OxCHEPS Higher Education Mediation Service
The panel of mediators
1. Panel Members are listed below, in alphabetical order. The student or employee and the HEI are invited to agree a preference for X and/or Y, and to complete the ‘Arranging Mediation’ Form accordingly: alternatively, we will suggest a mediator on receipt of the Form.
2. The fee for mediation, payable by the HEI direct to the mediator, will be £750-£950 (depending on the mediator selected; in certain cases there may also be VAT). In addition, there will be travelling expenses (second-class rail, or 40p per mile) and reasonable hotel/meal costs. The £750/£950 fee range assumes a day of mediation and some time for preparation: a further fee may need to be agreed if the mediation runs on or if both parties agree to invite the mediator to consider a substantial amount of material ahead of the mediation (the norm is a short statement of no more than 2 sides of A4 from each side).
3. In view of the imbalance of resources between an HEI and a student or member of its staff, we encourage the Institution to agree to bear the bulk if not all the costs of the mediation. A fair proportion to be paid by the individual in dispute with the institution might be up to 25%.
4. Occasionally, a mediator may find it helpful to be accompanied by another Panel Member as ‘an expert assessor’ in technical areas X or Y; alternatively, a mediator may find it helpful to bring along a colleague in a particularly complicated case: in neither instance will there be an additional fee, but expenses may be required for the colleague.
5. Further Panel Members will be added in due course.
6. The mediator will require that the two parties agree and sign a ‘Standard Pre-mediation Agreement’ based broadly on the following, viz:
OxCHEPS Higher Education Mediation Service (oxcheps.new.ox.ac.uk)
Standard Pre-mediation Agreement
The terms of this agreement may be varied by mutual consent of the parties.
The purpose of this agreement is to ensure that the parties enter the mediation with confidence, that there is good faith and that the mediation is a ‘safe place’ in which to try to reach a solution. The clauses are designed to protect everyone involved.
Note (a): The mediator does not offer legal advice, but will endeavour to ensure that a party who is not accompanied by a legal representative is not at a disadvantage by encouraging both parties to refer the agreement to an appropriately qualified advisor before signature. In the case of a student or unrepresented member of staff, the University or other higher education institution is encouraged to consider making available a modest sum for the other party to spend on this advice (as is usual in the case of settlements of Employment Tribunal cases).
Equality of arms
1. The parties agree to share the costs of the mediation in the proportion [ ]% institution and [ ]% student/employee OR The University or higher education institution will bear the whole cost. (delete or amend as appropriate)
Note (b): The institution is encouraged to bear the cost in most cases in the interests of ensuring that a student or member of staff is not discouraged from attempting mediation because of the expense.
Good faith
2. The parties agree to use their best endeavours to reach an agreement.
3. The parties agree to be open and honest with the mediator in the course of the mediation, and to make clear to him/her at each stage what facts, opinions or proposals given to him may be disclosed to the other party/parties.
Confidentiality of the mediation process
4. The parties agree not to seek to require the mediator to give evidence at any time in any legal or administrative process arising out of or concerning this dispute.
5. The parties agree not to seek to rely on any records, notes or other documents created for the purposes of the mediation in any legal or administrative process arising out of or concerning this dispute. All such documentation is to be regarded as ‘without prejudice’.
6. The parties agree that all written and oral communications, negotiations and statements made in connection with this mediation, with the exception of any heads of agreement and the terms of the final settlement, will be treated as privileged.
(The following clause may exceptionally be included in a pre-mediation agreement…)
Confidentiality of the terms of any agreement reached as a result of the mediation
7. Any heads of agreement and the terms of the final settlement will be treated as confidential, except that any written agreement made and signed by the parties as a result of the mediation may be made available in any relevant proceedings for the purpose of enforcement.
Note (c): It is the policy of the Higher Education Funding Council for England that the terms of severance agreements involving institutions supported by public funds under the Financial Memorandum should not be secret. However, a student or employee may wish to preserve personal privacy. A useful option is to agree as part of the settlement a joint statement to be adhered to by both parties in any future reference to the dispute or its settlement.
Indemnity
8. The parties agree that they will neither jointly nor severally attempt to hold the mediator or the OxCHEPS Higher Education Mediation Service liable for any loss to either party.
7. The mediator will also agree with the parties how much material should be supplied to him/her ahead of the mediation
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Scroll down for full details of each panel member or click the name to go directly to the entry. | Top of page |
Dr Michael Arnheim is a practising London barrister and mediator, and also an academic. Starting life as a Classicist, he was a Fellow of St John's College Cambridge and subsequently returned to South Africa, his native land, to take up a position as Professor and Head of Department in the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. He was called to the Bar by Lincoln's Inn in 1988 and has been a Qualified Dispute Resolver, or practising mediator, since 1996.
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RICHARD BAYFIELD BSc (Hons) MSc CEng FICE FCIArb
An Independent Consultant since 1991, Richard Bayfield acts as an Adjudicator, Consultant, Facilitator, Lecturer and Mediator. Richard is currently Chairman of the Society of Construction Law. He has wide experience within UK Industry and currently reports at Board level to several high profile Construction Client and Contractor organisations. Specialist areas include Project/Business Strategy, Risk Management, Dispute Avoidance and Conflict Resolution. Richard advises and lectures on management methods and systems that promote early identification and resolution of conflict. (April 2004).
For more information go to http://www.richardbayfield.com/
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Tim Birtwistle is Professor of Law at Leeds Law School, Leeds Metropolitan University, holds a Jean Monnet Chair and is Visiting Professor at the Hochschule Bremen. He has lectured throughout much of the wider Europe and in the United States. He is Past President of the European Association for International Education and is a ECTS/DS Counsellor for the European University Association/European Commission. He is a commercial lawyer and has researched and published widely on matters of Higher Education Law and policy (the university/student contract, university appeals mechanisms, university liability for study abroad, on-line education, admissions policies etc). He is an invited observer to the European Network of Higher Education Ombudsmen annual conference. He has acted as a mediator in non-commercial disputes
Preferred types of case: student, discrimination, fairness and administrative procedures, research contracts, intellectual property, academic freedom, public interest disclosure.
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After study at the California Institute of Technology and a period of service in the United States Navy, Dr Clark Brundin graduated with highest honors in Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. In 1963 he joined the Department of Engineering Science at the University of Oxford, where he lectured in Mechanical Engineering, and led an internationally recognized research group in rarefied gas dynamics. He served for three years as Chairman of the Sub-Faculty of Engineering Science, for three years as Senior Tutor of Jesus College, and for six years as Estates Bursar of the College, responsible for its financial administration. From 1980 he served on the General Board of the Faculties, the body responsible for the academic administration of the University of Oxford, and was appointed its Chairman in 1984. Economics and Management.
