Decision-making in child protection. The Family Group Conferences model

In the first part of this paper, the essential elements of the operational model of family group conferences will be presented. We will start from the idea that this model enhances the empowerment and participation of families in decision-making processes even within coercive institutional contexts, such as that of child protection. In the second part of the paper, the Family Group Conferences model will be analysed in light of some theoretical and methodological reference principles of Relational Social Work, and we will attempt to highlight if and to what extent Family Group Conferences can be considered an operating relational model.