Mediation Provision at LSE

We were able to agree on practical steps to improve communication and, hopefully, avoid similar issues in future.

Mediation can help when a working relationship has become difficult, communication has broken down, or a disagreement is affecting how people work together. It gives everyone involved a confidential, supported space to talk, listen and agree a way forward.

Could mediation help me?

Mediation may help if:

communication with a colleague or manager has broken down
there has been a misunderstanding or loss of trust
tensions are affecting day-to-day work
a team or working relationship feels stuck
you want to avoid escalation into a formal process, where appropriate

Mediation may not be suitable if:

there are serious allegations that need formal investigation
there are immediate safeguarding or health and safety concerns
one or more people do not wish to take part

If you're not sure whether mediation is suitable for your circumstances, your HR Partner will be able to advise you. Feel free to also explore this page, as well as the FAQs linked on the right.

Mediation can feel unfamiliar, so it may help to know what to expect before the process begins. The image below gives an overview of the key stages and how participants are supported throughout.

step by step visual — 4 stages of the mediation process

The process may be adapted where needed, but mediation will only go ahead where everyone involved is willing to take part. You will have the opportunity to ask questions before mediation begins.

It gives everyone involved a confidential space to talk openly, be heard and better understand each other’s perspective.
Resolution can be arrived at relatively quickly.
Participants can reach their own agreement, which can make the outcome more meaningful and more likely to last.
The focus in on finding a mutually acceptable way forward, rather than deciding who is right or wrong.
Mediation can also help improve communication, reduce tension and prevent issues from escalating.

Our mediators are LSE colleagues from different areas of the School who have completed accredited mediation training. They are impartial, do not take sides, and are there to support a fair and constructive conversation.

Michelle Batten, School of Public Policy

Sally Madley, Student Counselling

Sarah Greene, Management

Jo Ward, CPEC

Samantha Da Costa, RCSD

Whilst LSE expects the in-house mediators to be used in most situations, it is recognised that there may be circumstances where external mediation is required, for example where it is not feasible to use internal mediators due to conflict of interests or where the nature of the workplace dispute is particularly delicate. Should these services of an external mediator be agreed upon, local areas are normally expected to meet the costs of the service. However, the HR Division has a small budget to contribute towards the cost, where needed.

The mediation itself is split into three stages. The individual and joint meetings take place on different days, as close together as possible.

1. Individual meetings (up to 2 hours)
Mediators may already have some information about the situation, but it’s important that they hear from each of you your own perspective on what’s led to mediation happening.

2. In-person joint meeting (up to 4 hours)
By the end of this stage you will have created a written agreement, facilitated by the mediators. The agreement is confidential and together you decide whether to share the contents of the agreement. All notes from the mediation day are destroyed.

3. Follow up joint meeting
4 – 6 weeks after the joint meeting to see how the agreement is working.

Click below to download the mediation forms:

Mediation Referral Request Form

Please return completed forms to the Mediation Coordinator (Kat Bargiel, k.bargiel@lse.ac.uk).