Felicity Steadman
Facilitating courageous conversations.
Felicity Steadman has spent most of her professional life resolving conflict, from apartheid-era South Africa and the National Peace Accord to a busy UK mediation practice working internationally. A specialist in employment and workplace disputes and a member of the CEDR Chambers panel, she is a CMC Fellow known for facilitating courageous conversations that deliver sustainable outcomes.
A brand identity carried across stationery, a mediation brochure, and printed practice documents.
A personal site presenting her values, her experience, and more than three decades of mediation.
To be able to work effectively with parties in a conflict or dispute I must demonstrate sound values as a mediator. I am guided by a professional code of conduct and by my personal integrity.
I work with my clients in a reliable, efficient, and responsible manner. I stay current through my continuous professional development and my practice as a mediator.
I walk the talk in my commitment to confidentiality, impartiality, independence and neutrality. I value diversity and inclusion in my practice and work in an even handed manner with parties.
I like people. I listen to people in the work I do. I work with people collaboratively and supportively. My life experience has taught me how to balance empathy and assertiveness to get the job done.
A brochure and practice documents, from the agreement to mediate to terms of business, set in her own visual language.
Mediation
My first experience of mediation was in 1986 as a young negotiator in the management negotiation team of a large company.
That's when I knew I wanted to be a mediator. Since then I have trained and been accredited as a mediator in South Africa, the US and the UK.
I also train mediators in the UK and South Africa, and internationally too.
"I would highly recommend Felicity to anyone looking for an effective, professional and tailored mediation service. Felicity ensured she thoroughly understood the reasons why mediation was being requested before the process."
Kieran CookeFormer foreign correspondent BBC"This is the second time I have asked for Felicity's help in two intractable situations – she has brokered an agreement in this case which has remained intact and usable by the parties involved."
Claimant Solicitor
Agreement to mediate and terms of business, typeset in the practice's own system.
We agree to the following in relation to the mediation:
The Mediator
Felicity Steadman will be the Mediator. The Mediator's role is as a facilitator. The Mediator does not give legal advice, or make any findings or recommendations.
Mediation Process
The Mediator will determine the procedure for the mediation. She will meet with the parties separately and jointly in order to develop her understanding of each party's view, and to facilitate mutual understanding and agreement between the parties. Private information given to the Mediator during such talks will be confidential unless the party involved allows the Mediator to share the information with any other party.
Confidentiality
Any information produced or received, whether in a document prepared for the mediation or written or spoken during the mediation, is confidential. It can only be used for the purpose of the mediation and cannot be repeated or referred to in any formal investigation, disciplinary or court action or other proceedings. This does not apply to any information which would in any event have been admissible or disclosable in any such proceedings or which is necessary to implement any agreement arising out of the mediation. The parties agree that they will not call the Mediator to give evidence in any formal investigation, disciplinary or court action or other proceedings, nor ask to see her notes.
Agreed outcomes
Any agreed outcomes or future actions emerging from this mediation may be recorded in a document signed by the parties as a record for themselves and, if they all agree, as information for the organisation. The Mediator will assist the parties in the preparation of such a document.
Ending the Mediation
The mediation is a voluntary process, and the Mediator or any of the parties may terminate the mediation at any time, but not before discussing this with the mediator.
Process
Outlined below is the typical structure of the mediation. This may of course be varied by agreement.
- Preparation: Taking background briefing from the employer, reading any relevant documents e.g. emails, grievances etc, short phone calls or e-mails with the participants to introduce myself and arrange the process.
- Separate meetings with each participant: I will see each participant separately.
- Joint meeting (s) with both participants: I will bring them together for joint and some private meetings to discuss the issues and agree a way forward. There is the possibility of a continuation session.
- Reporting back: If appropriate, I will report back to the employer on the process and its outcomes (as far as confidentiality permits).
- Individual follow up sessions (in person or telephone): If appropriate, I will follow up with each participant separately after the joint session to ensure the agreement is working and deal with any issues that may have come up.
Please note
- In some situations, the parties will need more than one individual or joint meeting in order to reach a resolution; and in other situations, the employer or the parties may request that the structure of meetings be varied.
- I will keep the employer informed of the time taken as the mediation process progresses. If more time is needed, I will seek approval for this extra expenditure from the employer before incurring any extra fees.
- If the mediation terminates before the process is completed (either because a party withdraws, or I decide further work is inappropriate) I will only charge for the work I have carried out to that point, unless a cancellation is made within 3 working days of the mediation.
More than thirty years of practice, experience, and accreditation, laid out as a single reference.
felicitysteadman@email.com
felicitysteadman.co.uk
felicitysteadman
Mediation accreditation
- ILM Qualified Workplace Mediator | 2015
- CEDR UK | 2003
- CCMA South Africa | 1996
- ACAS UK | 1991
- IMSSA South Africa | 1988
Professional associations
- International Academy of Mediators | Fellow
- International Mediation Institute | Mediator
- Civil Mediation Council | Mediator
- CEDR | Chambers Mediator
- Oxford Mediation | Mediator
Degrees and diplomas
- MA in Industrial Relations University of Warwick | 1985
- BA (Hons) University of the Witwatersrand | 1981
- Higher Diploma in Labour Law Wits | 2003
- Certificate in Industrial Relations Wits | 1984
Profile
Felicity is a full-time professional in dispute resolution and has worked as an independent mediator and facilitator for more than 30 years. She mediates employment, workplace and breach of contract disputes. She has extensive experience facilitating relationship building processes.
Experience
I have been a mediator and facilitator for most of my professional life. I have a busy practice based in Oxford UK, working throughout the UK and internationally. I have mediated well over 350 disputes.
My strength and experience is in employment and workplace dispute resolution, and as a member CEDR Chambers, the International Academy of Mediators and International Mediation Institute panels, and Oxford Mediation I also mediate a wide range of breach of contract disputes.
My career started out in the turbulent 1980s in South Africa at the Institute for Industrial relations and then the Premier Group of Companies. I joined the Independent Mediation Service of South Africa in 1989 where I mediated and arbitrated employment disputes. My work with the National Peace Accord and Community Dispute Resolution Trust in the 1990s brought me into direct contact with the process of democratic change in the county.
I remain a director of Conflict Dynamics in South Africa.
