Lisa Parkinson

Lisa Parkinson has over 40 years' experience as a family mediator, trainer and professional practice consultant, having previously taken a degree in modern languages and gained qualifications and experience in mental health social work and family therapy. Lisa was one of the few mediators who, even in the early days, talked with children and young people with the consent of both parents or carers in mediation. Frustrated by the lack of action on hearing the voice of the child, Lisa convened a working group of mediation trainers who met from 2016-17. The group's recommendations on mediators' training and practice were accepted in full by the Family Mediation Council and implemented in an additional clause in the FMC Code of Practice and in new requirements for all registered mediators. The requirement to inform parents and carers at initial information meetings and in mediation of the objectives and benefits of offering children the opportunity to express their views and wishes, as well as mediators' attendance at Awareness and Understanding and Update Days resulted in the proportion of children taking part in mediation almost doubling from 2017 to 2019. Lisa has provided FMC-recognised training in this field in the UK and has also trained accredited mediators in Italy, Hong Kong and Ukraine. She currently has requests for this training from Lithuania and Portugal.