Get help
You don’t need to have it all worked out before you ring. Tell us what’s going on and we’ll help you work out the next step. The first chat is free and private.
Phone
We have some evening slots, Monday to Thursday, and Saturday mornings.
Call-back
Fill in the short form below and we’ll ring you at a time that suits. You choose whether we can leave a message.
For parents
All families have hard times. We can help whether you’re separating, separated, or living together and just not getting on.
Separating or divorcing
When a relationship ends, people often stop talking at the very moment big decisions have to be made. Mediation helps you and your ex agree what happens next: where the children live, when they see each of you, the house, money and belongings. How family mediation works.
Seeing your children
Not seeing your children after a break-up is painful for everyone. Mediation helps you make arrangements that put the children at the centre. Where it’s right, children can have a say too, without being asked to choose.
Co-parenting
If you’ve agreed the big things but keep clashing over birthdays, school or new partners, Team Parent helps you find a calmer way to make decisions together.
Problems at home
If arguments with your teenager, partner or wider family have taken over, Take Time To Talk helps you have those hard conversations calmly. It’s free in Wigan Borough.
“My relationship with my ex has improved and the ability to communicate is better.”
For grandparents
Grandparents have always had a big part to play. Sometimes you’re the first to miss out on seeing your grandchildren when parents fall out with you or with each other.
If you can’t see your grandchildren
Grandparents have no automatic right to see their grandchildren. Mediation is often the best way to open the door again. A mediator meets each person separately first. If everyone agrees, you then meet together, with the focus on what’s right for the children.
If the parents won’t mediate, or it doesn’t work, you can apply to court for contact. You’ll need to show you tried mediation first, and we can give you the form for that. The government explains the steps on GOV.UK.
When the parents separate
Children need to know it’s not their fault, that they are loved, and that they have someone to talk to. Grandparents can be that someone. It helps to listen without criticising either parent, even when it’s hard.
Can I just talk to someone first?
Yes. Ring us for a confidential chat before you decide anything.
For young people
We all need support sometimes, whatever age we are. If things at home are hard, or you don’t get to see a parent you don’t live with, a mediator can help.
What is mediation?
It’s when someone trained helps people who are finding it hard to talk. They help you say what you want to say, listen to each other, and decide how to make things better.
Will the mediator take sides?
No. They won’t tell you what to do. It’s less about who’s right and more about what happens next.
Does my school need to know?
No. It’s up to you if you want to tell a teacher you trust. We won’t tell them.
Is it private?
Yes. If you talk to a mediator on your own, we won’t pass on what you say. The only time we’d need to tell someone is if we were worried about your safety or someone else’s. If that happens, we’ll tell you first.
Problems at school
Sometimes it’s a relationship with a teacher or another pupil that’s getting in the way. Mediation can help with that too.
For kinship carers and special guardians
If you’re bringing up a child in your family because their parents can’t, keeping things calm with those parents can be one of the hardest parts. Our kinship mediation helps you agree contact and communicate without conflict, always with the child’s needs first.
Ask us to call you back
Leave your details and we’ll ring you. You don’t need to explain everything now.
Prefer to ring? Call 01942 243620.