Mediation
Mediation is a straightforward and confidential process which helps people to resolve disputes.
It enables people to clarify the issues at the heart of a problem, to discuss them reasonably and to find a solution that is agreeable to all parties. In so doing it helps to preserve relationships.
Mediation is an efficiently structured and cost-effective process for resolving conflict. It is a non-adversarial means of resolving disputes. It is a flexible, impartial and confidential service that can be applied to most areas of family, elder, workplace and community conflict. Unlike litigation/arbitration, the mediator does not make decisions, but encourages the clients to work out their own mutually agreeable solutions. Mediation is voluntary and works towards developing long-lasting solutions for all the parties involved. Because it is voluntary, it can be ended at any time.
Benefits of Mediation
- You will be treated fairly and with dignity to achieve justice for all
- It is a voluntary and confidential process and you maintain your privacy
- Mediation achieves solutions for the long-term because you retain control over what happens and any solutions agreed
- Mediation minimises the stress and anxiety that conflict causes
- Mediation encourages parties to move forward with their lives
Our Services include;
- Workplace disputes, including bullying and harassment issues
- Family conflicts, including marital separation, divorce and parenting plans
- Elder mediation
- Community mediation - including landlord/tenant disputes
- Conflict Coaching, on a one to one basis
What type of conflicts do we handle?
Workplace Mediation
Conflict exists in all organisations. In today’s globalised economy, diversity in the workplace is vitally important for the sustainability and success of companies, across all sectors. However, diversity of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age and other personal qualities can unfortunately sometimes lead to divisive and costly conflict in the workplace.
Workplace disputes have the potential affect all staff both financially and emotionally, and can result in low productivity, poor employee morale, lack of strategic direction, and litigation costs.
At Conflict Solutions, we help to create workable solutions. We provide a mediation service that facilitates the many different conflict situations which may arise. We work with colleagues to improve their relationships, so that they can continue to work together in a professional working environment.
We specialise in providing a non-adversarial, informal means of resolving conflict in the workplace, by addressing the underlying interests of all parties involved and exploring alternative options for clients to develop workable solutions for a win/win outcome. Litigation, on the other hand, takes control away from the clients, and the outcome is a win/lose situation.
The Conflict Solutions process is most helpful to resolve disputes where parties need to co-operate in the future, by creating mutually agreeable solutions to improve the quality of relationships for clients to continue working together.
We offer a structured setting where our clients can meet with a neutral third party to work on issues of conflict efficiently and confidentially. We guide our clients through the process of identifying their interests and goals towards workable and mutually agreeable solutions.
Our process
If you are experiencing a difficult issue with a manager, team member or subordinate, you may want to explore preventative options to resolve a situation. We are there to help. Contact with the mediator is usually referred by the HR person within the workplace, or alternatively via one of the disputants. The mediator arranges initial meetings separately with each disputing party to explain the mediation process and assess the suitability of mediation to the particular situation. This ensures the best interest of all parties involved and preparing them for the mediation.
Once all parties are happy to progress, the mediator will begin working with clients to help resolve their conflict.
Our other services include:
- Facilitating meetings for a more effective communication process
- Facilitating employees and management who are experiencing changes in their working environment
- Designing effective Dispute Resolution Systems to suit your unique business environment
Family Mediation
We provide a safe, private and positive environment while mediating all types of family disputes.
Mediating couples
One area of family mediation focuses on helping couples who are ending a relationship, to reach an agreement across the wide range of issues involved in a separation or divorce. If the couple have children, we work with them to form a suitable parenting plan. This includes assisting them in adopting a dignified approach towards their children’s futures, as well as resolving all financial and childare arrangements.
Other areas of meditational relevance
• Family home
• Assets
• Parenting/child access plans
• Maintenance
• Cost of living
An agreement can be drawn up and can be used to legalise a separation or divorce agreement.
Other family services
More recently, mediation has become a successful tool in resolving other family conflicts, including between parents and teenagers, brothers and sisters, and conflicts in the extended family.
Elder Mediation
Elder mediation enables all parties to come together, allowing everyone to have a voice (elders included where possible). The mediator ensures that, if the elder person is unable to attend the mediation, they have a voice through someone close to them who can speak for them.
Typical focus is on the family issues such as not assuming that the person looking after the elderly person wants to continue to do this. Various disputes can arise caring for elderly family members, involving practical issues such as dealing with accommodation and financial issues, the basic fairness of any care plan, and planning for the future. Mediation has proved that, with support, the older person can stay at home for longer.
Our experience
We have worked with families of Alzheimer parents, putting plans in place for their care arrangements. In typical situations, each family member believes they know what is best for their parent(s), and this can often lead to conflict between siblings. We allow each family member to air their views and concerns, and have successfully put plans in place allowing for both logistical and unforeseen changes to the situation of the loved ones being cared for.
Elder Mediation
Elder mediation enables all parties to come together making sure everyone has a voice (elders included where possible) the mediator ensures that if the elder person is not there that they have a voice through someone close to them who can speak for them.
Typical focus is on the family issues such as not assuming that the person looking after the elderly person wants to, and all disputes that can arise caring for elderly family members. Practical issues like dealing with housing and financial issues, the fairness of any care plan and planning for the future. Mediation has proved that with support the older person to stay at home longer.
Community Mediation
Our mediators work with communities in resolving differences between neighbours. We allow people to express their views and be heard. Mediation can work because of its flexibility in allowing the needs and interests of those in dispute to be aired. The mediator ensures that the process is fair and works with participants with issues involving anti-social behaviour, noise, parking problems, harassment, boundary issues, and disputes between landlords and tenants.
At Conflict Solutions we have found that most neighbours do not wish to involve the local council or solicitors, as this can lead to a dispute rather than a resolution. Mediation, on the other hand, provides a safe space allowing participants to share their anxieties. We encourage the parties to communicate so that, if future disputes arise, they are better prepared to be able to work out solutions together.
Mediation is confidential, independent and efficient. It leads to outcomes decided by the parties, and can provide a way forward for disputing parties.
Conflict Solutions facilitates meetings with groups and teams experiencing difficulties, particularly in relation to changes that may be necessary to move forward.