Mediation Matters
Doing what I do, I get to support parents at mediations. I see it as a huge privilege to be invited to attend a mediation meeting, and I hope that I am able to provide not only moral support, but an objective viewpoint.
Before appealing the contents of an EHCP, refusal to assess or refusal to write a plan, parents are encouraged to consider mediation. There is no obligation to mediate, however it does need to be considered.
Our own mediation journey was rather unsuccessful. The first-time round, the Local Authority failed to agree on a date within 30 days and so we wasted a month and got nowhere. After that, we decided not to mediate and went straight to tribunal.
However, I’ve now supported families through their own mediations and it has largely been a positive experience.
So why do I think mediation matters?
It’s personal
So much of the EHCP process is anonymous. Whilst the professionals get to meet your child (most of the time), those people making decisions do so based on the paperwork produced. They don’t meet your child or you in many cases, and it is a highly impersonal process.
The education select committee recently heard evidence from three young people as part of their SEND inquiry. One of them, Ben summarises this problem beautifully during his evidence.
https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/522331b8-3f1a-498b-924c-f6b995f25e2f?in=10:10:10&out=10:10:52
At mediation, you get to meet in person. The Local Authority representative, and the family, sit around a table, and talk about what matters, and, most importantly why it is important.
Parents are able to present a picture of their child, in a way that no written reports are able to achieve. If ever there is an opportunity to influence decisions, based on a human to human contact, mediation is it.
Ignoring mediation is a bit like meeting somebody on an online dating website, expecting the real person to live up to the written profile, and deciding whether they are for you, without ever meeting in person.
Mediation isn’t a miracle solution, and sometimes, it doesn’t yield the results you may want. After all, the person from the Local Authority has a job to do. It is, however, a useful experience to bring the human element into the decision-making process.
If you would like support at a forthcoming mediation meeting please get in touch.
