Carlie Norris is the founder and lead mediator at Circle Mediation Ltd.With over a decade of experience working with families through some of their most difficult transitions, she is known as one of the UK's leading voices in child-focused mediation.Carlie is fully accredited by the Family Mediation Council, trained in Child Inclusive Mediation, and is a very active contributor to national reform in family justice. She’s as comfortable facilitating emotional conversations between parents as she is presenting at national conferences on the future of family dispute resolution.Carlie has highly skilled in Restorative Practice, Restorative Justice, and Family Group Conferencing and delivers training to Local Authorities on Restorative Approaches, which compliments the setting of mediation.About Carlie
Beyond the Mediation Room…
Carlie’s work extends far beyond her mediation sessions. She is a national advocate for children’s voices in separation and has led or contributed to sector-changing projects.Policy & Advocacy
Carlie is deeply involved in shaping family law practice through the Family Solutions Group, where she chairs the Children’s Subgroup. She co-authored the landmark report 'A Child’s Right to Matter', advocating for a child-first approach in family justice.
Co-Author – 'A Child’s Right to Matter' Report
Speaker – Children, Children, Children Conference (Only Mums & Dads)
Co-Facilitator – Family Hubs Early Intervention Project
Youth Engagement – UK Youth Parliament projects on child voice
Actor – Fractured Voices Theatre Company (Daisy Through the Looking Glass)
Member of the Family Solutions Group
Interim Chair of the Family Solutions Children’s Group
Board Member – Family Mediators Association (FMA)
Member of the FMA Conference Committee
Member of Working Group for Education Project for Schools
Affiliations and Roles
National Speaker
Carlie regularly presents at conferences and seminars, championing early intervention, emotional literacy, and holistic child-inclusive practices.
Education & Child Voice Initiatives
She collaborates with the UK Youth Parliament and leads workshops in schools to help children understand their rights and roles when parents separate.
Theatre & Storytelling
Carlie performs in the theatre company Fractured Voices, using the arts to highlight lived experiences of family separation.
DAISY THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS - Support Through Court
Written and directed by Stephen Wildblood KC
Carlie is currently starring as ‘Maggie’ in Stephen Wildblood’s ‘Daisy Through the Looking Glass’. A hard-hitting, must-see production that unfolds in reverse, tracing the story of Dave, Maggie, and their daughter Daisy. As their marriage comes to an end, Dave and Maggie are drawn into the family court system — with one of them going through the process without legal support. It’s a reflection on the emotional fallout and lasting effects of a difficult separation.
Before Mediation
Prior to working in Family Mediation, Carlie worked as an interpersonal and community Mediator and Family Group Conference Coordinator, as well as a Restorative Justice Practitioner, and Restorative Practice Practitioner and Trainer, and still delivers training to Local Authorities on Restorative Approaches.
These roles have seen Carlie work in various settings including the Community around anti-social behaviour, the criminal justice sector (including prisons and Local Authorities), along with a mixture of face-to-face and online interventions.
In addition to this, Carlie has also worked in Local Authorities for the over 10 years, most recently as a Service Manger overseeing Serious Case Reviews, Early Help, Safeguarding and Restorative Interventions.