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A CJC mediation may take place at different venues all over NSW such as local court houses, community centres, libraries and other venues. We aim to make our services safe and accessible for everyone, including:
People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
People who have vision or hearing impairment
People who have a physical or intellectual disability
People who live in remote areas or are isolated due to disability.
If you need special facilities or have particular access needs to attend a mediation (such as wheelchair access), we will make all possible arrangements to help you.
Your safety, the safety of mediators, and the safety of others, is very important.
If you have safety concerns, CJC can make appropriate arrangements. For example:
The mediation can be held at a venue with a high level of security, normally a courthouse, during business hours.
You may be able to mediate by telephone rather than in the same room as the other person or people in the dispute.
If there is enough room at the venue, it may be possible to arrange 'shuttle mediation', in which the people involved in the dispute stay in different rooms and the mediator talks to each of them in turn.
In some cases, CJC may not be able to arrange a mediation session due to fears about safety.
If safety concerns arise during the mediation, the mediators can end the session at any time. You or anyone else taking part in the mediation can also end the session at any time.
Mediation is generally a confidential process. However, staff and mediators have a duty to report to the Department of Communities and Justice if they have reason to believe that a child is at risk of serious harm.
CJC may also contact the police if necessary to prevent or minimise the danger of injury to a person or damage to property.
The majority of CJC mediation services occur in-person where all parties, including the mediator/s, are in the same room.
There are some circumstances where CJC will consider organising mediations using Video Assisted Mediation (VAM) or Telephone Assisted Mediation (TAM), for example
People live in remote areas or live far apart, and it is difficult to meet in person
People have difficulty accessing CJC venues
In-person services are unavailable
Concerns for safety, welfare and wellbeing
Time constraints
Illness of mediation attendees (including CJC mediators)
VAM and TAM are only possible where participants have access to the appropriate devices and connectivity to be able to participate
Laptops, tablets, desktop computers, smartphones with video capability
Landline, mobile phone
Access and reliability of phone/internet connection
If you need an interpreter when you come to mediation, we can arrange a free interpreter for you.
The interpreter's job is to help people who do not speak the same language to communicate with, and understand, each other.
The interpreter must:
Be impartial, which means they cannot help you or the other party.
Only interpret the words each person uses.
Keep everything that is said confidential.
The interpreter must not:
Add or take away anything from what is said.
Provide advice or give opinions.
Conduct the session.
Speak to you outside the session.
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