Page 26 - Meeting with Children Book

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Implications for ADR and Child Meetings
While traditional models of family mediation may
not be appropriate, new models of trauma
informed mediation or parenting coordination, can
be very effective (Graham and Watson 2016).
These models focus on containing the discourses of
the parties, identifying dysregulation and
intervening to return calm to the ADR space. There
is an increase in the use of non-face-to-face
processes, and an increase the focus on short term
agreements.

The inclusion of child meetings is important in
Orange cases. However, there is an increased risk
that parents may attempt to influence what
children say, and parents may seek to cross
examine their children about what was said during
the meeting.

Parent and child inoculation is therefore more
important in these cases. Further management of
the expectations of Orange risk case parents is
important so that parents are aware that feedback
may be quite limited.

Orange risk cases feedback can include normalised
recommendations about referrals of children to
support services, and generalised feedback about
children at this age and stage of development (Child
Centred Model Level 1 and possibly Level 2). More
feedback may be possible as parents move towards
the Yellow risk zone.