Mediation

Before you register an appeal there is a requirement to consider mediation in some cases. This doesn’t mean that you have to go through with mediation, but you must at least consider it as a possibility. This involves ringing the mediation company for a discussion, and then you can choose: 

• Not to proceed with mediation and request that a mediation certificate is issued.
• Proceed with mediation, in which case the mediation company will arrange a date within 30 days for mediation to take place. A mediation certificate will be issued at this time and you can still appeal to tribunal if mediation has failed to resolve the issues.

Often mediation can help to resolve the disagreements between the local authority and parents. If you do reach agreement then this will be recorded in writing and the Local Authority have 2 weeks to comply with the agreement. If they fail to comply with something that was agreed in mediation then they would be acting unlawfully.