Meetings between mediators and children and young people are held with parental permission and are carefully prepared in advance in partnership with parents or carers.

The meetings with the child are voluntary; they are private and confidential to the child (unless there are any child protection issues). They are designed to give the child a voice and an opportunity to share their wishes and feelings which will help to open up a conversation with the whole family.

Any feedback to parents or carers is pre-agreed with the child and is then sensitively and respectfully delivered to them by the CIM trained mediator.

The recent reports from the Family Justice Review and the Justice Select Committee have emphasised the central importance of the child or young person in separation and divorce. Mediators, additionally qualified in the sensitive area of Child Inclusive Mediation (CIM), should undertake this.

Meetings usually take about an hour. In some circumstances a follow-up meeting may be arranged.