiple needs
- We take time to really understand your child’s needs so we can plan the right support together.
- Different professionals work closely with each other so help is joined‑up and consistent.
- Your child will get targeted support for any specific worries or areas of need.
- We also involve and strengthen your wider family network wherever possible.
- Everything we do aims to build stability and achieve positive, long‑term outcomes for your child and family.
We always take your child’s SEND needs into account when we assess, plan and put support in place.
We make sure their learning environment, communication and the help they receive are fully accessible, inclusive and suited to how they learn best.
STATUTORY / SPECIALIST FAMILY HELP
Specialist and statutory support to keep children safe and achieve lasting change
- We follow child protection and statutory processes to keep children safe.
- When needed, specialist assessments and interventions are put in place, and court or legal steps are taken.
- We focus on securing long‑term stability and permanency for your child, while supporting lifelong connections and ongoing help for your family.
We make sure your child’s SEND needs are fully understood in all risk assessments, plans and decisions.
We work closely with SEND specialists and inclusive services so support is accurate and appropriate.