In October 1985 he took up the post of Vice Chancellor of the University of Warwick, serving until October 1992 when he left to become the founding Director of the new Oxford University School of Management Studies (now the Said Business School) and President of Templeton College. He was elected to the Hebdomadal Council of the University of Oxford in 1993. Dr Brundin retired from full time employment in October 1996.
He served as a governor of Oxford Polytechnic, and as external examiner for several polytechnics prior to 1992, and was a member of the Engineering Board of the Council for National Academic Awards. He has been a Vice-Chairman of the Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals, and was Chairman of the Funding Group for Teacher Training of the Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council. He serves on the Advisory Board of the Oxford Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies, and is a Visiting Scholar at the Center for Studies in Higher Education, University of California, Berkeley.
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HARVINDER SINGH BHURJI LLB QDR MCIArb
A Law Graduate, Qualified Dispute Resolver and an Accredited Commercial Mediator through CEDR, the ADR Group, and the Academy of Experts, as well as a qualified Manager through the Chartered Management Institute. Since April 2002 has been actively involved in dispute resolution, as a Mediator, Arbitrator, Conciliator and Mediation Trainer.
Is a member of the following mediation panels, the Academy of Experts , the ADR Group
Manchester Law Society, Alternative Dispute Resolution Services, the Association of Midlands Mediators, Mediators In East Anglia, the British Marine Federation Dispute Resolution Scheme and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
Member of the Civil Mediation Council, Chartered Management Institute, Sandwell Consumer Support Network and Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council’s Housing Arbitration Panel.
In March 2005 he assisted with the research into Court Based Mediation Schemes commissioned by the Department of Constitutional Affairs through Westminster University, and in May 2007 delivered Mediation Training to Sandwell Trading Standards.
Has been the lead mediator in several mediations, community, civil, court based, victim offender, homelessness and commercial, as well as conciliating and arbitrating on a wide range of issues.
Fluently speaks English as well as Punjabi, and is able to understand Hindi and Urdu; has also conducted mediations in Punjabi and translated them into English, as well as translating Hindi and Urdu into English.
Currently he is the Director, Commercial Mediator and Trainer for Effective Dispute Solutions Limited www.effectivedisputesolutions.co.uk which specialises in all dispute resolution practices as well as mediation training.
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M.A. (Cape Town), Ph.D. (Rhodes), C.Psychol., F.B.Ps.S. Academic psychologist (Professor of Psychology at the University of Leicester) and Chartered Psychologist with a special interest in cooperation and conflict resolution. He grew up in South Africa, took a first degree in Combined Studies, then a degree in Psychology and two postgraduate research degrees. He taught at Cape Town and Rhodes Universities before emigrating to England in 1970. His administrative duties since then have included serving as Admissions Tutor for many years and more recently Postgraduate Tutor, and he has supervised over a dozen postgraduate research students. He has acted as a psychological consultant in many criminal trials in England and Northern Ireland and has testified as an expert witness for the defence in two death-penalty murder trials in South Africa under apartheid – the SARHWU trial in 1988 and the Queenstown Six retrial in 1989. In 1990 he was elected an overseas member of the Committee for Conflict Intervention (South Africa). For several years he has been local President of the Council for Academic Freedom and Academic Standards (CAFAS). In that capacity, he has advised and represented a number of staff members and students who have had disputes and grievances within their universities.
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I am currently a practising mediator with Mediation Oxfordshire. Since 1995, I have been involved in over 300 mediations involving workplace, neighbourhood, community, and school disputes. I have also worked with victims and young offenders in Restorative Justice settings.
I became interested in Mediation as a schoolteacher having completed a Masters of Education (Administration) in 1988 at the University of Victoria, B.C. Canada.
I successfully completed the Certificate of Conflict Resolution from the Justice Institute, Vancouver, B.C. Canada in 1992.
Upon our arrival in the UK (1995) I joined Mediation Oxfordshire as a mediator and have also delivered numerous workshops and training days for mediators around the country.
Since 1999, I have taught the Open College Network "Mediation Skills Training" 3 unit course over a dozen times, mostly at Plater College in Oxford.
I am also employed as a Mediator Competency Assessor for Mediation UK and am Mediation UK accredited myself.
I am willing to support Higher Education mediation in a range of disputes and prefer to work within 3 hours travel of Oxford or further away by negotiation.
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Recorder of the Crown Court and Part-time Chairman of Employment Tribunals. Former member of the Education and Training Committee of the Bar Council, who also Chaired a number of Woking Party for the Department of Education and Sills (formerly Department of Education). He was a former chairman of Disciplinary Panels for the now abolished Inner London Education Authority and later became an elected member of that Authority. He went to become a member of the Polytechnic and Colleges Funding Council (as it then was). Currently holds an appointment by the Department for Education and Skills as the South of England Chairman of Appeals Panel for Students with Learning Difficulties. As a barrister he has appeared in a number of cases represent both students and staff before the visitor and on applications for Judicial Review in the High Court. One of his most recent victories has been to persuade a University to change the degree of a student from a lower second class to an upper second class degree.
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MARGARET DALE DMS MSc MCIPD MAE QDR FRSA
I have being involved in human resource management in the Higher Education sector for over 15 years and before then worked exclusively in the public sector.
I am now employed by a Consortium of over 120 Universities and Colleges of Higher Education to provide support and advice on the use of role analysis, as well as lead the development of business strategy. I am involved in consultations with trade unions and senior managers nationally and locally and am familiar working with staff at all levels, particularly on change management projects and difficult issues. Previously I have been responsible for equal opportunities, staff and management development and the development of employment policies.
I am a Non-Executive Director on the board of the local NHS Primary Care Trust and am currently Acting Chair, taking leading on difficult partnership negotiations.
My academic qualifications are in management and decision making. I have written eight books on personnel matters and have contributed chapters and articles to various publications.
I qualified as a Mediator with the Academy of Experts in 1999 and have acted as an Expert Witness in Personal Injury and Medical Negligence cases. My attendance at court has demonstrated the value of ADR. My experience has been gained in disputes between patients and clinicians for NHS Trusts as well as in employment and commercial cases. I would like to mediate employment and student cases, breakdown of working relationships, and disputes arising over the application of procedures and fairness of treatment.
MARY DAVIES B.Sc., Ph.D., Dip. Psychol., Accredited Mediator
Career Summary
Senior management positions in education and project management in the University and Voluntary Sector. In these roles I have been responsible for educational innovation, development and accreditation as well as strategic planning. This involved not only working with people from the academic and voluntary sector but also the public and private sector. I am currently a Senior Visiting Fellow at The University of Surrey and a member of the Board of Trustees of REACH and The Surrey Retirement Association.
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Professor of Medieval Theology and Intellectual History in the University of Cambridge and non-practising barrister. I have completed the Commercial Mediation training course of the Academy of Experts.
