Complaints Policy

Complaints Policy

We are committed to providing a high quality family mediation service to all our clients. We welcome comments, compliments and concerns being raised with us in order to learn and improve our practice. 

If you have a complaint about our practice, please see below our Complaints Policy procedure.  

Introduction:

First Steps Family Mediation complies with the requirements of Family Mediation Association.

1. First Steps Family Mediation will deal promptly and courteously with any complaint, formal or informal, made to the service.  The cause of any problem of which a client has complained will be investigated. If appropriate, redress will be offered, and any unsatisfactory procedure will be corrected.
2. First Steps Family Mediation values the views of clients and will endeavour always to use views in a constructive and responsive manner.  We recognise that mediation can be a painful experience for clients and will strive to take individual situations into account when responding to comments or complaints about the service. It is therefore appropriate to acknowledge the client’s complaint, whether or not the complaint is justified.
3. All clients are made aware of the opportunity to make a complaint. Basic information is contained in the introductory email, and detailed procedure is available on request.
4. A complaint is defined as an ‘expression of dissatisfaction’.  This might include a written complaint or a verbal complaint.
5. Complaints that appear to be vexatious or of a purely personal nature do not have to be investigated by mediators.

Timescale:

On receipt of a complaint an acknowledgement will be sent within five working days or as soon as is reasonably practicable, together with an explanation as to the client when they will next be contacted. This response may be made by telephone to see if the matter can be resolved informally. However, if this cannot be achieved within 14 days, the client will be asked to confirm their complaint in writing.

Where a Complaint is not resolved, First Steps Family Mediation will within 21 working days of the initial response/acknowledgement, or as soon as reasonably practicable, respond to the client in writing, and will at the same time send full details of the Complaint and any response to it to the Professional Practice Consultant (PPC)

The PPC will attempt to resolve the Complaint informally in whatever way seems appropriate to him or her. Where the PPC is able to resolve the Complaint at this stage, the Complaint will be closed.

If the Complaint is not resolved at this stage the complaint becomes formal. First Steps Family Mediation cannot continue with any Mediation (if it is still ongoing) and the Other Party will be informed that there has been a Complaint although the Other Party will not be entitled to know any details of the Complaint.

If the complaint becomes formal all files and records will be released (as agreed under the term of the agreement to mediate) for the PPC to conduct a full investigation. He (she) will endeavour to resolve the complaint and make written recommendations to the client.

If the client does not accept the finding of the PPC, the complainant may ask the Family Mediation Standards Board (FMSB) to consider the complaint if certain criteria are met. Details can be found at https://www.familymediationcouncil.org.uk/complaints-about-mediators