PACT - Prison Advice and Care Trust – 3 Day Family Group Conference Training

Pact is a national charity that provides support to prisoners, people with convictions, and their families through a range of services. PACT’s mission is to support prisoners and their families to make a fresh start, and to minimise the harm that can be caused by imprisonment on people who have committed offences, on families and on communities.

We at Interface consulted with and designed a bespoke 3-day Family Group Conference Training package which was designed to support understanding around restorative values and practice with children and families and develop skills to mediate and facilitate group meetings to assist with communication, family engagement and community reintegration.

Delegates included prison-based family engagement workers, in prison visitor support workers, community-based befrienders/mentors, supervisors and Managers.

The 3 day training contained the following elements:

• An understanding of the core values and principles which underpin Family Group Conferences and Restorative Practice
• Recognising the complexities of family led decision-making and learn skills in managing these complexities and conflicts in family’s;
• Understanding the issues involved in supporting children’s participation in the FGC process
• Development of a working knowledge of FGC’s including the skills in preparation and managing the process that follows
• An understanding of other professionals and their roles and responsibilities within the process and meeting
• Insight into the legal and policy framework within which FGC’s operate

The outcomes of this training led to the request to further support staff development by developing additional training to further embed values and principles of restorative and family led decision making.