Family Group Conference Facilitator Training
2025 dates (NSW time)
February
Friday 7th of February 2025 – 9.30am – 12.30pm
Thursday 13th of February 2025 – 9.30am – 12.30pm
Friday 14th of February 2025 – 9.30am – 1.30pm
(The final session has an extra hour to allow for a simulation).
May
Monday 12th of May 2025 – 1pm- 4pm
Monday 19th of May 2025 – 1pm – 4pm
Friday 20th of May 2025 – 1pm – 5pm
(The final session has an extra hour to allow for a simulation).
This Family Group Conference Facilitator Training course will teach you the knowledge about the process you need to be a family group conference facilitator.
The course fee includes all training and assessment delivered through online learning and via a 3 session online workshop. You must participate in the online learning and workshops for a Certificate of Completion.
Our course has been reviewed by the NSW Department of Justice and is recognised for people seeking a place on their Family Group Conference Contractor Panel. To be successful in your application for the panel you will also need work experience working with complex families in a child protection or similar role.
What is Family Group Conferencing?
Family Group Conferencing is an independently facilitated, family led decision making process where a Family Group Conference Facilitator assists authorities and families to communicate about concerns about a child or children. Families, usually including the young people, then make decisions and a plan to overcome the issues and concerns in a way that maintains connection to family and culture.
Family Group Conferencing principles recognise the importance of family and culture in a child’s life and the importance of drawing on kinship networks if a child’s primary care givers are in need of additional help. The process acknowledges that it takes a village to raise a child and the rights of the child to be included in decisions that affect them.
The input of schools, welfare agencies and others is valued but not central to the decision making. In Family Group Conferencing the family make decisions on how best to keep a child safe or create lasting positive change.
Who is this course for?
This course is for people who want to become recognised as a Family Group Conference Facilitator.
Students come from a wide variety of backgrounds and include people who have worked in child safety, mediators, counsellors, community workers, teachers, indigenous support workers and many more backgrounds.
What all our students have in common is their desire to make a difference in the lives of families by helping them to be self-empowered in making decisions about the safety of their children.
Pre-requisite qualifications and experience for Family Group Conference Facilitator Training
Generally, people who enrol in this course have experience with working with families as a caseworker, with child protection or welfare agency, social work, dispute resolution practitioner, psychologist, police officer, or similar background.
Please check in with us before enrolling if you have no background experience in working with families in crisis.
Contact Us via our contact form
or call 1300 781 533
Next Online Workshop Dates
2025 dates (NSW time)
February
Friday 7th of February 2025 – 9.30am – 12.30pm
Thursday 13th of February 2025 – 9.30am – 12.30pm
Friday 14th of February 2025 – 9.30am – 1.30pm
(The final session has an extra hour to allow for a simulation).
May
Monday 12th of May 2025 – 1pm- 4pm
Monday 19th of May 2025 – 1pm – 4pm
Friday 20th of May 2025 – 1pm – 5pm
(The final session has an extra hour to allow for a simulation).
What is the Delivery Model?
Mediation Institute provides this training and assessment with online learning and a live video meeting workshop delivered over three half day sessions.
Students can undertake the theory part of the course through self-paced online and then participate in a live online workshop.
Theory is learnt via online learning which includes recorded and live webinars discussing different aspects of the skills and knowledge you require to be a family group conference facilitator.
Simulation during the workshop you participate in simulations and role plays to practice key skills and experience the process.
Course Duration
The course takes about 40 hours to complete including the live online workshop sessions.
We are unsure when we will be able to offer in person workshop training again. In the current environment we will continue to offer the workshop part of the course online.
NSW FACS Tender
Successful completion of the course leads to a Certificate of Completion to confirm your completion of the course.
The course has been reviewed by the NSW Department to determine if the training is suitable for applicants to their panel of FGC Practitioners and been found to be acceptable.
The modified training strategy has been approved by the department.
They will still be looking for experience working with families and children when determining suitability for newly qualified practitioners as part of the tender process.
Certificate of Commencement and Completion
When there is a requirement for confirmation of enrolment for a FACS tender which is close to closing we can provide a Certificate of Commencement to use with your Tender application.
A Certificate of Completion is provided upon completion of the workshop / online workshop and full payment of course fees if you are on a payment plan.
Train with Mediation Institute
Become a Family Group Conference Facilitator
FGC Course Content
- Intro to the History of Family Group Conferences
- Origins in New Zealand
- How it has grown in Australia and the world
- Legislation
- Potential
- Quiz
- Introduction to Philosophy
- What is Family Group Conferencing
- The Voice of the Child
- Quiz
- Intro to the FGC Model
- The role of the FGC Facilitator
- Stages of the Family Group Conference
- Discussion
- Quiz
- Acceptable and unacceptable referrals
- Who are the “key family members”
- Who is FGC suitable for?
- What should be included in a referral?
- Refresher on Genograms
- Quiz on Referrals
- Non-negotiable
- Guiding Questions
- Guiding Questions Discussion
- Negotiation Theory
- Interest Based Negotiation
- Quiz
- Domestic and Family Violence
- Underpinning values and philosophies in responding to DFV
- How can you support someone affected by domestic and family violence?
