Family Mediation Trust Funds National Domestic Abuse Screening Tool and Training for Mediators
The The Family Mediation Trust has supported the development and rollout of a new national Mediation Screening and Assessment guidance and toolkit, helping family mediators strengthen safeguarding, improve risk identification and ensure mediation is safe and suitable for all participants.
The resource, developed by the Family Mediation Council, provides mediators with a clear, structured framework for identifying domestic abuse, understanding relationship dynamics and making confident decisions about safety, suitability and signposting.
Designed for use within MIAMs and throughout the mediation process, the toolkit supports consistent professional practice and helps mediators evidence how safeguarding standards are applied in real cases.
The Trust contributed grant funding towards both the creation of the resource and the delivery of training to ensure mediators can implement it effectively in day-to-day work.
Michael Mack, CEO of The Family Mediation Trust, said:
“Safety must always come first in family mediation. This resource gives mediators a practical, structured way to have difficult conversations, assess risk properly and protect families. We’re proud to have supported its development and the training that helps bring it to life in practice.”
As part of the rollout, experienced Professional Practice Consultants Denise Ingamells and Rebecca Sewell are delivering dedicated workshops to guide mediators through the guidance and toolkit, focusing on practical application rather than theory.
These sessions help practitioners:
- integrate screening naturally into MIAM conversations
- identify indicators of coercive control and abuse
- assess suitability with greater confidence
- apply consistent safeguarding decisions
- signpost families appropriately
The Trust hopes the resource will strengthen confidence across the profession and contribute to safer, more effective mediation for families nationwide.
FMSB Mediation Screening and Assessment Guidance Resource v1 (February 2026).pdf