Stage 1 - Referral
- Referrer seeks approval from the family.
- Attends a referral meeting with the co-ordinator to agree the process.
- Case is then allocated.
Stage 2 - Preparation (approximately 4 to 6 weeks)
- Co-ordinator begins to engage with the child/young person and family to establish a wider network.
- Meets with the wider network to share current concerns.
- Supports the whole family to work in a future-focussed way.
- Encourages restorative and supportive discussions, enabling families to begin to think about what could be in their plan.
- Supports the child/young person and family to plan their meeting in a way that is meaningful to them.
- Prepares the whole family for the family meeting.
Stage 3 - Family meeting
Information-sharing stage
- Co-ordinator opens the meeting.
- Referrer shares the reasons for the referral and bottom lines.
- Family may share information with professionals if they choose to.
- There should be no new information presented at the meeting.
Private family time
- Professionals hand over to the family to make their plan.
- Professionals leave the room, but must remain available and be ready for the family meeting to conclude.
- Family invite co-ordinator back to go over their plan.
Agreeing the plan
- The family invite the referrer back into the room and present their plan.
- Plan is signed.
- Review date is set (family or referrer may request an early review if the plan needs adjusted).
Last modified on 02 October 2025
