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'Mediation in Mind’ was an innovative initiative led by Hall Smith Whittingham Solicitors, a Cheshire-based legal and mediation practice, with funding from the Department for Work and Pension’s ‘Reducing Parental Conflict Challenge Fund’. It was conducted over 12 months to 31st March 2020. 

It sought to ascertain whether providing disadvantaged separated parents with triage and signposting, legal information, counselling, communication sessions and a meeting for their child(ren) with the mediator (where appropriate) as part of the mediation process increased emotional readiness to mediate; improved inter-parental communication and increased engagement in mediation. 

It further aimed to provide an evidence base on whether providing training to service providers working with disadvantaged parents increased the service providers’ understanding of mediation and the impact of separation on parents as well as their willingness to refer parents to mediation, thereby increasing the uptake of mediation.

(with ) led the evaluation of the initiative.