What Is a Family Group Conference Before Care Proceedings?
Last updated: 1 November 2026 · Written by the family law paralegal team at Court Help Limited
In short: A family group conference is a meeting where your wider family and friends come together to make a plan to keep a child safe at home or within the family. Since 15 July 2026, councils in England must offer parents a family group conference (the law calls it a family group decision-making meeting) before they apply to court for a care or supervision order, unless it wouldn't be in the child's best interests.
Key facts | Detail |
What changed | Councils in England must offer parents a family group decision-making meeting (often called a family group conference) before applying for a care or supervision order |
In force from | 15 July 2026 |
Where it applies | England only. The duty doesn't apply to councils in Wales |
The law | Children Act 1989 section 31ZA, added by section 1 of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026; brought into force by SI 2026/803, regulation 3(a) |
Who it affects | Parents and anyone with parental responsibility, the child's wider family network, and children whose council is thinking about care proceedings |
Source checked | legislation.gov.uk and GOV.UK, 1 November 2026 |
What was the law before?
Before July 2026, family group conferences were good practice but not a legal duty. Government guidance told councils to think about referring a family before a child came into care, so whether a family was offered one was left to each council.
The pre-proceedings process itself, with its letter before proceedings and pre-proceedings meeting, was already in place and still is. What's new is that the offer of a family meeting is now written into the Children Act 1989.
What changed, and when?
The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026. Section 1 of that Act added a new section 31ZA to the Children Act 1989, and it came into force on 15 July 2026 under the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 (Commencement No. 2) (England) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/803).
In plain terms, section 31ZA says:
Before a council in England applies for a care order or a supervision order, it must offer a family group decision-making meeting to the child's parents and anyone else with parental responsibility.
If at least one of them says yes, the council must arrange the meeting before it goes to court.
The offer has to be included in the letter before proceedings, so you should see it in writing.
The meeting is for the child's "family network" to talk about what the child needs and put forward a proposal that answers the council's worries. The family network can include parents, relatives, friends and other people connected to the child. The council decides who's invited, with the child's best interests in mind.
The child can attend if the council thinks it's appropriate. Either way, the council must find out the child's wishes and feelings, as far as it reasonably can, and take them seriously, bearing in mind the child's age and understanding.
The council doesn't have to offer or hold the meeting if it considers that doing so wouldn't be in the child's best interests.
The government's explanatory notes describe family group decision-making as an umbrella term for family-led meetings, and say a family group conference is one model of it. That's why most councils, social workers and families still just call it a family group conference.
Family group conference at a glance | What happens |
1. Letter before proceedings | The council sets out its worries in writing, and the letter must include the offer of a family group decision-making meeting |
2. Someone says yes | If at least one person with parental responsibility accepts, the council must arrange the meeting before it applies to court |
3. Getting ready | A coordinator asks who's in the child's family network and speaks to them beforehand |
4. The meeting | The social worker explains the concerns and the support on offer; the family then works on its own plan, often in private family time |
5. The plan | The council decides whether the family's plan, with support, answers its concerns |
6. If worries remain | The council may still apply for a care or supervision order; parents with parental responsibility get legal aid for care proceedings |
How does a family group conference work in practice?
Councils run these meetings in slightly different ways, but the government's guidance on pre-proceedings describes family group conferences as voluntary, family-led meetings arranged by an independent coordinator. In our experience, a typical one goes something like this.
First, the coordinator gets in touch with you and asks who matters in your child's life. That might be grandparents, aunts and uncles, older siblings, a close family friend or a neighbour your child trusts. They'll speak to those people beforehand so nobody turns up not knowing why they're there.
At the meeting, the social worker explains the council's worries in plain language and what support is available. Then, in many models, the professionals leave the room and the family gets private time to talk things through on its own. That's often the most useful part, because families tend to come up with practical ideas that a council might not think of: who can do the school run, who can stay over at weekends, who'll be there if things get difficult at home.
When the family's ready, the professionals come back and hear the plan. The council then decides whether the plan answers its concerns, and what support it'll put in place to make it work.
What does a family group conference mean for you?
If you've had a letter before proceedings, it's worth reading it slowly, twice. It should set out what the council is worried about, what support it's already given, what it wants you to do and by when. Since July 2026, it should also offer you a family group conference.
Here's what we'd suggest:
It's usually worth saying yes, but talk it through with a solicitor first if you're unsure. Only one person with parental responsibility needs to accept for the meeting to go ahead.
Get legal advice straight away. The government's statutory guidance says parents who get a letter before proceedings can have legal advice without a means test, and the council should send you a list of local solicitors who do child care law. If the case does go to court, parents with parental responsibility get legal aid for care proceedings without a means or merits test.
