Family Mediation Council Press Release 12.11.20
“What about me? Reframing Support for Families following Parental Separation” Report by the Family Solutions Group
The Family Mediation Council welcomes the publication of the Family Solutions Group report.
Since the inception of family mediation, mediators have been working with parents to consider the needs of the children first in their post-separation arrangements. This report highlights how vital that focus is for a child’s long-term welfare, mental health – and even future life chances.
A key element of the report is the change in emphasis: to reach out to parents before they turn to the law. Mediation is always at the heart of this endeavour and mediators are ideally placed to offer early support to separating parents, through information and assessment meetings (sometimes known as “MIAMs”) – as well as through mediation itself.
The FMC also welcomes the focus on hearing the voice of the child. There is a presumption in family mediation that children over the age of 10 will be able to express their views as part of the mediation process, and the number of cases in which qualified, Family Mediation Council Accredited mediators are speaking directly to children is increasing significantly.
Family mediators are fully committed to doing their part in ‘reaching separated families before they turn to the law’. Mediation can assist, in many ways, to address the priorities of improving the emotional landscape for families: with better language, with useful information, with triaging, and with safety measures. Vitally, mediation facilitates the creation of long-term co-operative parenting relationships in which children can thrive.
The FMC looks forward to considering the report, and all of its recommendations, in detail.
Notes to editors:
- The Family Mediation Council (FMC) is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee. Its aim is to promote the use of family mediation for the benefit of the public.
- The Family Solutions Group published “What about me? Reframing Support for Families following Parental Separation” on 12 November 2020. More information can be found here: https://www.judiciary.uk/publications/what-about-me-reframing-support-for-families-following-parental-separation/
- A Family Mediation Council Accredited (FMCA) mediator is a professional family mediator accredited by the Family Mediation Council following an extensive period of professional development and training: Family Mediation Council Accredited. FMCAs conduct 37,000 family mediations p.a. with a success rate of over 70% covering children, property and finance issues resulting from a family break up. 17% of mediations are funded by Legal Aid – only FMCAs can undertake these mediations.
- For further information on the work of the FMC please:
- contact Helen Anthony executive@familymediationcouncil.org.uk; or
- visit the FMC website https://www.familymediationcouncil.org.uk/
