Training
Courses available
All these courses are run on a regular basis, throughout the year in the Bristol/Wiltshire area. You can buy places on these courses or negotiate an individual training package for your staff to take place in your area.
- Introduction to family group conferences training - One day
- Family group conferences Coordinator training - Two/three days
- Family group conferences Advocacy Training - Two days
- Family group conferences Project MOT- One day
- 'Getting children's voices heard in Planning meetings- One day
- 'Refresher' course for experienced family group conferences coordinators - One day
Our trainers include
"I feel that I have a good overview of the Co-ordinator’s role and I’m looking forward to practicing for real!”
Hilary Horan is the Children's Services Manager for the Regional Family Group Conference and Advocacy Service .Since 1996 she has acted as a consultant and trainer for over 20 local authorities and organizations throughout the UK including the Shakti Imani Inclusion Project in Bristol and Gloucester Family Group Conference Project. She has set up and managed family group conference projects within education, youth justice and child welfare settings. In 2003 Hilary was a key note speaker at the Family Rights Group Leicester Conference on ‘Getting Children’s Voices Heard in Family Group Conferences’, and presented a paper called ‘The Child’s Voice in the Family Group Conference Process’ for the American Humane Association in Minneapolis. This year Hilary facilitated a skills building day for the American Humane Association Conference in Pennsylvania entitled ‘From theory to practice – empowering young people to participate in Family Group Decision Making’. Hilary previously worked as a Guardian ad Litem and as an Independent Chair of Child Protection Conferences for five years chairing over 700 child protection conferences.
Download Hilary’s article Promoting the Participation Rights of Children and Young People in Family Group Conferences (76kb .pdf file)
Richard Chalmers has worked as a family group conference co-ordinator and advocate for 6 years. He is one of the most experienced co-ordinators in the UK. Richard set up and manages a family group conference project and has considerable experience of training new co-ordinators.
Dr Jane Dalrymple works for the University of the West of England and has written and researched extensively on the subject of advocacy. She has set up and run advocacy projects and facilitated numerous courses.
"Knowledgeable trainers with good first hand experiences and links locally and nationally. This all helped to make me feel confidence in the model."
Janet Byrne Goddard has been the Children's Services Manager for Wiltshire’s Family Group Conference and Advocacy Service for nearly two years. She has five years experience of working as a co-ordinator and advocate. Janet previously worked in a child health team and specializes in advocacy with disabled children.
Steve Smith is one of the most experienced family group co-ordinators in the UK. He has co-ordinated conferences in youth offending, education and child welfare situations. He comes from a probation background and has facilitated many courses.
Jane Wiffin has ten years experience of providing training and consultancy across the UK for family group conference projects. She has worked extensively for the Family Rights Group and currently works for Making Research Count.
