Complaints Procedure

We hope that you will have no cause to complain. However, should you be unhappy with the service you receive, we would wish to know and see if we can put it right.

In relation to our complaints procedure we adhere to the Family Mediation Council (FMC) and the Family Mediation Standards Board (FMSB) advice and recommendations.

We will review and respond fully to any complaint from a client, a former client or a qualifying third party (see below) where you believe we have breached Family Mediation Council’s Codes of Practice or Standards Framework within the last three months. In relation to any complaint, the date will run from the last mediation session.

It is part of our privacy policy and our agreement to mediate that any information held about you and the mediation process can be shared with FMC and / or the FMSB to allow them to properly investigate the matter.

Link to the FMC’s Code of Practice

https://www.familymediationcouncil.org.uk/us/code-practice/

How to complain

  1. Please raise the issue in mediation if possible, so your mediator(s) can deal with the problem straight away.
  2. You can also raise a complaint after mediation. Simply call, write to, or email us, telling us about your experience. All complaints should be addressed to Anita Craig, telephone: 01782 360028 email: anita@staffordshiremediation.co.uk, unless Anita Craig was your mediator. If Anita was your mediator, please address all complaints to Edward Palmer, telephone 01782 360021, email: edward@staffordshiremediation.co.uk
  3. We will acknowledge your complaint within 10 working days.
  4. A full review will then be undertaken and the mediator concerned will explain their understanding of the situation and you will receive a full response within 30 working days.
  5. Should you wish, the complaint can be dealt via mediation with an external mediator if we also agree that to be a suitable way forward. We can approach the FMC for them to recommend an appropriate mediator.

In the event you are still unhappy and wish to take your complaint further, you contact the Family Mediation Standards Board (FMSB) to consider your complaint.

To do this, please contact the FMSB: https://www.familymediationcouncil.org.uk/complaints-about-mediators/

FMSB - What type of complaints will be considered?

The FMSB will consider complaints that concern breaches of the FMC’s professional standards. The professional standards are set out in the FMC’s Code of Practice, the FMC’s Code of Practice for Professional Practice Consultants and the FMC’s Manual of Professional Standards and Self-Regulatory Framework.

FMSB - How can the complaint be made?

A complaint can be made to the FMSB by completing our complaints form which you can download here. Once completed, please send this form and any supporting documents to complaints@familymediationcouncil.org.uk

If you struggle to complete the form, you can ask someone to help you to do this or phone the FMC office on 01707 594055 between 9am – 3pm, Monday to Friday.

Qualifying Third Parties

The following qualify as third parties who can make a complaint against a mediator:

  • A prospective client who has been directly affected by a mediator’s professional behaviour;
  • A person who has been invited to participate in a mediation process, for example another professional who attends a mediation.

For the avoidance of doubt, it is common for a mediator to contact a potential mediation participant after seeing the other potential mediation participant. Complaints about a mediator making contact with a potential participant do not therefore need to be investigated by mediators and will not be accepted by the FMSB.

Likewise, mediators may sign court forms to say one person has attended a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM) without notifying a potential second mediation participant or inviting them to attend MIAM themselves. Complaints about a mediator not making contact with a potential participant do not therefore need to be investigated by mediators and will not be accepted by the FMSB.

Please note that neither mediators nor the FMSB will be able to disclose any information to you that is confidential between the mediator and the mediation participant(s). It is therefore normal that as a third party, you will only receive a limited amount of information in response to your complaint, even in circumstances where it is considered by the FMSB.

EU ADR Directive

To comply with the EU ADR Directive we are required to sign-post you to an approved Certified ADR provider and we would recommend the Small Claims Mediation (UK) Ltd., 33 Leicester Road, Blaby, Leicester, LE8 4GR. You do not have to use ADR or this provider, but you have been informed of an approved certified ADR provider.

We are also obliged to sign-post you to the link for the ODR (online dispute resolution) platform – http://ec.europa.eu/odr.