ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines Family Group Conference (FGC) use in England and Wales, in terms of the legislative policy and research frameworks influential in their development. Legislation, policy, and research on FGCs in England and Wales has supported the development of the model, from both management and practice perspectives. In England and Wales, FGCs have almost universally developed in the child welfare field, within the context of the overarching legislation covering all child welfare matters, the Children Act 1989. The policy and practice issues at the center of implementation decisions in FGC work have recently been explored with additional interviews with project managers and coordinators in eight of the most well established and substantial projects in England and Wales. The way that FGC projects have most successfully managed to become established and subsequently expand has been through having an influential steering group.