I have ten years of experience of staff and student disputes in universities throughout the UK as former Public Policy Secretary of the Council for Academic Freedom and Academic Standards. These include many arising out of the conduct of internal complaint, grievance and disciplinary procedures and a number of cases involving Visitors, as well as cases which have gone to the employment tribunals or to court, or been settled. They have most often been resolved successfully and speedily when some form of alternative dispute resolution has been used.
I am familiar with a range of constitutional and public-policy matters in UK higher education and have had a fairly high public profile as a commentator in these areas.
I am able to mediate all types of case, but a special interest in fairness and procedural problems, public law questions, claims of mismanagement and maladministration, employment cases, the student contract and cases where an academic judgement is challenged on procedural or other grounds.
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Dr Eileen Fry is an ADR Group qualified mediator and panel member, a solicitor and an academic. Initially studying political philosophy she completed a Ph.D. at Manchester University on issues to do with discrimination. She then worked for 5 years in charities with and for disabled people. Qualifying as a solicitor in 1992 she practised in the area of clinical negligence litigation. She is currently Head of Litigation at the Oxford Institute of Legal Practice, where she lectures on the Legal Practice Course. She is also Law Society External Examiner on the Legal Practice Course at Cardiff University and Law Society Chief External Examiner for ethics and skills as well as working as a mediator.
My experience base is particularly useful in the resolution of difficult and sensitive HE employment cases, including e.g. personal grievance or mediation in employee to employee conflict situations.
A Chartered Fellow of the CIPD, since completing post graduate study in HR at The London School of Economics – I have 25 years professional HR experience. I have managed sizeable HR operations teams and as well as coaching junior colleagues on case management, continued to personally lead on the more complex / high risk cases.
Having spent the last two years in an academic role, my most recent professional role was that of Depute Director HR in the University sector. I therefore have a particularly keen understanding of the culture of academia, the pressures of academic life, knowledge of the HE support functions, combined with extensive experience in the constructive management of employment relations issues.
I have successfully mediated on employee (individual and group) grievances and in employee / employee conflict situations. Experience includes providing a successful process in the case of break down of relationships between high performing peers in senior academic positions. Care is taken to provide processes where both parties are asked to participate in the development of appropriate rules of engagement in order to ensure a mutually respectful and ‘safe’ environment with a view to proceeding to a positive outcome.
I have a detailed knowledge of the normally relevant employment procedures (such as grievance, disciplinary, sickness absence procedures etc) combined with ability to design processes to meet the circumstances of a situation, as well as well honed facilitation and negotiation skills. Underpinning my approach is a sound knowledge of UK employment law – whether looking at this from the employee rights or the employer perspective.
Prepared to travel throughout the UK – but would prefer where (if significantly far away) the rail / air travel links from the West of Scotland are straightforward.
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Following a University of London Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree course, Charles joined a regional property company in 1986, and was appointed a Board Director in 1989. Initially concentrating on property and banking based disputes, Charles extended his range of ADR experience to include most aspects of litigious corporate commercial, inter-company and partnership disputes.
In 1997 Charles became a full-time independent mediator and consultant providing ADR, mediation and management consultancy services to a wide range of organisations. Charles is a qualified professional mediator, accredited by and registered with CEDR (the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution in London), and is also a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and Mediators.
Charles is a panel mediator for a number of organisations, including the Disability Conciliation Service (nationally), Special Educational Needs (in 4 English regions), Oxford Colleges Higher Education Policy Studies (nationally), and Primary Care Trusts (in the Thames Valley). He is appointed to various organisations as a mediator, chair, lay member or consultant, and is also a director of Resolution Dynamics; a conflict avoidance, management and dispute resolution management consultancy.
Charles has a considerable experience in negotiation, ADR, and mediation across a broad range of disputes: specifically - commercial contract, partnership, family, real property, planning, insurance, environmental, banking, employment, medical, SEN, educational, professional negligence, and equality. Over 300 cases have been mediated and over 95% settled, between parties including government departments and service organisations, listed and private companies, partnerships, insurers, charities, hospitals, universities, schools, and individuals.
Charles also undertakes management consultancy assignments for a variety of organisations, either installing, modifying or refining management systems for conflict avoidance, management and dispute resolution. Negotiation and training services are also provided, together with stakeholder facilitation and third party neutral management of sensitive meetings.
In addition to appointment as an independent neutral mediator, Charles also accepts appointments as lead negotiator on behalf of a party in a dispute, or as adviser to a party’s negotiation team; in all cases providing mediation expertise and ‘negotiation technology’ to secure the best possible outcomes. Charles also accepts appointments on behalf of other organisations to investigate, manage or resolve complaints, appeals or tribunals.
Charles has a wide range of both commercial and other interests, and lives with his wife and twin children in the North Cotswolds.
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I am a barrister, practising from 5 Paper Buildings in the Temple.
I was called to the Bar in 1989. Shortly after obtaining a tenancy in London, I went to work as an employed barrister. I spent the next 7 years doing so, working for the second half of that period for Eversheds, where I did work for and against several higher education institutions. I returned to the Bar early in 1998.
Since early 1991, I have been a specialist in the law of education and employment.
I have had 2 books published: Law of Education (1998, Sweet & Maxwell) and Employment in Schools – A Legal Guide (2000, Jordans). I am currently finishing the text of the second edition of Law of Education.
I have annotated all education statutes since 1998 (from the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998 onwards) and the Employment Act 2002 for Current Law Statutes.
I write an annual Education Law Update for Solicitors Journal.
I have appeared in a number of reported (and therefore leading) cases.
My work continues to be in the field of education and employment law, although I also do work in related areas. I am currently acting as the Visitor to a higher education institution, although, given the Higher Education Bill 2004, I do not expect the appointment to be repeated.
I have had some training as a mediator, while working for Eversheds. I am very interested in the resolution of disputes without court proceedings if that is at all possible. I see the role of a good lawyer to be to assist in the resolution of disputes rather than to fight them, although in some cases the latter is necessary for the former.
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KELVIN JOHNSTONE BA, LLM, Solicitor (non-practising); Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
I am currently a Teaching Fellow in Law at Keele University. Before that I spent 20 years as a practising solicitor engaged in a wide range of civil litigation.
I was appointed a Deputy District Judge in 1999 and continue to sit in this capacity on the Northern Circuit.
I have been involved in the Citizens Advice movement for many years and I have been Chair of my local Bureau for the last five.
I have taught law at Lancaster and Keele Universities. I teach both undergraduate and postgraduate students in contract and family law. I have a particular interest in the law relating to children generally and in education in particular. I have contributed a chapter on ‘Education Law’ to (my colleague) Alison Brammer’s (2007) book on Social Work Law.
I am currently Director of Learning and Teaching in Law and Senior Personal Tutor in Law at Keele with particular responsibility for programme, course and assessment design, student supervision and teaching quality.
