It foresees the adaptation and the introduction of the Family Group Conference model in Bulgaria. The model offers support from the extended family and its social network through mobilization of the recourses of the family, strengthening the responsibility and setting up a plan for overcoming the concrete problems to overcome the difficulties
Over the last one and a half year we realized a series of trainings for independent coordinators, social workers, police inspectors, teachers and various working meetings to share experience, plan upcoming activities and opportunities for development of the model.
The independent coordinators received a copy of the published detailed practical guide for organizing Family group conference. We also disseminated brochures with information about the concept and the way the family group conference works for Families and Friends “Let’s make a plan together for the future” and Children and Teenagers “Let’s make together a plan for your future” (Materials in Bulgarian language in PDF).
In total 30 FGC have been organized by May 2013. In 9 cases the family has solved the problem with own recourses during the time the conference has been organized with no need of external help. In 20 other cases the extended families have developed a plan for their child. All these plans are currently implemented and have led to a positive change. Only one family didn’t come to the meeting as organize but the family members solved the problem by themselves shortly afterwards and the child started to go to school. The families have been referred to the FGC team by the Child Protection Department, pedagogical advisors, teachers, police inspectors, friends of the family. The FGC helped 78 children aged 1 to 17 years. In total 171 adult members of the families participated as well as different specialists – social workers, pedagogical advisors, teachers, school directors, general practitioners, police inspectors, police inspectors. During the same time some 117 families were engaged in social consultations and 325 children and youngsters aged 7 to 16 years received support within their family. In total 331 adults from the families were involved.
In the mean time 3 mainstream schools included the FGC model in their internal rules as a very first measure in case a problem of any of the students is identified. The teams of these schools were trained to apply the model.
In May 2013 training on FGC was organized for the students at IV year Social Management at Varna Technical University and the team of the local Co-participation Association. In June a training for independent coordinators took place in Varna where the first family Group Conference are expected to take place during the coming months.
