Making a Complaint to National Family Mediation
We are committed to providing a high quality service and to dealing with all our clients fairly. We acknowledge that we may not always get it right so if something has gone wrong, please tell us as soon as possible and no later than 40 working days (8 weeks) after the experience you are unhappy with.
Who can make a complaint?
You may make a complaint if:
- you are a client or former client of National Family Mediation
- you are a prospective client who has been directly affected by the professional conduct of a National Family Mediation staff member
- you are a person who has been invited to participate in a mediation process, for example another professional who attends a mediation.
For the avoidance of doubt, it is common practice for us to contact potential mediation participants after seeing one party. Contact in this way will not be considered as valid grounds for complaint unless there are professional conduct issues or other potential breaches of NFM policy and procedure that may need to be investigated.
It is also common practice for NFM mediators to sign court forms to say that one person has attended a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM) without notifying another potential party to mediation or inviting them to attend a MIAM. Likewise, this will not be considered as valid grounds for complaint unless there are professional conduct issues or other potential breaches of NFM policy and procedure that may need to be investigated.
How do I make a complaint?
- By writing to National Family Mediation, 1 Barnfield Crescent, Exeter, EX1 1QT
- By email to general@nfm.org.uk
What do I need to tell you?
To help us to understand your complaint, and in order that we do not miss anything, please tell us:
- Your full name and contact details
- What you think we have got wrong
- What you hope to achieve as a result of your complaint, and
- Your file reference number (if you have it)
If you require any help in making your complaint, we will try to help you.
How will you deal with my complaint?
We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint in writing within five working days.
In the first instance we will try to resolve the problem informally, but if we are unable to do so the procedure to formally investigate your complaint will usually involve:
- Reviewing your complaint
- Reviewing your file(s) and other relevant documents, and
- Speaking with the person who dealt with the matter
We may need to ask you for further information or documents. If so, we will ask you to provide the information within a specified time period.
We may either call you or ask to meet you to discuss your complaint. It will not affect the outcome of your complaint if you are unable to respond to a call or attend a meeting.
How will I know the outcome of my complaint?
We will write to you at the end of our investigation to tell you what we have done and what we propose to do to resolve your complaint.
We will aim to deal with your complaint within 20 working days of acknowledging receipt. We will let you know in writing if for some reason we are unable to do so within this timescale.
What if I am not satisfied with the outcome?
If you are unhappy with the outcome of your complaint you can ask for it to be reviewed by the National Family Mediation Trustees. You must contact us within 20 working days of receiving your written response and ask for it to be reviewed, stating the reasons why you do not agree with the outcome.
The role of the Family Mediation Council
Mediator standards are regulated by the Family Mediation Council. Once our complaints process has concluded, if you are unsatisfied by the outcome and your complaint was about one of our mediators then you have the option of asking for the FMC to review the complaint and its outcome. Information about this process can be found here on the FMC website.