I am interested in disputes arising from assessment procedures (including ‘academic judgement’), allegations of plagiarism, breach of university disciplinary rules, procedural and administrative complaints and alleged ‘failures’ in teaching or research supervision.
I am entirely convinced that litigation is the ‘dispute resolution’ method of last resort.
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BERNARD KELLETT B.A. M.Sc FCIS MCIPD FRSA
I have been Director of Personnel at the University of Liverpool and at the University of Manchester as such I have been involved a many situations were a type of mediation has been necessary. I have trained in mediation and also trained as a relationship counsellor. I spent ten years as a relationship counsellor. I have now established myself as an independent HR consultant undertaking a wide range of assignments including executive search, training and development, responses to RAE acting as the Personnel Directors critical friend.
I have a wide experience also in dealing with discipline and grievance cases and employment tribunals and can easily see where mediation can be of significant benefit. I would like to mediate in staff, discrimination, fairness and administrative procedures and student cases.
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I have worked at Director level in Human Resource Management for almost 30 years initially in the NHS and for the last 18years as Personnel Director of Kingston University. During my career I have dealt with grievances in many different organisational contexts; individual grievances of students and staff, collective grievances and trade union disputes. I have attending many hearings and Tribunals in various capacities, as decision maker, negotiator, conciliator and/or employer representative. My experiences have convinced me that mediation is a very powerful tool for dealing with disputes between individuals and in introducing it at my University, undertook the formal training myself, obtaining the National Certificate in Workplace Mediation.
My track record of dispute resolution is good and believe that this has been in part due to my serious commitment to equal opportunities. Over my career I have been involved in promoting equality, working nationally as part of the Athena project to promote women in science and technology, and locally with the Kingston Race Equality Council. I serve on the Executive of KREC and am a Governor of Lady Eleanor Holles School.
I have now left formal employment to build a career in consultancy and I can offer a wealth of experience in the practical application of mediation skills for the resolution of grievances and disputes in the workplace, particularly within Higher Education settings.
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JOAN LEOPOLD, B.A., M.A., Ph.D., J.D., FPhilS
Dr. Joan Leopold is a practising California attorney, mediator and academic. She obtained a Ph.D. degree in History from Harvard University and did graduate work at Oxford University from 1970-76. She has experience of university teaching in the U.S., U.K. and Germany. She was Dean of Arts and Sciences at an international college in Los Angeles, and thus is familiar with the problems of foreign students, mature students and distance learners.
From 1982-99 she administered an international research and publication project with U.S. public funding. She has taken grant administration coursework and has many years of expertise in grant reporting, grant administration and solicitation procedures in the U.S., U.K. France and Germany. She has international knowledge of publishing contracts and procedures. She has been an honorary senior fellow at University College, London, a professor of the Council on Educational Development, University of California at Los Angeles and a fellow of the Center for the Study of Higher Education, University of California at Berkeley.
For over 10 years, she has mediated disputes involving parties at all educational levels for the Los Angeles Superior and Municipal courts; acted as a court-appointed arbitrator and temporary judge. She has twice completed the courses for appointment as a temporary judge, and has completed the mediation training program of the Second District California Court of Appeals.
She is able to mediate in many different areas. She is especially interested in student-university dispute resolution, faculty cases, governance, discrimination, disability matters and publishing issues.
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ALAN LIMBURY, MA (Oxon.), MDR (UTS), FCIArb., QDR, Chartered Arbitrator
Born in London and educated at the City of London School, Alan graduated in law at Keble College Oxford in 1963 and was called to the bar by the Inner Temple in 1964. He then emigrated to Australia and practised as a litigation solicitor in Sydney, specializing in intellectual property, administrative law and competition law. In 1986 he began training in negotiation and mediation at Harvard University and subsequently obtained a masters degree in dispute resolution at the University of Technology, Sydney and accreditation from the Law Society of New South Wales as a Specialist Accredited Mediator. Alan began mediating in 1987 and in 1996 left his 20-year partnership with the Minter Ellison law firm to concentrate full time on mediation, arbitration and other forms of dispute resolution. He has acted as mediator in over 950 disputes of all kinds and has taught principled negotiation and dispute resolution at the University of New South Wales and the University of Technology, Sydney.
In Australia he served for three years as a member of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and for eight years as Chairman of the Complaints Resolution Panel to determine complaints about therapeutic goods advertising. He has also determined over 200 domain name disputes.
In 2005 he extended his mediation and arbitration practice to the U.K., becoming a door tenant at Quadrant Chambers in London, qualifying as a Chartered Arbitrator and receiving accreditation as a mediator from CEDR, the Academy of Experts and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
He is presently a member of the Practice and Standards Committee of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and Chairman of its mediation sub-committee.
Alan’s full cv may be found at www.strategic-resolution.com
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has extensive experience of higher education management, having worked in the University of Manchester's central and devolved administration between 1971 and 2002. He was Secretary to the Faculty of Science and Engineering (1979-1986) before becoming Deputy Registrar responsible for strategic planning and resource allocation (1986-1994). He was appointed first director of the newly created Research and Graduate Support Unit (1994-97) and became Director of Staff Training and Development (1997-2002).
In 1993 he took up a Fulbright Administrative Fellowship at the University of South Florida and at the University of Texas (Austin) where he researched the management implications of an expanded HE system. He holds consultancies in Romania, Turkey, Slovakia and the Czech Republic where he was awarded in 1996 the Silver Medal of the Czech Ministry for Education, Youth & Sport for services to the training of HE managers in that country. He served for eight years on the executive committee of the Conference of University Administrators [latterly the Association of University Administrators] (1985-1993), and served on a number of UFC & Hefce working groups.
He now works independently as an HE consultant and is employed [pt] by Staff Care Services, a private service offering counselling, supervision, consultation and training. He sits on the UK co-ordinating committee for the International Meetings of University Administrators, an organisation responsible for major international conferences every two years across the globe. Voluntary work includes secretaryship to the local parish council, being a governor of a local school and training for the magistracy.
Preferred Area: North of England, Wales, Scotland
Preferred types of case: student, staff, discrimination, fairness and administrative procedures, research contracts, intellectual property.
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I am the senior partner of Maxwell Gillott, a specialist firm dealing with the law relating to education and health. I was called to the Bar 1974, and admitted as a solicitor 1991. In addition to my day to day work, I am a member of employment committee advising a local higher education college on its staffing issues.
I have acted for educational institutions and students since 1990 on issues involving both education and employment law. My firm has particular expertise in higher education cases, which make up about 20% of my workload. We are frequently involved in cases where students are alleging breach of contract, often in post-graduate study, and have settled numerous such cases for clients. I have provided seminars and training sessions on higher education law for student union advisors, university administrators and teachers .
