Child experts (and resources)
Supporting your child(ren)s’ needs when you separate take many different forms.
In chapter 12 about working together to co-create a parenting plan we provide information, guidance and resources to help separated parents to construct their own practical child arrangements plan focused on meeting their children’s needs.
There are also guides to support better communication between parents as well as a whole chapter on preparing to communicate in mediation, setting out a range of strategies, skills and techniques for parents to use to improve their communication.
In this chapter, about children, we want to focus on whether to, why and how to involve child experts to support your children.
13 Questions to ask
Here are some questions to consider when making your decision about whether to and, if so, how to involve a child expert.
- Why involve a child expert. For what purpose? What outcome are you hoping to achieve? What are the likely benefits?
- Do both parents agree to involving a child expert and the purpose of this?
- When might it be necessary to involve a child expert- It can be very context specific?
- How do you think your child would react to being consulted? Do they want to speak to an expert selected for them especially if they have already spoken to others?
- How do you select the right expert and agree on a choice (qualification, specialism, experience?)- For what purpose?
- Mediator as Direct Child Consultant or
- Mediator and DCC as different people or
- Another type of child expert rather than a Direct Child Consultant mediator
- What does the child inclusive process look? What is involved?
- How does the principle of confidentiality apply to the child’s conversation with the child expert?
- How do we involve the expert- Letter of instruction? Process and principles to follow?
- How much will it cost- Experts terms of engagement?
- How available is the child expert, mediator and parents?
- What are the timeframes?
- What possible outcomes can we expect?
- What if the outcome is not what we expect? Are we ready and open to this and the feedback from their child