mechanism for involving family networks in child protection conferences. • Establish the appropriate timing of FGDM at different points in the system/processes, including consideration of how to conduct FGDM in shorter-time frames where needed in more complex or acute cases. • Ensure family network plans are integrated into and given sufficient weight within wider family help and child protection plans. Minimum expectations: Mandatory use of the family group conference (FGC) model at pre- proceedings Detail Local areas must: • Offer and use the FGC model at the point of a pre-proceedings letter sent to a family. • Use the underpinning principles in the Family Rights Group FGC accreditation framework (the accreditation itself is not a requirement). Minimum expectations: Introduce Family Network Support Packages (FNSPs) to enable family networks to support children and parents Detail Local areas should: • Use FNSPs when there is a financial or practical barrier to a family network providing support to a child living with their birth parent. Funding must directly enable the family network to overcome barriers to providing support. • Use FNSPs only when parental responsibility is still with the birth parents. Family network members subject to special guardianship orders and child arrangement orders are not eligible. • Not provide funding to parents unless that directly unlocks support from family networks. • Make family engagement in FGDM a pre-requisite for accessing FNSPs. • Make FNSPs available to families at all levels of need across the system. • Decide governance, oversight and monitoring arrangements at a local level, including consideration of how FNSP funding works alongside other funding streams such as section 17 payments. Local areas may: 89 • Develop their own 