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Felicity
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I have worked as an independent mediator since 1989, both in the UK and in South Africa. I enjoy mediating employment and workplace disputes, as well as certain civil and commercial disputes.


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Appraisal Committee, Training and Competence
IMI Certified Mediator
South Africa, United Kingdom
Board, Employment, Labour, Partnership, Unfair dismissal, Workplace
Afrikaans, English
Facilitative
EQP - Experience Qualification Path (Historic)
Mediation Profile

Felicity is a full-time professional in dispute resolution and has worked as an independent mediator since 1989. She was first accredited as a mediator in South Africa in 1989 by the Independent Mediation Service of South Africa (IMSSA) and by the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) (2003). She has also trained as a conciliator with the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) (1991). Felicity is an ILM Qualified Workplace Mediator. She is a Fellow of the Civil Mediation Council (CMC) in the UK and a member of the International Academy of Mediators.

Felicity mediates a wide range of civil and commercial disputes, as well as employment and workplace disputes, independently and through CEDR Chambers, Oxford Mediation and Conflict Dynamics. She has conducted mediations in a wide range of organisations in the public and private sectors.

Felicity’s background in South Africa included working, in the 1980s, for the Institute for Industrial Relations and the Premier Group; and then, in the 1990s, for IMSSA and the Community Dispute Resolution Trust (CDRT) at the Centre for Applied Legal Studies University of the Witwatersrand. She was also a senior Commissioner with the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).

Felicity’s qualifications include a BA (Hons) (1981), a Certificate in Industrial Relations (1984) and a Higher Diploma in Labour Law (2003) all at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits); and an MA in Industrial Relations (1985) at the University of Warwick.

Felicity has been mediating since 1989. To begin with, her caseload was mainly collective employment disputes between unions and management, including disputes concerning wages and conditions of employment. Most of these mediations took place in the context of highly charged and conflictual industrial action. Later, as a senior commissioner with the statutory Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration in South Africa she mediated both individual and collective employment disputes in terms of the Labour Relations Act.

During the early 1990's Felicity was closely involved in the establishment of community dispute resolution services and she worked as a mediator and facilitator with the CDRT and National Peace Accord in South Africa.

Felicity started working in the UK in 2003 where she mediates a wide range of disputes, including employment and workplace disputes, as well as certain commercial disputes. 

Felicity has mediated cases concerning age and disability discrimination, unfair dismissal and whistleblowing. Her caseload of civil and commercial cases generally involves breach of contract claims concerning the supply of goods and services.

In her career, she has mediated more than a hundred disputes and she currently mediates approximately two cases a month. Her success rate is close to 100%.

Felicity describes her style as ‘hands-on process but hands-off substance’. She is very comfortable taking full charge of the management of the mediation process while respecting the parties’ authority to determine the outcome of the dispute and find the agreement with which they are most comfortable.

Employing interest-based and mutual gains negotiation strategies, Felicity is tenacious in helping the parties to achieve optimum win-win outcomes. As a result of years of experience mediating in the context of ongoing relationships, in particular workplace and employment disputes, Felicity is comfortable with high levels of emotion. She encourages parties to speak directly to one another and likes to work in joint sessions when the circumstances indicate that this would be constructive.

Felicity mediates employment and workplace disputes, as well as certain civil and commercial disputes. She has conducted mediations in a wide range of organisations in the public and private sectors. She particularly enjoys working with executives, boards, and partnerships facing conflict and potential disputes.

I prefer to propose a fee on a case by case basis.

  • Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution - CEDR Chambers
  • Oxford Mediation
  • Civil Mediation Council
  • International Mediation Institute
  • International Academy of Mediators
Training and Education

Felicity was first accredited as a mediator in South Africa in 1989 by IMSSA, and then in the UK by CEDR (2003). She has also trained as a senior conciliator with ACAS (1991). Felicity is an ILM Qualified Workplace Mediator.

Felicity trains independent mediators internationally and in the UK for CEDR and for Conflict Dynamics in South Africa. She is the Head of Faculty on the CEDR Mediator Skills Training course. Her work in South Africa was recognised in 2012 when CEDR awarded Conflict Dynamics the ADR Trainer Award.

Felicity also trains mediators and conciliators for the International Labour Organisation She has trained mediators in South Africa for IMSSA, the CCMA, and the Arbitration Foundation of South Africa.

Felicity is a partner in Conflict Dynamics, a training company founded in 1996, which specialises in conflict management and dispute resolution skills training. 

Amongst the many conference presentations Felicity has undertaken are the following recent ones:

  • 'Negotiating conflict, diversity, and change - Lessons from my experience in South Africa' - International Negotiation Competition Final event - main speaker 2018
  • 'Global Pound Conference - Johannesburg - South Africa' - Chair for the day - 2017
  • 'How Mediation has Developed in the UK, more particularly England, without being Court-Annexed and in a time of austerity' - Conference on ADR at Mandela Institute - the University of the Witwatersrand - 2016
  • 'How to establish and run a successful mediation practice' - Conference on ADR at Mandela Institute - the University of the Witwatersrand - 2016
Publications

Felicity has a number of publications to her name:

  • Commercial Mediation : a user’s guide was published by Juta in 2012 and in 2016, co-authored by Brand, Steadman and Todd.
  • In 2008 Felicity wrote a Handbook on Alternative Dispute Resolution for the ILO. She was a co-author of Labour Dispute Resolution published by Juta in 1997, second edition 2009.
  • Felicity was a contributor to Dispute Resolution published by Juta in 1993.
  • Felicity is also a regular contributor of articles, podcasts and videos, many of which are available under the Resouces section on the Conflict Dynamics website.
Compliance

Felicity mediates through CEDR Chambers, Oxford Mediation, and Conflict Dynamics as well as directly. Each of these services has a code of conduct to which Felicity subscribes. Felicity is also an individual member of the Civil Mediation Council and she subscribes to its code of conduct.

Felicity mediates through CEDR Chambers, In Place of Strife, Oxford Mediation, Conflict Dynamics and directly. Each of these services has a published complaints procedure, accessible on their websites. In the case of mediations arranged directly with Felicity, she invites parties to raise concerns in writing directly with her in the first instance and thereafter with the Civil Mediation Council, of which she is a fellow.

Felicity is insured through Towergate Professional Risks. She has professional liability cover for her work as a mediator and trainer to £1,000,000. She has never had a claim made against her.

Contact
Felicity
Mediator
Steadman and Associates
United Kingdom
Diversity data (optional - not publicly visible)
Woman

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