About us and our ethos
We are passionate about the power of mediation. During many years of practice, we’ve seen it working for all kinds of people in all kinds of situations. It helps people sort out their differences and/or come to a decision. They can put the past behind them and move forward.
Always co-mediation
We set up Concord simply because we wanted more people to be able to benefit from high quality mediation. For us, ‘high quality’ means expert co-mediation: two mediators working effectively together.
This provides clients with strong support in what can be a challenging process. They benefit from two pairs of ears and eyes, plus two sets of skills, strengths and experience. We believe this gives them the best chance of a positive outcome.
Clients and referrers also benefit from our ability to take full advantage of the flexibility of the mediation process. We can work together or separately, in person or online, to meet people’s needs, whatever the situation.
Our warm, empathetic approach is the same whether we are supporting clients with conflict at work, at home or in the community.
Principled
We believe strongly in the ethos of facilitative mediation. It aims to meet people’s needs – emotional, moral, practical – and helps them find an acceptable way forward.
Although we are advocates for mediation we will be honest where we think it is not appropriate.
Professional
As members of the Civil Mediation Council, we abide by its code of practice and the European Code of Conduct for Mediators. As part of this we hold professional indemnity insurance. We are also certified by the Elder Mediation International Network and abide by its ‘gold standard’ code of ethics.
We are committed to reflective practice. We regularly attend CPD and supervision sessions. The routine feedback we provide to each other also helps us to continually improve what we do.
Our clients
We receive case referrals from private individuals and (for workplace mediation) a range of organisations across the sectors. We are proud to receive repeat business from some large employers and to work with a number of the UK’s prestigious cultural/arts organisations. You can read client testimonials here.
Biographies
Freddie De LucaFreddie developed her expertise in mediation and conflict management after decades as a lawyer.
She saw the broad range of positive outcomes achieved by mediation during her years in Australia where it is used much more widely. She trained with the Department of Justice there in 2008 and after returning to the UK qualified as a civil mediator in 2014.
She is a CMC registered mediator with further specialist qualifications for her practice in workplace mediation, in elder mediation (EMIN), in group/teams mediation and in youth mediation. She is also an experienced community mediator. She has mediated scores of cases across those fields. In 2022 Freddie was awarded ‘Certification at Advanced level in Elder Mediation’ and is the first person in Great Britain to attain this standard.
As a lawyer, Freddie worked in litigation including clinical negligence, consumer, and workplace claims, and headed-up the legal services department of a multinational company. More recently she has worked in the charity sector using her broad abilities to help organisations achieve change and growth. Mediation training, assessment and supervision are regular parts of Freddie’s current provision. She is certified to deliver adult educational training and is an NLP practitioner.
Freddie has three adult children, enjoys volunteering with Calm Mediation and developing her wider skill-set. She is a board member (Treasurer) of the Elder Mediation International Network (EMIN) helping to strengthen awareness and practice in this growing field.
Tracey says: “I value Freddie’s clear-headedness, her insight and her practicality enormously, both in the mediation room and when developing our business. She’s also incredibly kind which, in my book, is a great starting point as a mediator and colleague.”
- Tracey Adamson
Tracey is a CMC registered mediator accredited in workplace (OCN), elder (EMIN) and community (OCN) mediation. She has mediated scores of disputes. As well as colleague and neighbour conflicts, she has mediated inter-generational, team and multi-party disputes.
Tracey is a qualified trainer and has co-delivered OCN-accredited mediator training for Calm Mediation. She is committed to her ongoing development and has regular professional supervision. She is an active volunteer mediator with Calm Mediation, London’s largest mediation charity, where she also served as a Trustee 2017-23. She was named Community Mediator of the Year in the 2024 National Mediation Awards.
In her previous career as a communications professional, Tracey gained experience across the sectors. She worked in and with NHS and health organisations for many years. She enjoyed advising to Board level and collaborating with senior health professionals.
Tracey has two adult children, enjoys the arts, travel and photography.
Freddie says: “What I particularly appreciate about Tracey is her ability to unearth underlying concerns for clients which can then be addressed, as well as her thoughtfulness in planning mediations. She also has a way of knowing the right moment to lift the mood or bring a smile in situations which are often quite intense.”
We are also able to call on other qualified and experienced mediators if needed.
