Your feedback on the service we provide is welcome. If we do something well, please tell us. If we could do something better, please tell us. Your feedback is valuable as it provides an opportunity for learning and improvement.
Please feel free to contact us via post, phone or email.
I am able to consider complaints if you are a client or former client of this mediation service or;
- you are a prospective client who has been directly affected by a mediator’s professional behaviour or;
- you are a person who has been invited to participate in a mediation process, for example another professional who attends a mediation.
In the event of a problem, we would like to try and sort things out as quickly as possible. So to help us to help you we have set out a summary of our process below;
- If you are dissatisfied with the service provided by Minerva Mediation, please speak to the Mediator at the earliest opportunity which should be no later than 3 months from the last mediation session or meeting.
- If the issue cannot be resolved a complaint may be made by email via ritajackson@minvervamediation.com. If for any reason you are unable to write to us, please contact us on 07903 374 935 so that suitable alternative ways of dealing with your complaint can be discussed.
- Where reasonably practicable complaints will be acknowledged within 10 working days and an estimated time for response will be given.
- Your feedback is helpful to personal learning and development, you may be offered the opportunity to speak to my Professional Practice Consultant whose role is to support and encourage my learning and talk to you about any questions and clarifications you may need about the mediation process and ensure that I understand your concerns. They do not conduct investigations.
- Complaints will normally be investigated and responded to within 21 working days of receipt and if further time is required notification will be given in writing.
- Where appropriate a complaint may be referred for investigation by a third party Supervisor, Independent investigator, insurer or professional standards body as appropriate.
- Independent mediation may be offered at any stage where both the mediator and complainant wish to do so. This does not affect your statutory or contractual rights.
- In the event that your complaint is not resolved you may contact the Family Mediation Standards Board (FMSB) for complaints about Family Mediation or the Civil Mediation Council (CMC) for complaints about civil mediation provided your complaint relates to matters covered by them.
For the avoidance of doubt, it is common for a mediator to contact a second potential mediation participant after seeing the first potential participant. Complaints about a mediator making contact with you in this way do not 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 potential second participant to family mediation or inviting them to attend a MIAM. 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.
Complaints that appear to be vexatious or of a purely personal nature do not have to be investigated by mediators and will not be considered by the FMSB.
Complaints are of a purely personal nature if they are discriminatory or focus on the personal attributes or circumstances of a mediator rather than their actions as a mediator.
Please note that neither mediators nor the FMSB or the CMC 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 if you are not a client or former client of the mediator, you will only receive a limited amount of information in response to your complaint, even in circumstances where it is considered by those bodies.
Details of the FMSB complaints coverage, process and time limits can be found here: https://www.familymediationcouncil.org.uk/complaints-about-mediators/.
Details of the CMC’s complaints coverage, process and time limits can be found here: https://civilmediation.org/for-the-public/complaints/.
