Mediation
What is mediation?
- Mediation seeks to resolve problems between two parties.
- Mediation is aimed at helping families in dispute to find their own solutions and to find a win/win outcome. Family members can come together to discuss future arrangements regarding their children with the help of a third neutral person.
- Mediation is an opportunity to feel listened to and heard without being judged or undermined. The mediator remains impartial and non judgmental throughout the process.
- Taking part in mediation is voluntary and any agreements made from the process are not legally binding but they are a commitment to make positive change.
- Mediation is useful and cost effective with resolving conflict early and privately thus keeping it from the court arena.
What we can mediate:
- Parent/child disputes
- Child focused issues
- Family time (contact)
- Parenting issues
- Relatives with SGO issues concerning children
How mediation might help you and your family:
- Improves communication
- Aimed at win/win solutions
- Less stressful and less costly than going to court
The mediation process
Step 1: Your referral is allocated to a trained mediator.
Step 2. An initial meeting is held with you and the mediator to discuss the mediation process.
Step 3. A follow up meeting is held with you and the mediator to confirm all your points prior to the face to face meeting.
Steps 2 and 3 are also held with the other party separately from your meetings
Step 4. The joint face-to-face meeting is held with you, the mediator and the other party.
The joint meeting is where both parties are invited to negotiate and compromise their positions in order to make an agreement in which both parties are happy with the agreement.
Step 5. After the meeting and the plan has been created it will be sent to the parties involved.
Step 6. An additional review meeting or a follow up call with the mediator is offered to both parties to review the process of the agreed plan.
All of our coordinators completed training with the College Of Mediators and have additional training when required.
Our mediation service is available for families who are working with Warwickshire Children and Families Service.
If you would like to learn more, please speak to your allocated worker or for more information call us:
01926 414147 | FNS@warwickshire.gov.uk