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Child Inclusive Mediation

Submitted by Jenny - Manager on Wed, 09/04/2008 - 12:10pm.

Child Inclusive practice allows for consultation without placing any burden of decision making on the child.

In 2004/5 the Service developed and implemented the following model of Child Inclusive Mediation (based on research from Australia) -

  • Both parents must be engaged in the mediation process 
  • Both parents need to give consent for the child(ren) to be invited to meet with a mediator
  • Both parents must accept that there may be no feedback after the meeting
  • Children are seen at an early stage in the mediation process after the 1st or 2nd joint meeting
  • A different mediator works with the children, wherever possible, and agrees with the children what will be fed back to the parents
  • Feedback is given, by the mediator who saw the children, to the parents on a different day, the mediator working with the parents will also be there.

The mediators who work with the children are all trained to talk with children and have a relevant career background as well as being CRB checked.

From the mediators perspective, when the model works it has the following impact -

  • Feedback encourages honesty
  • Children benefit in their own right
  • Feedback results in a change of focus for parents
  • Defuses arguments
  • Reduces blaming

The children of 42 families have been involved in the mediation process since January 2006 and in each case it has proved to be a positive experience for the children and useful for the parents.

Click on Client Views to see what parents have said about involving their children in mediation.

Click here to read an article on Guardian.co.uk from July 2006


Website updated - 4th August 2008