As a lawyer, my aim is to try and ensure that my clients are aware of the strengths and weaknesses of their own case, as well as those of the other side, so that we can resolve disputes without the need for court action if at all possible. Although the law is complex, practical solutions to disputes can often be found to disputes if both parties are willing to consider a range of options. In this was I have been able to bring many cases to an amicable settlement which is more cost effective for the parties, and less destructive of any continuing relationship between the parties. Because the whole of my working life is spent dealing with issues of education law, I have become highly specialised in this area.
Happy to mediate in all issues but particularly interested in student/university disputes. Work with clients all over the country.
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Carla McKenzie is professionally trained full time mediator with over ten years mediating experience. She is currently undertaking cases on a regular basis for the following organisations: Thames Valley Strategic Health Authority, Midlands SEN Mediation Service, and Disability Conciliation Service for the Disability Rights Commission. Previously she has worked for Mediation Oxfordshire doing community, neighbourhood and workplace mediations.
Carla enjoys the challenge of mediating and has a well above average success rate for getting disputes settled. Out of the 250 or so cases she has undertaken only a handful have not settled on the day. She has had plenty of experience of longstanding disputes with complex case histories and is familiar with balancing the “inequalities” of education, experience, and background, professionals and laymen. Her clients have ranged from multi-national companies, well-known retailers, and government departments to restaurants, corner shops and small charities. Carla has already undertaken successful mediations with FE Colleges, universities and Research Councils.
As a individual committed to mediation Carla looks forward to the challenge of using her skills to resolve disputes in the field of higher education and is available wherever needed.
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Trained and accredited as a mediator by CEDR (Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution).
After graduation in veterinary medicine from Churchill College Cambridge, Peter Merson pursued a career in veterinary practice and with the Milk Marketing Board and its successor organisations. For 8 years he was responsible nationally for technical, welfare, health and fertility aspects of the cattle breeding business and, as UK representative, for negotiation of appropriate EU and international trade conditions. He then spent 6 years as Chief Executive and Accounting Officer of a statutory public body, interfacing with universities, research councils, government and industry bodies and large and small businesses. For three years he led a HEFCE-funded initiative, managing active collaborations between veterinary businesses and the 6 UK veterinary schools, majoring on extra-mural placement of students and CPD for the profession. He holds a non-executive director appointment with an NHS Primary Care Trust, where he has special responsibilities for clinical governance, complaints handling and chairing appeal panels.
Peter brings a wealth of varied professional and managerial experience to the avoidance and resolution of conflicts between individuals and organisations. His particular skills are in reconciling diverse interests and facilitating ongoing working relationships.
Special interests include:
• Management of research contracts and grants (statutory,
commercial and charitable funding).
• Resolution of complex employment problems (e.g. arising
from short term contracts associated with above funding)
• Professional and clinical negligence
• Health, welfare, safety, fertility and ethical issues
• Environmental, agricultural and veterinary disputes
Having been a party in a protracted and complex dispute, Peter has personal experience of the financial and emotional stresses involved. He is strongly motivated to assist others in reaching practical and effective solutions..
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In one form or other I have been involved in academia most of my adult life.
Originally a chemist with experience in a research laboratory and brief experience in industry as a process chemist; useful experience has included my period of advisor in law and international relations and training manager at the British Council (through this I am acutely aware of the problems that international students face).
1998 Fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society.
2003 Accredited Mediator, graduate of Regent’s College, London ADR Course.
2003 Associateship of the Institute of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education.
2004 MIFL, Member of the Institute for Learning.
I am currently a part-time lecturer at Bradford Law School. From 1987 to 1988 I was a research officer at Coventry Polytechnic, and am fully aware of the problems and tribulations faced by research staff, students and laboratory managers. Due to my experience at Bradford, and through my previous studies, I am also acutely aware of the types of dispute that arise from both the staff and student viewpoints. Alternative Dispute Resolution formed part of the services I offered to clients at Huddersfield CAB from 1990-1992 as a volunteer advice worker: I later returned to advice work in 1998- 2000 with Kirklees Law Centre; this also involved some mediation and discrimination law; as a trainee volunteer , including one case involving education law.
1982-1985 BSc(Hons) in Chemistry (UMIST)
1986-1987 GRSC in Chemistry at the Polytechnic, Huddersfield
1991 PG Dip.(Tech.Sci.) in Instrumentation and Analytical Science (UMIST)
1993 Certificate in Welfare Rights Law, Bradford University
1992-1994 PG Cert.Law, Huddersfield University
1999 Barrister at Law , Bar Council
2000 Advanced Certificate in Advice Work (W& N.Y.O.C.N.)
2001 PGCE(PCET),Huddersfield University
2001 MRSC in Chemistry
1998 Fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society
2003 Accredited Mediator, graduate of Regent’s College, London ADR Course
2003 Associateship of the Institute of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education
2004 MIFL, Member of the Institute for Learning
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Graham has recently left OPM where he led the Resources team for 3 years. The team provides a full support service to OPM’s fellows, including project support, finance, IT, HR and premises. In addition Graham had overall responsible for contracts and was the Company Secretary.
Before joining OPM, Graham worked as Finance Director and Managing Director of Open University Worldwide and in several organisations in the private and third sector. His career as a Finance Director and HR Director has been based on a keen sense of fairness and valuing individuals.
Graham has obtained accreditation form CEDR in mediation and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and seeks to combine his wide experience and concern for individuals in his mediation practice.
Graham earned a BA in Classical Civilisation from Sheffield University and is a member of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants.
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JANE O’HARE LLB., Barrister at Law
I practised in the area of common law and, in particular employment, matrimonial and personal injury litigation, for some twelve years (1978 to 1990). Between 1990 and 1992 I taught law at undergraduate (LLB) and postgraduate ( Bar) level before becoming Course Director for Law at Wolsey Hall in Oxford. On the acquisition in 1998 by SPR of Wolsey Hall’s law division I became Director of Studies for SPR with specific responsibility for the content and delivery of their CPE (PGDL), LLB and LLM programmes. Since 1992 I have worked closely with staff and students involved in undergraduate and postgraduate law programmes and have gained an appreciation of the issues which can arise concerning fairness together with an understanding of administrative procedures.
Preferred types of case: Student, staff, fairness and administrative procedures. Preferably within 100 miles of Oxford.
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JACKY LEWIS MA, Ad Dip Ext Psy Ther, UKCP (reg), Accredited Mediator
Jacky has been accredited by the Law Society as an external CPD training points provider; her field of special expertise is the application of psychological concepts in the legal world. She lectures on the Law Society and Bar Council accredited ADR course at Regents College in London and is an accredited mediator. She is also visiting lecturer in counselling and psychotherapy at Regents College and at the New School of Psychotherapy in Waterloo. She mediates a spectrum of entrenched disputes ranging from family and employment disputes to cases referred to her by the Official Solicitor. In a training capacity, she works extensively with barristers and solicitors whom she coaches and mentors. Jacky has developed and taught Professional Skills courses for both BPP and BLS law schools. She is an associate trainer for Lawsouth, fresh professional development ltd, Trafalgar Ltd and Altior Consulting and Training Ltd. She has her own training partnership, www.trainingmatterslondon.co.uk. She has written for the Law Society Gazette, Better Business, The Lawyer, The Trainee and others.
