Mediators who are serious about transparency may now distinguish themselves in the marketplace with the Transparent Mediator kitemark, available through The Mediator Directory. 

According to site owner Matthew Rushton, 'The mark represents an absolute standard of transparency which users are keen to see mediators adopt.'  

 

The kitemark is available to mediators profiled in The Mediator Directory, an online resource for mediation users offering attributed, verified feedback on mediators' skills and aptitudes, alongside mediators' CVs and contact details. 

According to Rushton the site was created in response to 'an urgent need for better quality of information about mediators' skills and attributes.' The market is oversupplied at present, he said, and mediators' only means of gaining market share at present is to slash their rates. The site will assist mediators in competing on quality rather than price.

According to senior lawyers the status quo is inadequate. In welcoming the launch of The Mediator Directory, Ian Hammond, head of the international dispute resolution practice at Simmons & Simmons said, 'Much of the evidence which is out there at the moment concerning individual mediators is anecdotal, out of date, or limited to one's own experience.  A database of objective and verified feedback should be a useful resource.'

Mediators are not all equal, and users need an objective means of distinguishing them, said Jeremy Marshall, head of commercial litigation at Irwin Mitchell. 'Mediation's overall success continues to depend very largely on the ability of the mediator,' he said. 'A range of mediators exists with a range of talent and approach.' The result, he said, is that on 'one or two occasions the mediator has frustrated the process. He welcomed the Mediator Directory as a means of  selecting mediators of 'a uniform standard.'

In finding the right mediator for a particular dispute lawyers and clients value an unrestricted choice of available mediators. According to Tim Brown, head of litigation at Reynolds Porter Chamberlain, 'with mediation becoming ever more popular and effective as a method of resolving disputes, a service of this nature will go a long way to ensuring clients have as wide a choice as possible in choosing the right mediator for their dispute.'

Others, including Craig Emden, head of litigation at Howard Kennedy and Stephen Homer head of construction at Ashfords Solicitors recognised the Directory as 'a valuable tool for lawyers and their clients in choosing the most suitable mediator for the case.' 

Mediators wishing to take a profile in The Mediator Directory should register here. A pdf brochure about the site is available to download here.