Family Networks
It is about making greater use of family networks, with earlier use of family group decision-making throughout family help and child protection, facilitated by targeted funding to enable more children to live safely at home or support a transition into kinship care.
Aims of Pathfinder
- Encourage a ‘family first’ culture by default and to engage family networks throughout decision making.
- Encourage empowering families by prioritising family-led solutions, working collaboratively with family networks.
- Offer and embed family group decision-making (FGDM) throughout the reformed system, with the family network meeting (formally known as FGC) model being offered at the point pre-proceedings letters are issued.
- Give family-led plans a central position in practitioners’ plans wherever possible.
- Introduce new Family Network Support Packages (FNSPs) to provide practical and financial support to enable family networks to help children stay safe and thrive at home. thrive at home
What is a Family Network Support Package (FNSP)?
A FNSP is a pot of funding targeted specifically at family networks to enable them to step in and provide support where there is a practical or financial barrier to them doing so.
The focus of family network reform within the pathfinder is as a preventative tool.
The primary aim for FNSPs is to enable a child to safely remain living with their birth parents and for birth parents to retain sole parental responsibility, while being supported to do so by the involvement of the wider family network.
When a child cannot remain with their parents, wider family and friends can also offer a safe, stable and loving alternative to becoming looked after and moving in with a stranger. In this situation, the use of FNSPs could support a transition to kinship care, but this a secondary aim for the pathfinder.
Examples of FNSPs
FNSPs can be flexible. For some families, this will be short-term, low-cost support but for other families it may be higher-cost, ongoing support. The following is a list of examples of where funding may be used.
- Furniture
- House extension
- Car seats
- Bus passes
- Car for grandparents
- Bedding
- Housing bond
- Family activities
Please note, this list is not exhaustive and you are encouraged to think creatively.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is a FNSP different to Section 17?
S17 focuses on supporting the parents and immediate family. FNSP is a targeted pot specifically for the family network, with the aim of unlocking barriers to them being able to provide support that could prevent the child needing to be in care.
Does a FNSP impact universal credit?
There may be some cases where cash payments are given directly to family networks as part of an FNSP. These payments will not affect Universal Credit entitlements. The Government has legislated to ensure that payments made under an FNSP in the Families First for Children Pathfinder will be exempt from income tax where payments are made directly to family networks.
Is a Family Network Meeting (FNM) required for a family to access a FNSP?
Yes, family engagement with an FNM is a pre-requisite.