Fifteen years of family group conferencing: Coordinators talk about their experiences in aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract

Family Group Conferencing (FGC) as a solution-focused strategy in child welfare has now been a mandated practice in Aotearoa New Zealand since 1989. This qualitative study examines the experiences of Care and Protection Coordinators who have been convening FGC since the early years of the legislation. The study explores early perceptions of the legislation, what first attracted them to the role and what keeps them in the job. In particular, the study explores the practice tensions that rest within family-centred child protection models, and the ways in which FGC practice has developed in response to modern imperatives.