29CConvening family meeting

29C Convening family meeting

(1)  If a family meeting is to be held, the Secretary must assign a facilitator to convene and facilitate the family meeting.

(2)  In assigning a facilitator, the Secretary may consult with the child and the child's immediate family.

(3)  The facilitator –

(a) must consult with the child, the child's immediate family and, in the case of an Aboriginal child, with an appropriate recognised Aboriginal organisation as to –

(i) who should be invited to attend the family meeting; and

(ii) the time and place of the meeting; and

(iii) whether or not any person, including the child, should be permitted to be represented by an advocate at the meeting; and

(iv) the meeting's agenda and the procedure to be followed at the meeting; and

(b) must fix a time and place for the family meeting; and

(c) must issue a notice specifying the time and place of the family meeting.

(4)  The facilitator must invite the following persons to attend the family meeting and provide each of them with a copy of the notice issued under subsection (3)(c) :

(a) the child;

(b) the immediate family of the child;

(c) the other persons who, during the consultation referred to in subsection (3)(a) , it is agreed are to be invited to attend;

(d) an employee of the Department authorised by the Secretary, either generally or in respect of the child, to present a report into the child's circumstances to the meeting;

(e) if the meeting is convened as required by section 53(a) , any person who the care and protection order specifies is to be invited.

(5)  Despite subsection (4) , the facilitator is not required to invite any person specified in that subsection to the family meeting if the attendance of that person at the meeting could result in the contravention of –