Internal Mediators

Workplace Mediation Internal Team Training
Six Days – Internal Course Only

Introduction

This course is for the training of internal mediation teams in organisations. This will help develop a set of skills and competencies for the team to conduct mediations within their workplace.

Please note this course is not intended to accredit participants to be ‘qualified workplace mediators’. The skills, qualifications and experiences of participants will vary and there is no formal assessment made of competence. This course does provide a proper introduction to the theory and practice of mediation and focuses on the development of relevant introductory skills.

We also offer specialist consultancy services to establish or evaluate internal teams.

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For those wishing to develop a practice in mediation we recommend our Professional Workplace Mediation Training Course.

On-Going Development/Support

As internal workplace mediators do not generally get to utilise their newly acquired skills as often as a professional workplace mediator they need to receive on-going refresher development and supervision. We are therefore committed to providing an external coaching or supervision role to all of the internal mediators we train in your organisation.

ScotCoach recommends holding quarterly half day refreshers for all of your internal mediators. We also recommend arranging access to us by phone or e-mail in the event that they would like to seek advice or input on a case by case basis. There is an additional charge for this ongoing consultation, please contact us for more details.

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Why ScotCoach?

We have extensive international experience in the provision of specialised mediation and conflict services to large corporate organisations and within the government sector.

We have over 20 years experience providing mediation training and are regarded as one of the leading mediation training providers in the UK. We offer value for money and practical skills based training. Our training was created for a workplace setting and the subjects of the case studies used are drawn from actual work-life situations.

If you would like consultancy advice or input on how to develop an internal mediation programme please contact us to discuss how we can be of assistance with this at very reasonable rates.

Mediation FAQ

Entry Requirements

It is important that participants chosen to make up your internal mediation panel be carefully selected. Participants could be chosen from any position or level but they should possess:

Demonstrated integrity and impartiality
A commitment to resolving workplace conflict
Well developed communication skills including:
Active listening
An ability to interpret para-language (body-language)
An ability to handle their own emotions (e.g. anger, frustration)
Handling challenging emotions in others
Cultural and diversity awareness
An understanding of group behaviour
Assertiveness skills balanced with an ability to empower the parties and not be overly directive or controlling
Interviewing skills
An ability to assess personal weaknesses and strengths
Great patience
Physical and mental endurance

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Certificates & Accreditation

Participants will receive the ScotCoach Certificate of Completion - Workplace Mediation Internal Team Training. This course is also eligible for 42 professional development hours (PDHs) through the International Employee Assistance Certification Commission (EACC) on application.

At the present time there is no accreditation, licensing or certification of workplace mediators in the UK. This course does however meet the requirements as previously set by Mediation UK; it also meets international standards for internal mediation training.

This course utilises with permission materials from the Conflict Resolution Network (Australia); the Mediation@MIT programme from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the programme on mediation and negotiation at the Harvard Law School.

Venue Requirements

Due to the extensive use of special role plays we have the following requirements for training rooms for a maximum of 20 participants:

Day 1 - one large training room only (n=20) - suitable for four groups to do small group work
Day 2 - one large training room only (n=20) - suitable for four groups to do small group work
Day 3 - one large room (n=20) plus two additional smaller breakout rooms or even large offices (n= 6-7 in each room) preferably nearby
Day 4 - AM one large training room - PM one large room plus two additional smaller rooms
Day 5 - one large room plus two additional smaller breakout rooms
Day 6 - AM one large room plus two additional smaller rooms - PM one large training room

If you are unable to source these rooms internally we are happy to assist in finding suitable rooms.

Your Investment

The fee for the full six days of training is £4999 (plus VAT). This includes a comprehensive training manual and any developmental costs. This is the fee for the total course (6 days) and is based on a group of 10-20 participants.

Catering costs and any venue hire are to be met by the client organisation. The training normally comprises six sessions, each lasting seven hours, with a break between session three and four.

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Cancellation

In the event of cancellation where 28 days notice has been given, no charges apply. If notice of cancellation is given within 28 days, a 50% fee will be charged. In the event of cancellation within 48 hours, the full fee will be charged.

Comments from Recent Participants

These are actual comments from mediation training courses ScotCoach (or our sister organisation Eastburn Partnership) have conducted in the past year:

I gained so much, I really feel confident about conducting simple mediations now
…one of the best training programmes I have ever attended!
I can’t believe how much I learnt. This course truly expanded my professional practice into uncharted waters
…the trainers were excellent and the individual coaching fantastic
I never got bored once, fantastic!

Methods Used

Case study, small group work, facilitated exercises and feedback to facilitate learning. The mediation model in this training programme normally utilises two co-mediators and is somewhere between problem-solving and transformative in its approach.

The teaching style is highly experiential. The best way to learn to mediate is by doing it. Accordingly, participants will spend approximately 40% of their time in role plays, and lectures are mixed with exercises. Feedback from participants will reinforce the value of the role plays.

Three themes recur throughout the lectures and role plays: party control, self awareness, and diversity.

We emphasize that a good mediator must be aware of, and therefore able to prevent interference from his/her:

own approach to conflict
own sensitive issues, and
own assumptions about others

Aims & Objectives

Course Aim: To provide participants with a sound understanding of workplace mediation theory, methods and practices.

Course Objectives:

To develop an understanding of workplace mediation theory, practice and methods
To be able to apply the 7-step model of effective workplace mediation
To develop awareness of one's own tendencies in thinking about and responding to workplace conflict
To develop an understanding that conflict is a natural and necessary part of life, and that how one responds to conflict determines if the outcomes are constructive or destructive
To develop an awareness that competition & collaboration are the two main strategies for effective negotiation
To understand cultural differences that affect the mediation process
To develop skills in core mediation practice suitable for workplace conflict
To effectively deal with blockages in the mediation process
To understand the basics of reaching and formalising mediation agreements
To be aware of one’s own abilities and limitations in conducting workplace mediation sessions
To develop an ethical framework for the practice of workplace mediation

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Course Outline

DAY 1: INTRODUCTION TO MEDIATION
Issues suitable for Mediation
When mediation works — and when it doesn’t
The Mediator’s role
How mediation differs from other interventions
Limitations of the role

DAY 2: UNDERSTANDING WORKPLACE CONFLICT
Introducing conflict theory
Conflict Handling Modes
Elements of Negotiation
Introduction to Reframing Techniques
Stages of Negotiation

DAY 3: STEPS OF WORKPLACE MEDIATION 1
The 7-step ‘Eastburn’ model for effective mediation
Case Study Discussion
Caucusing Role Play
Introductory Mediation Role Play

BREAK

DAY 4: STEPS OF WORKPLACE MEDIATION 2
Joint or Co-Mediation
Impartiality
Co-Mediation Role Plays

DAY 5: SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
Co-Mediation Role Plays
Extended role-plays debriefing
Blockages – moving disputants forward

DAY 6: AGREEMENTS AND ETHICS
Reaching and formalising agreements
Agreements Role Plays
Follow-Up
Ethical framework for practice & ongoing development

NB: Programme subject to change