Charlotte May
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
Charlotte is an accredited Civil and Commercial mediator (ADR) with specialist experience in workplace and adult care disputes and a commitment to finding positive solutions. Charlotte acts as a mediator and provides conflict resolution training within the UK. Her research findings on Court of Protection mediation have helped to shape the proposals for an independently evaluated Court of Protection mediation scheme.
As a solicitor and Team Leader for Legal Services at Wiltshire Council she provided specialist legal advice for over 15 years. She is an expert on community care services, mental health and mental capacity and Court of Protection law.
Charlotte has acted as a workplace mediator since 2019 when she was seconded within Wiltshire Council to promote the use of mediation across the organisation. She developed an early resolution process pilot, successfully facilitating the resolution of a number of staff disputes, with excellent ongoing outcomes; notably improved communication, working relationships and wellbeing for individuals and teams. The success of pilot led to an inhouse resolution scheme being set up based on her methodology.
Based on the resolution project, Charlotte designed the Positive Resolution Process which she now provides throughout the UK as part of her mediation services.
Charlotte has had a leading role in many challenging cases, involving for example:- inter-family disputes, powers of attorney, contact and accommodation, best interests decisions, financial abuse and safeguarding and ‘Deprivation of Liberty’.
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VOLUNTARY WORK
2012-2015 volunteer mediator with Resolve (formerly Bristol Mediation) co-mediating a variety of disputes between neighbours.
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QUALIFICATIONS
LLB (Exon) 1983, Certificate Human Rights and Civil Liberties 1999
ADR Civil and Commercial Mediator 2011
CEDR Workplace Mediation Conversion (2019)
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MEMBERSHIPS
Law Society
Vice Chair of the Association of South West Mediators
Civil Mediation Council
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PUBLICATIONS
A Review of the EGM Report (Jordans Elder Law Journal 2012)
Court of Protection Mediation Research: Where are we in the UK? (2019)
TESTIMONIALS
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“Prior to mediation there was an intractable opposition between the parties regarding contact arrangements for an adult with learning disabilities. They would not even try and resolve the dispute between them and the matter had been to court on a number of occasions. Charlotte took great care to prepare the ground for the mediation so that by the time the mediation began there was a shift in the parties entrenched positions. A very sensible solution was reached for the benefit of all involved."
Andrew Hannam, Partner, Foot Anstey Solicitors
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“The disagreements between the various parties had seemed impossible to resolve, however, Charlotte’s intervention resulted in an agreement. This enabled the service user at the heart of the case to receive care in a place and of a nature of her choosing, while still maintaining contact with both her daughters. I couldn’t have been more impressed with the outcome of the mediation – we should have tried it earlier!”
Paul Greening, Mental Capacity Act Manager, Dorset County Council