Family Mediation South East — Complaint Handling Policy

1. Definition

Any concerns you may have should in the first instance be referred to the mediator, who will hope to resolve matters to your satisfaction as per your signed Agreement to Mediate.

If matters remain unresolved, a formal complaint may be made. A complaint occurs when a client, former client, or qualifying third party registers their dissatisfaction with any element of the service they have received from Family Mediation South East, or alleges a breach of the Family Mediation Council (FMC) Codes of Practice or Standards Framework.

2. Who Can Complain

The following persons may make a complaint:

A current or former client of Family Mediation South East

A qualifying third party, which includes:

• A prospective client who has been directly affected by a mediator's professional behaviour
• A person invited to participate in a mediation process (for example, another professional attending a mediation)

3. Time Limits

Complaints should be made within 4 weeks of the issue arising.

The absolute deadline for any complaint is 3 months after the date of the last mediation session (or, for complaints unrelated to a specific session, 3 months from the date of the conduct complained about).

4. Complaints That May Not Be Investigated

Complaints that appear to be vexatious or of a purely personal nature do not have to be investigated. A complaint may be considered vexatious if:

• The purpose appears to be to intimidate, disturb, disrupt, or unduly pressurise the mediator or the service
• It is persistent or repetitive, raising the same or substantially similar issues already investigate
• It is clearly unfounded and unsupported by evidence
• It relates to matters other than mediation
• Abusive or offensive language is used

A complaint may be considered purely personal if it is discriminatory or focuses on the personal attributes or circumstances of a mediator rather than their actions as a mediator.

5. Responsibility

• The Complaints Officer is responsible for investigating complaints.
• Where the complaint concerns the conduct of a member of office staff, the Service Manager will investigate.

6. Conflict of Interest

Should a complaint be made against the Complaints Officer, the complaint will be handled by another Company Director.

7. How to Make a Complaint

Complaints should be submitted by email in the first instance to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

8. Procedure and Timeframes

9. Mediation of the Complaint

Where both the complainant and the mediator wish to do so, the complaint itself may be referred to an independent mediator for resolution.

10. Escalation

Stage 1 — Professional Practice Consultant

If the complainant remains dissatisfied following the initial response, the complaint will be referred to the Professional Practice Consultant. A written decision will be provided within 10 working days.

Stage 2 — Family Mediation Standards Board (FMSB) 

If the complaint remains unresolved after the Professional Practice Consultant's review, the complainant may ask the Family Mediation Standards Board (FMSB) to consider the matter, provided certain criteria are met. Details of how to contact the FMSB and the criteria for referral can be found at: Complaints About Mediators - Family Mediation Council

11. Record-Keeping

From receipt through to completion, all actions taken, correspondence, and internal discussions will be recorded in summary form with dates and the names of relevant personnel. Records are held in a central file.

12. Privacy and Data Sharing

Family Mediation South East maintains a privacy policy that permits information held by the service to be shared with the FMSB in the event that a formal complaint is made to the FMSB to which that information pertains. A copy of our privacy notice is available on our website: [Insert link]

13. Availability of This Policy

A copy of this complaints policy is included in (or linked from) the Agreement to Mediate signed by all clients.

This policy is published on our website and is accessible to members of the public at: Complaints Procedure | We’re Committed to Resolving Your Concerns

14. Annual Review

At the end of each calendar year, all centrally recorded complaints are reviewed in writing by a Company Director. Following this review, the Service Manager ensures that any necessary policy or procedure updates are implemented by the end of January. 

Policy reviewed: July 2026

Next review due: July 2027