Mediation Matters: Over-generous funding ‘doubles up’ on existing provision

An evaluation is promised in the spring but whispers so far seem to suggest a taxpayer-funded Cafcass pilot scheme might not prove a towering value-for-money success.

Last November Ministerial trumpets accompanied an announcement that money was being made available to fund the grand-sounding ‘Supporting Separated Parents in Dispute’ (SSPID) pilot project.

Its two-fold aim was to provide

• mediators with advice about managing risk in cases that come to them; and 
• telephone advice about dispute resolution for couples disputing future parenting arrangements

in North Tyne and Wear; York and North Yorkshire; Bristol; Norfolk/Hertfordshire/ Bedfordshire and Kent.

As with any project that costs public money the jungle drums have been working overtime with news views and rumours about SSPID’s track record.

Let’s stress the official jury is still out on a project with two of its six months still to run but if it turns out not to have been a triumph why might that be? Let’s take those aims one by one.

Managing risk in cases that come to mediation is very important. That’s why as all professional mediators...

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