The Family Mediation Standards Board (FMSB) is inviting views on new standards for Mediation Information and Assessment Meetings (MIAMs).
The FMSB’s work on MIAMs standards is being carried out at the request of the Family Mediation Council (FMC), following a recommendation from the President’s Private Law Working Group and the Family Solutions Group that “the quality of the delivery of MIAMs should be more rigorously monitored and consistently maintained”.
An FMSB working group, which included including representatives from all FMC Member Organisations (MOs), has developed draft recommendations which are now published for consultation. These are contained in three documents: MIAMs Standards and Expectations; MIAMs Guidance; and Assurance Processes.
The FMSB welcomes views on:
1. The content of the MIAMs Standards and Expectations, and the accompanying Guidance;
2. The proposed MIAMs assurance processes;
3. The two general approaches adopted being
a) The three-layered format of the new standards – that of Standards, Expectations and Guidance; and
b) The principle of reliance on the rigorous establishment and demonstration of the professionalism of mediators, to underpin assurance processes.
This format for describing standards and assurance processes has been developed through the work on MIAMs, and is the model that the FMSB proposes to use in all future reviews and developments of standards for family mediation.
Written responses to the consultation are welcome, and should be sent to executive@familymediationcouncil.org.uk by 5pm on Friday 21st May 2021.
In addition, the FMSB has arranged for two Zoom calls to take place in order to enable discussion about the recommendations. These calls are being chaired by members of the FMSB’s working group. If you wish to join one of these discussions, please register by clicking on the link for the meeting you would like to attend. You will be asked to complete your name and e-mail address. Once you have done so, you will receive an e-mail containing a link to click on to join the meeting at the appropriate time.
2.00pm Thursday 6th May – with Paul Kemp, FMCA – Register to attend
10.30am Friday 7th May – with Adrienne Cox, FMCA – Register to attend
(NB With regret, we have had to cancel the consultation planned for Friday 30 April).
The FMSB encourages you to read the draft documents and to respond to this consultation, so that a wide range of views can be heard and taken in to account before its final recommendations in relation to MIAMs standards are made to the FMC.
We look forward to hearing your views.
Robert Creighton
Chair, Family Mediation Standards Board
23 April 2021 (Updated 29 April 2021)
