College of Mediators

Managing Partner of Direct Mediation Services and family mediator, Stuart Hanson, has had his conference paper accepted by the College of Mediators for their Annual Conference in London. The conference will be held at Regent’s University, London – 15th and 16th June 2018. This conference is aimed at mediators across all fields of practice – community, family, workplace, civil and commercial, intergenerational, SEND and more. It is the first two-day conference The College of Mediators has ever held. The main theme is high conflict cases, which all mediators will face during their careers.

Stuart will be speaking about his experiences of working with foreign nationals as a mediator and also as an immigration lawyer. He will talk about the constant changes in the UK’s immigration rules and the impact they can have on the lives of people who are part of an international family. In the session, Stuart will also speak about the high conflict, real-life situations his clients have faced and what action were taken. His presentation is a practical guide of what to do as a mediator and to understand the pressure foreign nationals face and their journey through the UK’s immigration rules. He hopes that from attending, participants will better understand the immigration journey of a foreign national, be able to assess conflict and the possible results of actions in the context of family mediation, be familiar with terminology used by the UKVI (Home Office), know how to signpost effectively with regards to immigration advice and feel confident when working with foreign nationals in the mediation room.

What does The College of Mediators do?

The College of Mediators is one of the membership bodies for mediators, who work in the following areas: family, workplace, community, intergenerational, special educational needs, commercial, restorative practice. It also takes on the role of an independent standards-setting organisation which approves mediation training providers. Stuart has previously delivered training under this scheme on the LGBT family in the mediation room earlier in the year. Stuart says, “I am proud to be taking part in the conference and to work with the College of Mediators. Their work is hugely beneficial to mediators and mediation organisations nationally in developing the skills of mediators nationally.”