Round table discussions

Round table discussions may be helpful if you want to create a situation where all the parties can explain their position and then those positions can be discussed. Such a discussion might be preceded by a separate meeting with each party or a joint site meeting, although in this case it would normally be expected that the discussion would be held back for the round table meeting and so the joint site meeting would confine itself to a simple inspection. Good practice is likely to include:

• the complainant agreeing that this is a useful way to proceed
• the local authority accepting that this would be helpful and is willing to send an relevant officers
• you sending a written outline of the objectives to both sides
• you explaining to both sides what is intended and then acting as neutral chair
• you hearing both sides and recording what is said
• you chairing discussion between the parties tightly
• exploring possible resolutions of the complaint
• you explaining your views - if you try this you must make clear it is a provisional view which you will confirm in writing, and 
• you summing up and then announcing the next steps

In addition

• you should take care to ensure there is no 'ganging up' against either party and that both parties keep to the issues at hand so the meeting does not become acrimonious, and 
• you may wish to remain with one party after the meeting to further discuss the complaint - if so you should explain to the other party that this is the intention and why.
   

Page last updated: March 2010

Date Updated: 21/04/10