Complaints Procedure – Chelmsford Family Mediation

VR Family Mediation Complaints Procedure

VR Family Mediation is committed to providing a high-quality service to our clients however if you are a client, a former client or a qualifying third party you are entitled to make a complaint if you have been unhappy with our service but please read the information below in full before raising a complaint.

The first step is to raise a complaint in writing to the mediator. Please set out as clearly as you can how the complaint has arisen, the nature of the complaint and provide as much detail as possible.

A complaint that relates to a breach in the Family Mediation Council’s Code of Practice needs to be made within three months of either the breach itself or the last mediation session.

The mediator will record the complaint. All complaints will be acknowledged within 10 days of receipt. The mediator will respond in writing to the complaint within 30 days of receipt of the complaint. If more time is needed before a reply can be sent you will be informed of this.

The other participant(s) in attendance at mediation will be informed that a complaint has been received and the complaints procedure has been invoked.

Please see examples below of complaints that will not invoke the complaints procedure.

It is common for a family mediator to make contact with potential mediation clients. Complaints about a family mediator making contact with a potential client do not need to be investigated by mediators and we are not obliged to respond to a complaint of this nature.

If a family mediator has completed a court form indicating that one client has attended a MIAM without informing the second mediation participant or inviting them to attend a MIAM themselves, a mediator will not investigate a complaint made by the second mediation participant and they do not qualify as a third party. The complaint would not be accepted by the Family Mediation Standard Board (FMSB).

Complaints that appear to be vexatious or of a purely personal nature do not have to be investigated.

All complaints that are within the scope of this policy will be investigated and replied to usually within 30 days of receipt. 

Where appropriate the family mediator will suggest a further mediation session to look to resolve outstanding points.

If you are not happy with the response from the mediator, you should explain in writing why you feel your complaint has not been addressed. The mediator will respond as appropriate.

For further details refer to the Complaints Procedure for the Family Mediation Council (FMC) if we have not resolved a complaint within the above timescales and all the above steps you may make a formal complaint to the FMC’s Family Mediation Standards Board (FMSB):

https://www.familymediationcouncil.org.uk/complaints-about-mediators.

The Agreement to Mediate will have been signed by mediation clients which permits information held by the mediator to be shared with the Family Mediation Standards Board in the event that the formal complaint is made to the FMSB.

The FMSB will usually only investigate a complaint if it relates to its Code of Practice or Standards Framework and you have already exhausted our own complaints procedure.

Neither the mediator not the FMSB will be able to disclose any information to third parties that is confidential between the mediator and the mediation participant(s). As a third party is it therefore normal you will only receive limited information in your response to your complaint, even in circumstances where it is considered by the FMSB.

The mediator’s Professional practice Consultant (PPC) may support the mediator in trying to resolve the matter through discussion or by providing additional information. This could include reviewing the case with the mediator and read the mediator’s case notes and correspondence. The PPC of the mediator will not investigate the complaint.

If your complaint is upheld we will consider the following remedies

Remedies and possible solutions that we will consider include an apology, reimbursement of fees or a discount on a future session, a relevant explanation of how family mediation works or an assurance for future mediation session(s).

Alternative methods of resolving the complaint may also be considered.