Reflecting on Face to Face Families First Panels

In June, this year, for the first time since the pandemic, Families First Panels were held face to face in all but one district (Dacorum), as no cases were due to be heard at this Panel.

After the meetings, partners were asked by Panels Managers, what they thought about the face the face meetings and all partners were asked to complete a short online survey. There were respondents from each FF Panel except Watford and Three Rivers.  The below are results from the survey and partner feedback received post Panels.

We asked: What did you like about the face-to-face Panels?

Your response was:-

• Great to meet colleagues in person, some for the first time! Great to collaborate in real time.
• Meeting professionals from other agencies
• Easier / free flowing conversations / Feels more cohesive
• It was great to finally meet everyone in person.
• I was able to give an update regarding previous discussed family to the relevant panel member.
• The conversation flowed better and it was easier to bounce ideas thought around in person.
• Nice to see everyone in person every now and then rather than always on Microsoft Teams
• Having the face-to-face contact and the atmosphere within the team.
• The biscuits!!!!
• It was lovely to see everybody in person, a good opportunity to bond as a team, much easier than via Teams.
• An opportunity to meet face to face and share updates. We have a local upcoming meeting and there was a service in attendance that we had lost contact with.
• Great to actually meet people face to face and form new connections with professionals you may not have met before.  Good for wellbeing to get out of the office and into a new space and to catch up with colleagues.  Good opportunity to network and catch up with fellow professionals regarding mutual families/cases.
• The conversations are more productive when the panel members are in the room together. The focus is better.

We asked: What did you not like?

Your response was:-

• travel is not an issue if it is only once every now and then
• as I attend both the North Herts and Stevenage areas in one day, it is challenging for me to hold the full 2.5 hour twice in a day, so it is easier to be flexible when these are held virtually, but overall feel the pros outweigh the cons!
• Some partners explained they had not been prepared for not having access to the internet, to check their systems in real time, as they would be able to during a virtual Panel.

We asked about: The frequency of Face-to-Face panels

Your response was:-

• Most respondents agreed with the FF Panels team proposal to host face-to-face Panels twice a year. 
• A small number suggested holding them termly, indicating the value held by partners on partner relationships.  Perhaps therefore not surprisingly all survey respondents reported valuing the FF Panels a lot.

We asked: What could we do to improve the panel meetings

Partners report to value FF Panels, when they are hosted virtually and particularly when they are hosted face to face.  That said, most partners feel meeting face to face twice a year is frequent enough.

In terms of suggested further improvements, the following is noted:

• Appreciate this is a logistical challenge, but if there is any way to structure cases in terms of age groups this would be useful!
  Our response: This presents the team with a challenge as different teams ask for different cases to be presented first, and obviously we can’t please every partner, so for balance we add cases to the paperwork as they come into the team to be heard at panel.
• CAMHS rep
  Our response: CAMHS partnership comprises a number of mental health providers, so it would be hard to identify which provider would be best placed to attend. Beginning in July we will have a new Children’s Wellbeing Team which the Panel can refer into.  More information will be shared a Panels in July.
• I like the recent improvements, clear guidance on where to record any contact – thanks!
• The pace of the [North Herts] meeting is sometimes a little slow. Professionals read and research the referral prior to attending so it is not necessary to re-read at length during the meeting. The time is then focused on solutions.
  Our response: Thank you for this feedback, as a result the Panels Manager will discuss chairing style at the next meeting with all panel members and agree a way forward.

Next Steps

1. FF Panels will meet twice a year, next sessions in November.
2. FF Panels team will secure venues for face-to-face Panels with wi-fi access where possible and big enough for people to use laptops.
3. FF Panels Manager for North Herts will discuss their chairing style at the next meeting with all panel members and agree a way forward, to ensure pace works for all.

Families First Panels are only a success because of
EVERYONE’s continued commitment to them
Thank you!