Ecosystemic family mediation

Lisa Parkinson Family mediation trainer

Family lawyers and mediators facilitate communication and co-operation between separated couples and parents assisting them to resolve private matters themselves and avoid unnecessary resort to court proceedings. Lawyers and mediators work with and between different systems and sub-systems - private and public adult-focused and child-focused. They work at the interface between these systems assisting family members to collaborate safely while also identifying when external support or safeguarding are needed. Current rates of domestic abuse and child abuse are extremely high. Family law professionals need to be skilled in picking up indications of vulnerability and making prompt referral for safeguarding or personal protection. Rather than one or two professionals from the same discipline working with a couple or family in isolation from other disciplines support for family members needs to be planned and provided collaboratively via Family Hubs alliances of professionals working with families and each other in line with the recommendations of the Family Solutions Group.[1] At another level an analogy may be drawn between a collaborative 'ecosystemic' approach to resolving family...

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