Conciliation
Conciliation is bringing people together to settle a problem, with a satisfactory outcome for all.
The conciliation officer will help both the person who made the complaint, and the person being complained about, to try to reach an agreement. The conciliation officer has no power to impose a settlement.
If the complaint process does not settle the problem, the conciliation officer may suggest a conciliation conference.
Conciliation Conference
This is a face-to-face meeting held by the conciliation officer with the people directly involved in the complaint.
The meeting creates an opportunity for:
- everyone to talk about the matter and look for ways to resolve it
- free and open discussion, as nothing said or done can be used in further proceedings
- an agreement to be reached without any admission of liability
- impartiality and confidentiality.
Conciliation is a good way to reach agreement. It is faster and cheaper than legal action and gives both sides some control over the outcome.
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