Conciliation Meetings

Conciliation meetings are often face-to-face but also take place by telephone and e-mail. Co-ordinators arrange a mutually agreeable venue and ensure that all access and communication needs are addressed. Everyone attending is fully briefed and the Conciliators make contact before the meeting takes place. Respondents often send two or three people depending upon the issues to be addressed. Complainants are advised to consider bringing along a supporter, but this is a matter of choice. On average, there are five to six people at conciliation meetings.

People in a meeting

Meetings last between 2 and 4 hours depending on the nature and complexity of the case. If, at the end of the meeting the Complainant is happy with the agreements reached, the case is recorded as a ‘full and final settlement’. This means that the case cannot be taken to court. If they decide there is ‘no settlement’, they keep the option to pursue the matter in court if they wish to do so.

Telephone meetings.
Tele-conference meetings run in a very similar way to ‘round table’ meetings with everyone on line at the same time. Tele-conference is a valuable alternative for people who might it find it hard to attend a face-to-face meeting, for whatever reason.

Conciliations by e-mail. Occasionally, DCS conducts e-mail conciliations for cases where a face-to-face or telephone meeting is not appropriate. Obviously, this is a forum that takes place over a longer period of time. Where all parties have access to appropriate software, e-mail conciliations can take place in real-time.

Contact DCS for more information - info@dcs-gb.com� content copyright 2008, Disability Conciliation Service

	DCS is an independent service provided by Mediation Works, a national organisation working to develop constructive means of resolving conflicts in communities. DCS is funded by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). Last Modified: 28/8/2008