Think about who to suggest. Pick people who can really help, not just people who'll agree with you. A council will take a plan more seriously if it's realistic.
Be honest about the worries. Family plans that pretend there isn't a problem usually fall apart. Plans that face it head on tend to carry more weight.
Keep a short note of what's agreed and who's doing what. If things go to court later, it helps to show what you and your family offered.
For example, if a council is worried that a mum is struggling with her mental health and the children are missing school, a family group conference might agree that their grandmother does the school run three days a week, an uncle has the children every other weekend, and mum goes to her GP and a parenting course. The council would then decide whether that plan, with support, is enough to keep the children safely at home without going to court.
The same applies to dads. If the children live with their father and the council's concerns are about his drinking, his sister and a family friend might offer to stay at the house at weekends and make sure he attends a support service, alongside regular testing.
Family members who can't care for the child day to day can still play a big part. And if a relative might end up looking after the child longer term, the meeting is often where that first comes up. Our guide on how to get a special guardianship order explains one of the main routes for that, and our guide to grandparents' rights covers what grandparents can do on their own.
Who does the family group conference rule affect?
The duty applies to councils in England only. Section 31ZA covers "a local authority in England", so it doesn't apply to councils in Wales. If you live in Wales, ask your social worker what family meetings your council offers.
It's aimed at families at the "edge of care", where the council is thinking about applying for a care order or a supervision order. It isn't usually the first step. Many families will already have been through a referral to children's services and perhaps a section 47 child protection enquiry before a letter before proceedings arrives.
It also matters in emergencies. Where a child needs protecting urgently, a council can go straight to court, and the government's guidance accepts that there may be no time for the usual pre-proceedings steps. In that kind of case, a council might decide that offering a family meeting first wouldn't be in the child's best interests. If an interim care order is made, a family meeting can still be useful later on.
What if the council doesn't offer a family group conference?
Check your letter before proceedings first, because the offer should be in it. If it isn't there and nobody's explained why, ask your social worker in writing, and tell your solicitor.
The council can decide not to offer a meeting if it thinks it wouldn't be in your child's best interests, for example where bringing certain people together could put a child or a parent at risk. If you disagree, your solicitor can raise it with the council and, if the case goes to court, with the judge. You can also ask for a family meeting yourself at any point. There's nothing to stop a council arranging one even where it doesn't have to.
Frequently asked questions
Is a family group conference compulsory?
No. The council must offer it, but you don't have to accept. If at least one person with parental responsibility says yes, the council must arrange it before applying to court. Saying no won't stop the council going to court if it still has serious concerns.
Can social services take my child to court without a family group conference?
Yes, in some cases. The council doesn't have to offer one if it considers it wouldn't be in the child's best interests, and urgent cases can go straight to court. In most planned cases, though, the offer should come first.
Who can come to a family group conference?
People in the child's family network: parents, relatives, friends and others connected to the child. The council decides who's invited, with the child's best interests in mind, so tell your social worker or coordinator who you'd like there.
Will my child have to attend?
Not necessarily. Your child can attend if the council thinks it's appropriate. Either way, the council must try to find out your child's wishes and feelings and give them proper weight.
Is a family group conference the same as a pre-proceedings meeting?
No. The pre-proceedings meeting is with the council and solicitors about the council's concerns and what you need to do. A family group conference is led by your family and is about making your own plan. You may well have both.
Can grandparents ask for a family group conference?
The legal duty is to offer it to parents and anyone with parental responsibility. Grandparents and other relatives can still ask the social worker to set one up, and they're often invited as part of the family network. Our guide to contact with children in care explains what happens if a child does end up in care.
How we can help
Court Help Limited is a family law paralegal firm in England and Wales. We're not solicitors and we don't represent clients in court, but we can help you understand a letter before proceedings, get your thoughts in order before a family group conference, and prepare clear paperwork for the next steps. You can email us at help@incourt.co.uk or use the contact form on our website, and you can read what other families say about us in our Google reviews.
Related guides
Sources
Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, section 1 (new Children Act 1989 section 31ZA), legislation.gov.uk (checked 1 November 2026)
The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 (Commencement No. 2) (England) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/803), legislation.gov.uk (checked 1 November 2026)
Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, Explanatory Notes, legislation.gov.uk (checked 1 November 2026)
Court orders and pre-proceedings: statutory guidance for local authorities, GOV.UK (checked 1 November 2026)
Scope of family proceedings under legal aid (May 2025), GOV.UK (checked 1 November 2026)
This article is general information about the law in England and Wales. It is not legal advice and should not be relied on as legal advice. Every case turns on its own facts, and court fees and procedures change, so check GOV.UK for the latest position. Court Help Limited is a family law paralegal firm, not a firm of solicitors, and does not represent clients in court.
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