Child inclusive mediation Leeds
Giving children a voice for their future
What is Child Inclusive Mediation ?
Child inclusive mediation is a specialised form of family mediation where children are given a direct voice in the process.
Unlike traditional mediation, which primarily focuses on helping parents find a resolution, child inclusive mediation actively involves children, ensuring their feelings and perspectives are considered in decisions affecting their lives.
Here at Smart Talking, we are child inclusive mediation specialists. With offices based in Harrogate and Liversedge, we operate across Leeds as well as the wider North and West Yorkshire areas, delivering face to face mediation for families.
What is child inclusive mediation, and how does it differ from traditional family mediation?
Separating from your partner is incredibly difficult and brings great uncertainty. This is not only true for parents, but for children too.
You may be worried about how your child or children will cope, what the future holds for your family, and how to navigate the legal complexities that come with separation.
If you are looking for a way to prioritise your child's well-being during this challenging transition, child inclusive mediation could be the answer.
This unique approach gives your child a voice in the decisions that affect their life, helping to foster understanding throughout the whole family unit, reduce conflict, and build a foundation for positive co-parenting.
Here are some key points on child inclusive mediation, and how it differs from traditional family mediation:
- Child inclusive mediation actively involves children in the mediation process.
- In family mediation, children’s perspectives and feelings are usually communicated indirectly through the parents. Child inclusive mediation directly involves children and their voices are brought into the mediation sessions, ensuring their perspective directly influence the discussions.
- Child Inclusive Mediation is a confidential and safe space discussion designed to help your children feel heard. They meet separately with the mediator to ensure they feel comfortable, and only report back to the parents what the child/children feel happy to.
- Nothing discussed in Child Inclusive Mediation should ever be referred to in legal proceedings.
The emotional wellbeing of the child is a priority during child inclusive mediation sessions. It acknowledges that separation can be highly stressful for children, who may feel caught in the middle of parental conflicts.
By providing a confidential platform for children to express their thoughts and feelings, with a trained mediator, child inclusive mediation helps to alleviate some of this stress.
Mediators are trained to handle sensitive conversations with children, ensuring they feel safe and validated. This can significantly reduce the anxiety and uncertainty children might experience during family transitions and separation.
What to expect in the first meeting
The initial meeting will take place between the parents and the mediator.
Here, the mediator will discuss the mediation process, explain the principles of child inclusive mediation, assess the family's situation, and importantly obtain the parents’ consent to speak to the child/children.
The role of the mediator
The mediator's role is to act as a neutral facilitator who ensures the child's voice is heard and they feel comfortable throughout the process.
Sally Clark, Director of Smart Talking and the principal accredited mediator, holds the necessary additional mediation qualification to enable her to speak to your children if you would like them to be involved as part of the process.
As a former mental health nurse experienced in working with young people, and as a mother of two children herself, Sally is very adept in dealing sensitively with children and young adults.
Structure of the meetings
Our trained mediators will arrange to meet with your child/children either at one of our dedicated child mediation rooms, at school, or another neutral location where your children feel comfortable.
If it isn’t convenient to meet in person we also offer online sessions, which work well particularly with older children.
Once we have had the meeting or series of meetings with your child/children, our mediator will then have a feedback meeting with you and the other party with the intention of agreeing a way forward.
