Community Catalysts shared a new research summary on 26 October 2026, examining Family and Group Conferencing for adults. The NIHR-funded study, led by Professor Jerry Tew at the University of Birmingham, ran from November 2022 to November 2025 across two local authorities and one NHS trust.
The summary follows 24 people and their networks. It reports benefits in relationships and control over decisions, while also recording cases where plans did not work. Average wellbeing gains were small for the central participants and larger for network members. Preparation, an independent coordinator and follow-up mattered; inflexible services could undermine implementation.
For commissioners, a useful question is what support and discretion people need to put their own plans into practice. The findings suggest examining the whole process, including what happens after the meeting. This is the PSTA’s reflection, rather than a claim made by the researchers.
Read the research summary and supporting resources (including the seven-page report by Professor Jerry Tew). The findings are the researchers’ and should be read with the study’s scope and limitations; they do not guarantee the same results elsewhere.