She teaches students to mediate a wide range of family, civil and commercial disputes and believes in mediating a wide range herself.
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My degrees are in chemistry, but I have been involved in teaching and research in materials science at the University of Bath since 1970. During this time I have become familiar with university procedures and regulations through membership of statutory bodies such as Council and Senate. I was a member of the committee advising the university on the revision of the statutes following the 1988 Education Reform Act.
Over the years I have come to realise the importance of academic freedom in protecting the integrity of teaching and research and in safeguarding the right (so often, it seems, under challenge) to put forward "new ideas and controversial or unpopular opinions".
I have written and lectured on problems which can arise at the interface between universities and outside sponsors including industry, commerce and public bodies. These may involve clauses in contracts relating to restrictions on publication and the steering of the research agenda.
As an Association of University Teachers personal case officer, I have extensive experience of advising and negotiating in a wide range of problems which can arise between staff and staff and staff and students in an academic community. These have involved grievance, disciplinary and redundancy matters.
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Bursar & Fellow, New College, Oxford, and Director, OxCHEPS (Oxford Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies)
Joint Editor: Higher Education Law Journal (2002, Jordans, second edition) and of the Journal Education & the Law; plus joint series editor of the Open University Press/McGraw-Hill ‘Managing Universities & Colleges’ series. Previously I have worked at the University of Warwick (student administration, international office, finance) and the University of Liverpool.
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A former ACAS conciliator who is very experienced in dispute resolution and is qualified to conduct a wide range of mediations, including court mediations. Is on the Register of the Academy of Experts. London-based.
During his 12 years with Acas he held many joint meetings between employers and employees in the public and private sectors, to help them reach a settlement and avoid having to go to an employment tribunal hearing.
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ROSALIND PAUL BA (Manchester), PGCE (Bristol), LesL (Paris), MA (Cantab), MBA (Open)
I am currently a Faculty Administrator in the University of Cambridge. Having originally read English and then been an English teacher in secondary schools for ten years, I was recruited to lecture in English at one of the universities in Paris, where I stayed for 10 years, going on from teaching into higher education administration and marketing.
During this period, I trained as a cognitive-behavioural therapist, and completed an MBA, specialising in Human Resources and Performance Measurement and Analysis.
I came to Cambridge in 1994, and since being here I have done a number of courses on matters affecting Human Resource issues as well as acting as a consultant on such issues for the University's Personnel Division. I have have been asked to mediate in a number of situations, mostly involving grievance, harassment and disciplinary procedures. All have so far been successful in resuming constructive communication between the parties concerned and avoiding legal proceedings. I am most interested in those cases which arise out of clashes and misunderstandings between fundamentally different personalities.
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I am a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Personnel & Development with twenty-seven years of public sector experience. For the last ten years I have been Secretary of the University of the Arts London (formerly the London Institute) with duties embracing corporate governance and compliance, as well as wider legal and secretarial services. This embraces Complaints and Appeals handling at the highest (university and governor committee) levels for students and staff.
As well as the achievement of university status, my major new priority in the last year has been the countdown to full implementation of the Freedom of Information, although the ambitions of the University regularly produces a range of fresh initiatives and challenges across the managerial spectrum. I have worked in unitary, district and county councils including two London Boroughs, and moved across to the education sector in the mid-eighties as 'local management of schools and colleges' gave way to autonomy and incorporation. From personnel administration, I developed my knowledge of employment law and then, general public and administrative law which still fascinates especially in the area of Alternative Dispute Resolution. Allied with this is an interest in communication, governance and leadership... of equal importance for the public and privatesectors, for established institutions and growing enterprises.
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ALASTAIR I. M. RAE BSc (honours physics), PhD (physics)
Academic experience: Appointed as a lecturer in physics in the University of Birmingham in 1967, where I worked until my retirement as a reader in September 2003.
I have had extensive experience of academic committees, which has given me considerable insight into the workings of academic administration. I am a trained ‘appraiser’, which means that I have given career advice to other staff as part of the University’s staff-development programme.
I have been a member of the Association of University Teachers throughout my academic career and an officer of the Birmingham association for some 20 years, including four years as president. I am a qualified AUT personal-case officer and have advised numerous members of staff on issues associated with their employment. These have included some quite serious disciplinary cases and some instances of staff response to student complaints.
I believe that my experience has given me a unique insight into the sorts of issues that can arise between staff, students and university management. Although I have usually acted as an advisor to the staff member(s) involved, I am well aware that right is rarely on one side only and I can well see how mediation could play a valuable role in resolving some such cases.
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MRS LUBNA SHUJA - LLB (Hons) Solicitor
Lubna is a solicitor with over 16 years of experience. She was previously a partner with a firm in Bradford for many years, and then she moved to Birmingham where she now has her own practice. She deals with divorce/finances, civil disputes, injury claims, professional negligence, employment matters, boundary disputes, contractual disputes, property claims and Wills/inheritance issues.
She has been a Mediator accredited with CEDR (Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution) since 2005. She has dealt with mediations over a range of areas. She has experience of mediating in higher education dispute involving alleged racial discrimination. She also has experience in mediating on disputes involving Wills/inheritance, divorce/finances, boundaries, land and property claims, breach of contract and civil cases.
She speaks fluent Urdu/Punjabi. She has the ability to see problems on a practical level and use a pragmatic approach to seek effective solutions. She is a member of the Association of Midlands Mediators and was previously a member of the Northern Association of Mediators. She is also a part time Deputy Clerk to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal where she advises the Tribunal members on points of law and procedure among other duties.
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Adjoa Tamakloe is a solicitor with the Legal Services Officer of the University of Cambridge. With growing experience in mediation and a keen negotiator she is able to draw on her negotiation skills from her work as in-house counsel and adapt it in mediation where negotiation and facilitation go hand in hand.
Training and Qualification
Qualified as a CEDR mediator in 1996
Certified CEDR mediator
Community Mediator – December 2005
Mediation experience
Commercial Contracts
Supply agreement – Assistant Mediator
Shipping and loan agreement – Assistant Mediator
IP/IT
Software development agreement – Assistant Mediator
Postgraduate business school – trade marks- Assistant Mediator
Property
Family separation and property ownership dispute – Assistant Mediator
Non Commercial Mediation
Management dispute resolution and restructuring and management of voluntary organisation – Co-Mediator
Neighbour Boundary dispute - Co Mediator
Charity Member and charity board dispute - Mediator
Community Mediation – various – Co-Mediator.
