Involving children in the mediation process

Submitted by Jenny on Sat, 04/02/2012 - 9:42pm

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.

MEDIATORS who work with 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

In each case where children have been involved in the mediation process it has proved to be a positive experience for the children and useful for the parents.

Mediation is the preferred pathway for resolving issues about you child/children following a relationship breakdown
Click on Client Views to see what parents have said about involving their children in mediation.