Privacy Notice, Confidentiality & Concerns and Complaints Procedure
Last updated: March 2026
About MinusOne Mediation
MinusOne Mediation provides independent family mediation and related dispute resolution services for individuals and couples who are separating or divorcing and wish to resolve issues relating to children, finances, or other family matters.
MinusOne Mediation works in accordance with the professional standards and codes of practice of the Family Mediation Council (FMC) and is a member of the Family Mediators Association (FMA) and Resolution.
Privacy Notice
Our commitment to your privacy
Your privacy is very important to MinusOne Mediation. We are committed to handling personal information lawfully, fairly, and transparently in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
We collect and use only the personal information necessary to provide mediation services, administer cases, and meet our legal, regulatory, and professional obligations.
This privacy notice explains how MinusOne Mediation processes personal data relating to:
- people who mediate with us and their families;
- people who contact us to explore the possibility of mediation; and
- people who may be invited to consider mediation because someone connected with them has contacted us.
How we receive personal data
In most cases, personal data is provided directly by mediation clients or prospective clients. Limited exceptions include:
- information provided by solicitors or other professionals at a client’s request or with their consent; and
- contact details shared by one person so that we can offer another person the opportunity to explore whether mediation may be appropriate.
We collect and process personal data when you contact us by email or telephone, while exploring whether mediation may be suitable, and throughout the mediation process itself, including (where relevant) personal financial information.
Legal basis for processing personal data
As family mediators, we process personal data only for legitimate purposes connected with mediation.
- Before mediation begins: While exploring whether mediation is suitable, we process limited personal data (such as contact details). Our legal basis for processing this data is contract, as you have contacted us to explore our services.
- During mediation: If you decide to mediate with us, we ask you to sign an Agreement to Mediate. Our legal basis for processing personal data at this stage is contract / Agreement to Mediate.
- When contacting someone who has not approached us directly: We process limited contact details in order to offer information about mediation. Our legal basis in this situation is the public task of enabling access to mediation as an alternative to litigation, reflecting the Children and Families Act 2014 and the MIAM requirement.
We do not process personal data for any purpose unrelated to mediation.
What personal data we may collect
Depending on the services you request, we may collect and process:
- your name, address, telephone number, and email address;
- information provided during enquiries, referrals, MIAMs, and mediation sessions;
- information relating to children and family circumstances relevant to mediation;
- financial information and supporting documents (where financial mediation is undertaken);
- mediation documents prepared by us, including:
- Open Financial Statements / Summaries
- Memoranda of Understanding
- Parenting Plans
- feedback you voluntarily provide; and
- website usage data collected through cookies.
Payments: Payment information is processed securely by third-party payment providers. MinusOne Mediation does not store card details.
We may also receive information from solicitors or other professional advisers with your consent.
How we use and share personal data
Personal data is used only to:
- provide mediation and related services;
- manage and administer cases;
- prepare mediation documentation;
- comply with safeguarding, legal, and regulatory obligations; and
- support professional supervision, quality assurance, and complaints handling.
MinusOne Mediation does not use personal data for marketing purposes and does not sell or share data for commercial use.
We will not share personal information with third parties unless:
- you give explicit consent (for example, to share information with solicitors, financial advisers, pension experts, actuaries, counsellors, or other professionals);
- disclosure is required by law or ordered by a court; or
- disclosure is necessary to meet professional or regulatory obligations.
If a complaint is referred to the Family Mediation Standards Board (FMSB), we may share relevant information from the mediation file with the FMSB for the purpose of investigating and resolving that complaint, in line with FMC requirements.
Confidentiality in mediation
Mediation is confidential and legally privileged in most circumstances.
The nature and limits of confidentiality will be explained before mediation begins. There are limited exceptions where information may need to be disclosed, including:
- where there is a safeguarding concern or risk of serious harm to a child or vulnerable person;
- where disclosure is required by law or ordered by a court; or
- where disclosure is necessary for professional or regulatory purposes.
Open Financial Statements / Summaries are “open” documents and may be disclosed to solicitors or the court if required. Other mediation discussions and Memoranda of Understanding are normally “without prejudice” unless an exception applies.
How we store and retain your information
Personal information is stored securely in electronic and/or paper form with appropriate access controls and retained only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, in accordance with UK GDPR principles. Information is securely destroyed when no longer required, unless retention is necessary to meet legal or professional obligations.
Your rights
You may have the right to:
- request access to the personal data we hold about you;
- request correction of inaccurate data; and
- request deletion or restriction of processing in certain circumstances (subject to legal and professional obligations).
Requests should be made in writing using the contact details on our website.
External websites
Our website may contain links to other websites. This privacy notice applies only to the MinusOne Mediation website. Please review the privacy policies of any external sites you visit.
Changes to this notice
We keep this privacy notice under regular review. Any updates will be posted on this page.
Concerns and Complaints Procedure
MinusOne Mediation is committed to providing a high-quality, professional service. Mediation can involve sensitive and emotionally challenging issues, and we recognise that concerns may occasionally arise. We welcome feedback and aim to address concerns promptly, fairly, and constructively.
If you have a concern or feel dissatisfied with any aspect of our service, we encourage you to raise this as soon as possible.
Concerns or complaints should be made in writing by email to:
kristyna@minusone.club
Where appropriate, we will seek to resolve matters informally and in keeping with the spirit of mediation.
If a concern cannot be resolved informally, it will be treated as a formal complaint. Complaints should be raised within three months of your last MIAM or mediation session.
We will acknowledge receipt of a written complaint within seven working days. The complaint will be reviewed carefully and may be discussed, where appropriate, with our Professional Practice Consultant (PPC) as part of professional supervision and quality assurance.
We aim to provide a full written response within 21 days of acknowledgment. If additional time is required, we will explain why and keep you informed.
If the matter remains unresolved and relates to an alleged breach of professional standards, you may be able to refer the complaint to the Family Mediation Standards Board (FMSB) once our internal process has been completed (or if we are not engaging). Information about the FMSB complaints process is available via the Family Mediation Council website.
Contact
If you have any questions about this Privacy Notice or Concerns and Complaints Procedure, please contact MinusOne Mediation using the contact details provided on our website.
