Staff Profiles
Management Resources and LinksEric Clarkson became involved with Keep Talking in February 2000 when he joined the organisation to help develop services to rural communities in the western part of North Yorkshire. In 2001 he trained as a family mediator for the organisation, where he has worked ever since.
He spent most of his working life up to then in a rural location, firstly as a dairy farmer then as a cattle specialist.
Eric's background in counselling began when he started to train as a counsellor in 1991, alongside his day job. Subsequently he worked for Cruse bereavment care, working as a children's bereavement counsellor and helping to train others in counselling skills. In 1995 Eric became a relationship counsellor for Relate and in 2000 he studied counselling at degree level, achieving a BSc. in therapeutic counselling.
At Keep Talking Eric's ongoing professional development has helped him broaden his skills base. He also works as a private counsellor specialising in grief-work, relationship and personal development covering adjustment to trauma including domestic violence, sexual abuse etc.
Eric gets a lot of satisfaction from the work he undertakes. As he has been through a divorce himself he recognises there is a lot of personal emotional work to do at this time and feels it is a privilege to be in a position to offer help both parents and children, and he is particularly interested in child development.
Marie Leavett started with the Keep Talking Family Mediation Service in April 1999 when she was appointed as Administration Manager. Two years later she took on the additional job title of Client Support Manager to better reflect an important part of her role, working directly with Keep Talking clients, solicitors, social workers and others.
A graduate of Nottingham University, Marie qualified as a solicitor and worked for five years in litigation in Liverpool doing plaintiff personal injuries work and some family and general litigation. She gave up work when her daughter was born, later returning to the legal field as a partner's assistant before branching out into adult education and then getting interested in counselling.
At Keep Talking Marie is the first point of contact on the telephone for new clients and deals with general queries about the service, for example how clients can make an initial appointment and what they can expect from an information/assessment session. As the mediation continues Marie deals with queries. Mediators do not talk to clients except at appointments so as to preserve neutrality and impartiality, although Marie feeds back any specific queries to them if further advice is needed.
Ensuring the office is well organised, database work is up-to-date and monthly reporting to the Legal Services Commission takes place is a key part of Marie's role. She also ensures the right people are in the right place at the right time - no mean feat given the large geographical area Keep Talking covers. Marie enjoys her work and the positive feeling of engaging with a worried parent and being able to 'throw them a lifeline' by giving them reassurance that the service is children-centred and can help them to find a way through a horrible time. She knows the Keep Talking staff understand families and are not just brokering a deal on finance, property or contact hours. The needs of parents and children, step families and grandparents are all taken into account - a truly holistic approach.
Lars Thompson Lars grew up in Sweden where he trained to work with children and families between 1964 and 1968. He arrived in the UK in late 1968 and now lives in Knaresborough. He has three grown up chidren.
His career has been focused mainly on working with children and families - for Barnardo's, Wakefield Social Services, North Yorkshire Social Services, North Yorkshire Psychological Services and NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health.
In 1986 Lars was approached by colleagues serving on a working party formed to set up Keep Talking (originally known as Harrogate District Family Conciliation Service). He was asked to oversee the training and professional practice of the mediators and he has been involved in selecting all the mediators employed in the Service. For the past 8 years he has also managed the Service on a part time basis. In the past he has also supervised the professional practice of the mediators in the West Yorkshire and Scarborough Services.
He trained as a Family Mediator and as a Family Mediation Professional Practice Consultant with National Family Mediation, the association for not-for-profit family mediation services.
Lars finds if very rewarding to see children and parents in divorce better understand and coming to terms with their difficult situations. He also takes pleasure in seeing children and parents growing in confidence as conflicts are resolved and they become able to resolve difficulties and plan for the future.
Lars feels that Keep Talking is very special in that the none-competitive, blame-free, none-judgemental ethos of the Service is reflected not only in the work with parents but also in the day-to-day running of the Service. Also, all the employees are very carefully chosen, mature and well-experienced professionals with a very strong commitment to providing a very high quality of service at all times. Additionally the Service has developed a harmonious way of combining the efforts of paid and unpaid staff to provide professional services of the highest order.
Carol Walker became involved with Keep Talking in 1986 when she answered an advertisement for potential mediators. At the time she was working part time as a social worker and her daughter had just started playgroup so she had some spare time and was keen to become involved and trained as a mediator.
Her original career was as a nurse but she swiftly moved to social work after having had a very good experience working in an adoption unit in Washington DC. Carol then worked in the Children's Department of a London borough before finally joining Leeds Social Services Department in 1971. She did all aspects of children and family work over the years as a basic grade social worker, then as a manager until she retired in 2002. Since then she has thoroughly enjoyed being able to work exclusively with Keep Talking.
Having worked for so long in statutory work she finds the voluntary nature of Keep Talking particularly rewarding. Parents who use the service want the best outcome for their children and themselves at a time when emotions are raw and the potential for conflict is high. Carol feels confident that the process is helpful in supporting parents to find solutions which work for their family and which enable children to benefit from having two active parents following separation/divorce.
The professional support service for separating parents can involve counselling, and work with a parent and children, as well as information sessions and therapeutic mediation. The feedback suggests that parents particularly value the service in achieving working agreements around their children.