- Confidentiality
- Case Worker Interviews
- Inviting and talking to other professionals
- Inviting and talking to family members
- preparing children and young people
- Discussion on involving young people in a Family Group Conference
- Preparing the Case Worker
- Setting up for the meeting
- Practical arrangements
- Tips for the meeting venue
- Quiz
- Stage 1 to 8 in detail
- Plan contact person
- Discussion – Having a Voice
- Quiz
- Quiz
- What happens
- The Family Group Conference Review
- Online workshop delivered over three half day interactive sessions
- Role plays of various parts of the process
- Confidentiality Agreements
- Preparation Documents
- Child Protection Legislation
- Framework 3 houses tool booklet
- Research on Family Conferencing
- Intergenerational Trauma
- and More
FAQs
Yes. The course is now delivered fully online. Students are able to begin the online learning and then participate in an online workshop. You can start training straight away and then finish the course at the workshop most convenient for you.
Students can pay for the course in one instalment or take advantage of our easy payment options.
- $1,320 payment in full
- 3 x $440 payments
- 6 x $220 payments
Monthly payments are direct debited from a credit or debit Mastercard or Visa.
The course is now fully online so you can participate as long as you have access to the Internet.
The course is supportive and inclusive. If you are concerned about your ability to learn the process please speak with the training team when considering enrolling.
If you can read and write and most importantly have some experience working with families experiencing difficulties you should be able to complete the course.
As long as you are willing to complete the course work and participate fully in the practical elements it is unlikely that you will fail the course.
You are not eligible for a refund once you start the course and have accessed the online learning.
If you are not able to attend the scheduled workshop you can attend one at a later time. If we have to cancel a workshop due to unavoidable circumstances you will be offered alternative dates.
The course should only take you a few days to complete but we will keep your registration open for up to 12 months to allow you to schedule in the online workshop sessions.
Yes. Get in touch to request course details and/or an invoice for the course.
For those who are looking for a course that is recognised by Family and Community Services in NSW for the Family Group Conference Facilitator Panel we have had confirmation in writing that the course is deemed acceptable. In addition to completing an acceptable course you must have relevant current experience working with families in accordance with the published tender criterion.
The department has approved our modified training model to accommodate challenges with running face to face workshops from our March 2020 workshop due to COVID-19 restrictions and risks.
Notification of open tenders has been done via the Tenders NSW site in the past. https://tenders.nsw.gov.au/
No. There is no publicly available Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification for Family Group Conferencing. The statement of attainment issued by other providers is generally for other not relevant community services units of competence. This course is not a course that is training you in basic facilitative mediation training – If you would like to become a NMAS Accredited Mediator find out more about our NMAS Mediator Training and Assessment Course.
If you are looking for recognition of current competence as a community services worker we do provide a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) service in partnership with the Registered Training Organisation, Inspiritive. RPL for Community Services Units.
Meet Eve Clare - Lead Trainer
Eve is a Qualified Mediator, FDR Practitioner and Dynamic Qualified Trainer, providing hands-on coaching and activity-based learning.
Eve works in regional areas across NSW as a leading consultant for Family Group Conferencing. Eve was one of the first Family Group Conference Facilitators in Australia, partaking in Australia’s Pilot Program in 2011 across regional areas of Australia.
Eve is a chosen Panel Provider for DCJ Family Group Conferencing and has a strong knowledge of family Intervention work. She is working closely with child protection, NGO services, Out of Home Care Agencies and families to assist in building safe homes for children as one of the first Family Preservation workers in Australia.
Most of Eve’s work has been with Aboriginal Families and Children within restorative and Family Preservation work.
Having worked in the family services field for over 15 years, Eve has expanded her work into training other workers in the Family Intervention and Mediation field.
She sees the need for more empowering processes that use a neutral facilitator to assist people in creating plans that are future-focused, relevant to the individual children and family situation and keep the children’s interest at the heart of the decision-making.
Eve believes families and children should be part of all decisions made and provides others she trains with a whole family future-focused approach.
Eve combines her personal life and educational skills to create a dynamic and fundamental understanding of family challenges, resilience and strength.
Train with Mediation Institute
Become a Family Group Conference Facilitator
FGC Facilitator Training
Online Learning + Online Workshop-
Theory through Online Learning
-
Recognised Certificate of Completion
-
Online workshop - 3 half day sessions
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Mi Member Discount ($132 discount taking the price down to $1,268) email office@mediationinstitute.edu.au for an invoice if you are a Mi Member
In-House FGC Workshop
Online Learning + Private Workshop . Price is for 10 people or less an additional per person fee applies for more than 10 people-
Theory through Online Learning
-
Includes 10 people
-
Recognised Certificate of Completion
-
Workshop is usually 2 full day sessions but can be designed to meet your needs
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Includes a budget of up to $2,000 for trainer travel and accommodation. Additional at cost charges may apply for high cost or remote locations.
Student Endorsements
I think your training was a key part of me getting on the DCJ panel.
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