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JONATHAN TECKS MA FCIArb DipICArb Barrister
As an ADR practitioner with a background in law (practice at the Bar) and a job in higher education (training in professional skills at the University of the West of England), I firmly believe that mediation is the process best suited to resolving the kind of disputes which arise within universities and educational institutions.
Since about 1995 I have acted as a chartered arbitrator or mediator in a wide variety of disputes including those in the areas of commercial, construction and property law.
In the context of arbitration, I have worked with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators’ consumer schemes (including those for financial services and package tours), issuing over 170 awards. I am a co-author of ‘The Arbitration Act 1996 – A Commentary’, a leading text on the 1996 Act which is now in its third edition.
In the context of mediation, I have participated in numerous commercial, court-annexed and community mediations. I currently direct the accreditation of mediators for the Chartered Institute.
As Director of Advocacy and Dispute Resolution at UWE, I am involved in training barristers and solicitors in professional skills, including running a course in ADR for Bar students. I also recently became the External Course Director for the Diploma in Arbitration at the College of Estate Management (based at Reading University).
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JAMES TORR BSc(Eng) CEng FICE FConsE FRSA MaPS QDR MAE
Proprietor of ELROND Consulting. Consultant to Cameron Taylor Bedford, Consulting Civil and Structural Engineers.
Graduated in 1960; Member of Institution of Civil Engineers in 1967; Member of the Society of American Military Engineers in 1969; Member of The Academy of Experts in 1991 (Member of Council since 1996, Secretary 1997/99, author of "Model Form of Report for Medical Experts"); and in 1992 a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers and a Member of the Association of Consulting Engineers; Member of the Association of Planning Supervisors and a Member of the Society of Construction Law and a Founding member of the Society of Expert Witnesses; Fellow of the Association of Consulting Engineers in 1997 (Long serving member of the ACE Legal & Liability Committee). A Member of the Faculty of Mediation and ADR. A Founding Member of the Adjudication Society. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. A member of the Technology and Construction Court Users Committee. Tutor on Expert Witness procedures and Commercial Mediation for The Academy of Experts, Gray’s Inn.
During the period 1989 until 1999, was the Partner responsible for Health and Safety in the practice of R T James and Partners, Consulting Civil and Structural Engineers. Drafted the firm’s Safety Policy and carried out assessments of the firm’s procedures. This included the consideration and assessment of the risks to the health and safety of employees to which they were exposed whilst at work; both in the office and on site.
Has been a Planning Supervisor since 1994, acting in accordance with the duties laid down in the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994. The duties include an assessment of risks inherent in the design and construction of buildings, including the risk of injury to persons maintaining and using the building.
Has prepared numerous Expert Reports for use in litigation, both as a Party Appointed Expert, acting for both Claimants and Defendants, and a Single Joint Expert, acting for both Parties. Has given evidence, since 1980, in the High Court, County Courts and the Official Referees Courts and in Arbitration.
An experienced Expert Witness, Single Joint Expert, Adjudicator, Expert Determiner and Mediator: a Member of the Panel of Adjudicators of the Institution of Civil Engineers and the Construction Industry Council. An accredited Commercial Mediator, participating in the Central London County Court Mediation Scheme.
Experienced in the resolution of disputes in the Construction Industry for over 20 years, undertook formal training as a Mediator in the year 2000. Achieved accreditation as a mediator from the Faculty of Mediation and ADR in January 2001.
Has acted in mediations mainly involved with disputes relating to construction, ranging in value from several thousand pounds to £1.75 million. Regularly acts a Mediator in the Central London County Court scheme where a time limit of three hours applies.
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Roz has trained as a mediator with Eastbourne Community Mediation Service with whom she is now practising. She undertakes all cases relating to neighbour disputes and will soon be acting as a mediator between young people and their parents under the 'time to talk' scheme.
Roz has previously worked as a mediator, arbiter and advocate while in the employment of Simon Hughes MP. She has attended arbitration hearings and accompanied vulnerable constituents including students to the Southwark Homeless Persons Unit. As a constituency office caseworker, Roz was fully responsible for all casework relating to housing, police, Social Services, health and prisons portfolios. Roz's degree is in social psychology so she has a strong theoretical understanding of conflict, prejudice and dispute resolution. Roz is accustomed to mediating in situations where there is an imbalance of power, for example between a Local Authority and an individual.
Roz is committed to working on an independent and confidential basis to find a 'win win' solution for all parties. Roz believes that mediation is a very atractive, optimistic alternative to costly litigation
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JAN SCRINE BSc (Econ) M.Sc, FCIPD, MCIArb
As a Human Resources professional, I am accustomed to dealing with conflicts and disputes between staff members and their colleagues, their managers or their employers. I understand fully the procedural aspects of resolving employee disputes through grievance and disciplinary procedures; I also appreciate the costs involved in these, in terms of time and human grief, as well as potentially at Employment Tribunal.
I have worked in diverse environments, ranging from Board appointments in ‘blue chip’ companies to SMEs, with start-up initiatives and in the voluntary sector.
On joining the personnel team at the University of Warwick in 2002, I climbed a steep learning curve regarding the operation of the Model Statute and was surprised how rapidly disputes escalated to the Vice Chancellor’s desk or before the University Council. Building an option of mediation into an Institution’s grievance and disciplinary processes is a constructive ‘no risk’ way of reducing such escalation.
Qualified as an Accredited Mediator with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, I have well-developed skills in workplace mentoring, counselling and coaching, with an empathic but practical approach. In addition to mediating in employment, discrimination and harassment disputes, my sound commercial expertise enables me to handle general contract issues, including with suppliers and clients, and disputes arising in technology transfer and spin-out activities.
I am available anywhere in England or Wales.
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Jawed Siddiqi is Professor of Software Engineering at Sheffield Hallam University, England. He received a BSc degree in mathematics from the University of London, an MSc and PhD in computer science at the University of Aston, Birmingham.
Prof. Siddiqi is an internationally recognised researcher who has over the last two decades published over a 130 refereed papers, has obtained grants exceeding 1.5 million pounds has successfully supervised 16 PhD students and is currently supervising seven.. He has been involved with the BCS Formal Aspects of Computing Science (FACS) Specialist Group as an elected officer for many years. He is an executive member of the IEEE Technical Council on Software Engineering and serves on the editorial board of several journals
Prof Siddiqi has for three decades been involved in countering racism and fighting for social justice. He was a founding member and Chair of the North Staffordshire Racial Equality Council He is the Vice Chair of The Monitoring Group (TMG) and the National Civil Rights Movement. He is an active member, an elected officer and an experienced case worker for his trade union UCU. He has been involved in a number of cases acting as a union representative or advocate for individuals against various public sector organisations. Recently he has been involved in representing two prominent computer science professors. Siddiqi has a strong interest in mediation, arbitration and conflict resolution in various fields but particularly in higher education and information technology.
