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Family group conferences (FGCs)should be used by all local authorities, according to the Association of Directors of Social Services president Mike Leadbetter.

Speaking at a Family Rights Group conference in London last week Leadbetter said he was "passionately committed" to family group conferences and asked: "Why are not all local authorities using them?"

FGCs are decision-making forums where the wider family makes plans and decisions for children in need of care and protection. Since they were introduced from New Zealand about 10 years ago, they have been valued as a means for families to question councils about whether the services provided meet the family's needs.

Leadbetter said: "The concepts of engagement, involvement of the family, and the appropriate movement away from the power base of professionals, all have profound implications for social work. FGCs shift power from professionals to family decision-making."

Currently, 58 per cent of local authorities in England and Wales offer the service or are planning to do so, according to the FRG.

Family Rights Group chief executive Robert Tapsfield said the family conferences were a "success story", but 42 per cent of councils had no service, and in some of the rest, service was limited.

"Despite its success, despite all the research that says it works and is effective, despite its value base of supporting and strengthening families, which is central to this government's agenda, it still remains at the margins. That is not good enough," said Tapsfield.

"Families are entitled to FGCs. There always ought to be an FGC when children would otherwise come into the care system. We are still a long way from achieving that," he added.

The calls also received backing from Hilton Dawson, Labour MP for Lancaster and Wyre and a former social worker, who is chairperson of the all-party parliamentary group for children and looked-after children.

He told the conference it was important to develop FGCs because "families have an intelligence, ability and potential that has never been fully tapped".

He added: "The principles of FGCs are sound social work practice. It's what families do, they help each other out when needed."