Complaints Procedure

Shackleton Mediation Plus seeks to provide the highest standards of service at all times.

 

We recognise that occasionally a client or their representative could feel that the service level offered does not meet these standards.  We are committed to resolve any resultant complaint speedily and effectively.

One of the benefits of using a CMC Registered Mediator is that one of the key requirements of registration is to have a documented complaints procedure and should you feel that this procedure has not effectively considered your complaint then you have the opportunity to contact the Civil Mediation Council and make a formal complaint to them.

A complaint would relate to the conduct of the mediator during the mediation, it does not relate to how content you are with the terms of the mediation settlement agreement, as this is something agreed between you and the other parties and we recognise that the terms of many agreements are sub-optimal eg: you don’t get everything you want, but you get a means to end the dispute in an acceptable way. 

 

We operate the following procedure should a complaint be received:

  1. Any complaint about service quality should be made in writing to your mediator who will then contact you to discuss the compliant.

  2. If you feel that your complaint is not being addressed, you can request that it is considered independently.  from our live of mediators, and you can choose one of these mediators to consider your dispute.  The mediator handling your dispute will not have been involved in your mediation in any way so will act independently.

  3. The ‘independent’ mediator handling your complaint will contact you to acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 48 hours and will set out the process that will be adopted to investigate your complaint and a timetable for response.

  4. It is our intention to give a written response from the ‘independent mediator’ within 14 days of the receipt of the complaint.

  5. This complaints procedure will take into account the confidentiality provisions contained in the Mediation Agreement signed by and binding upon all parties including the mediator.

  6. If the response is not accepted the complainant can appeal to the Civil Mediation Council (CMC) on certain grounds found here: Civil Mediation Council.

  7. The CMC operates a final stage complaints procedure, whereby it can consider complaints from those people who have exhausted a mediator’s own complaints procedures.

 

Details of the CMC's appeal processes can be found here.