This Presentation outlines how a case, outside the normal parameters of workplace mediation, was meditated by the Internal Mediation Service of the Health Service Executive, Dublin North East.
The case involved the breakdown in the relationship of Foster parents and the birth mother of an 11 year old child in their care, which had resulted in the child refusing access visits with her mother for almost two years despite attempts by the social worker involved. In early 2014 a court order put an access plan in place. However, the breakdown in the foster parents/birth mother relationship threatened to undermine any progress that would be made in the best interest of the child. The case was referred by a Social Worker who previously had engaged in a mediation process with a successful outcome.
This case needed careful consideration as to its appropriateness for the mediation service and the approach to be taken, as it was outside the criteria of ‘normal’ workplace mediation. The potential of what the mediation process could achieve in particular for the child in this case made it a very interesting and challenging case to become involved in.
The presentation will outline the process based on the standard workplace mediation model, including separate pre-mediation meetings with the Birth Mother and Foster parents, how these as well as the joint meetings were set up and how an agreement was reached to the satisfaction of all the parties involved.
oan Smith has been an employee of the Irish Health Services for over 17 years, 13 of which have been in the Human Resource area. She has an M.A. in Mediation and Conflict Resolution (UCD 2005) and is a Practitioner Mediator with the Mediator’s Institute of Ireland. Joan offers mediation in Organisational, Workplace and Family settings.