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Felicity Steadman is a full-time mediator, arbitrator, facilitator and trainer in conflict management and dispute resolution. She is accredited with CEDR in the UK and with a number of statutory and private dispute resolution agencies in South Africa.
For the past 15 years Felicity has worked primarily in the field of labour-management dispute resolution. Her work in this field has included mediation and facilitation of disputes in higher education between staff, and between staff and students. She has addressed the following issues in these processes:- - staffing and staff development issues, including recruitment, selection, appointment, orientation, mentorship, development, assessment, affirmative action, retention; - teaching and learning issues, including considering the contents and relevance of courses, curriculum development, course evaluation, student assessment, workloads; - departmental governance, including the nature of decision-making (the degree of participation of staff) and problem solving, management style, culture, information sharing; - dealing effectively with actual or perceived racism and discrimination; - research related issues, including research contracts, intellectual property, academic freedom, and public interest disclosure.
In addition, Felicity is experienced in community and commercial mediation. Having handled many hundreds of disputes in South Africa during its difficult years of transformation, she is committed to delivering effective processes of dispute resolution, and she brings considerable depth of experience to the mediation process.
Felicity has a BA (Hons), Certificate Programme in Industrial Relations and Higher Diploma in Labour Law from the University of the Witwatersrand, and an MA from The University of Warwick.
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I am currently a Partner with Veale Wasbrough Lawyers, a specialist Higher Education law firm, with responsibility for heading up the HE sector team. I have previously spent 15 years in the HE sector, 6 as an academic and 9 as a senior manager.
My experience in HE covers both staff and student issues having had responsibility for student matters including complaints; academic appeals; and misconduct, in addition to being a member of staff appointments panels; staff grievance panels and staff disciplinary panels. I have also acted as "best friend" for a number of colleagues who have been subject to either a compulsory redundancy process or a disciplinary matter.
I am keen to ensure that all possible avenues are explored in order to resolve issues in a timely cost effective way, for all parties. I firmly believe that the strict legal answer is not always the most appropriate way forward. Institutional reputation is important, but so too is realism and compassion.
Individuals who feel aggrieved need to be given an appropriate forum for dialogue and discussion. When this happens effectively it is possible for both sides to see a "dispute" in a new light and find a resolution that meets everyone's needs, allowing both parties to move forward in a positive way.
The range of experience I have gained means that I am able to assist in resolving staff and student issues in a realistic, pragmatic and cost effective way (both in terms of time and money) - for all parties.
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THE REVEREND STEPHEN TROTT BA (Hull University 1979) BA (Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge 1983, MA 1987)
I am a graduate of the Universities of Hull, Cambridge and Cardiff and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. I trained for the Anglican ordained ministry at Westcott House in Cambridge, and have been a parish priest for the last 17 years in Northamptonshire.
I hold an LLM degree in Canon Law, and I serve as a member of the Legal Advisory Commission of the Church of England. I am effectively one of the church's trustees, as a Church Commissioner, and I have been an elected member of the Church's legislative body, the General Synod, since 1995. I am a governor of Northamptonshire Grammar School, which was founded in 1989; and a governor of the St Alban's and Oxford Ministry Course, training men and women for ordination in the Church of England. I have represented the Church of England at ecumenical meetings at home and abroad since 1995.
Much of my work with the national institutions of the Church of England has been concerned with securing reforms to its law and practice concerning the employment and conditions of service of the clergy. As a Church Commissioner my responsibilities include membership of the committees exercising oversight of the pastoral arrangements for parishes and church buildings, and hearing appeals in disputed cases. As a Governor I share responsibility with others for policy affecting the substantial assets and income of the Commissioners, for which we are answerable to Parliament and to the General Synod.
As a representative in the house of clergy I have been advising and representing colleagues in a number of civil and ecclesiastical cases in recent years, and as a Synod member I continue to contribute to the framing of new legislation of various kinds, and to debate on proposed new legislation.
The types of case I prefer to assist with are: disciplinary (student or staff); employment; fairness and administrative procedures; and discrimination.
Available throughout the UK.
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Dr CAROLINE WHITE BA (Natal), Cert.Ed (London), D.Phil (Sussex).
Lecturer, Senior Lecturer and Professor of Social Anthropology at Griffith University and the Universities of Cape Town, Western Cape and Natal between 1980 and 2000.
At UCT she founded the University Women’s Group; united and then chaired the Lecturers’ and Academics’ Association there during years of student protest 1985 – 1988; organised ‘Concerned Academics’ to liaise and coordinate action with students; was a member of a Commission of Inquiry into Jewish-Muslim student violence; and negotiated pay settlements and anti-discriminatory employment practices. She has served as an elected and as a professorial member of Senate at three universities, also the Executive Committee of Senate, and various employment-related university committees. She was a Member of Council of the Technikon Witwatersrand and chaired its Human Resources committee.
As a member of a South African Department of Labour Task Group, she contributed to legislation promoting Employment Equity for all previously disadvantaged groups. She was a Commissioner of the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa for six years.
London-based since 2001, she has focussed on mediation, receiving training from the Golborne Youth Mediation Project (disputes between teenagers and parents), C.A.L.M. (neighbour disputes) and from the Academy of Experts (commercial disputes). She has carried out several successful mediations and is a Qualified Dispute Resolver.
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CHRISTINE WILLMORE LLB (Bristol), Barrister.
She is currently a Senior Lecturer in Law at Bristol University, formerly a practising barrister. She was one of the mediators appointed to establish the innovative Bristol University mediation scheme in 2000, which deals with HE complaints and grievances. Externally trained, she has extensive experience of mediating across the range of issues that can arisen in HE and specialises in HE problems.
She has 22 years experience of working in HE, carrying a range of management , research and teaching responsibilities at School and Institutional level, including membership of the governing bodies of the University.
She is available throughout the UK.
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Virginia specialises in the mediation of disputes in education, health and the workplace, and provides mediation skills training for managers. She is accredited as a mediator with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
Virginia’s knowledge of Higher Education was developed via liaison with universities to accredit HE courses whilst working for a health regulatory body. For many years she ran the Board of Examiners for a professional entrance examination and handled appeals and judicial reviews. This sparked her interest in ways of resolving disputes without recourse to costly and stressful litigation, culminating in her decision to become a mediator.
Originally Virginia qualified and worked as a pharmacist, then moved into a training role and found that her main skill and passion lay in developing others. She formalised these skills by gaining both a teaching qualification and a postgraduate diploma in training and development. She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Currently Virginia splits her time between mediation and working within the healthcare sector, providing advice and training in continuing professional development.
She lives in the South East and is available across England and Wales.
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