Overview
Mel Thomas & Associates is pleased to announce that our Mediation courses, run in conjunction with North East Regional Employers Organisation, have been endorsed by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) leading to the Certificate in Mediation Skills
Mediation Skills - 4 days
In the current climate of uncertainty and potential for conflicts to arise, how much better it would be to be able to nip things in the bud, before disputes become grievances or disciplinary matters. Mediation is becoming a valuable skill for the modern manager.
In one sense Mediation is no big deal. The need for mediation has been around for as long as people have been in dispute and most of us pick up mediating skills from our everyday experiences.
Mediation as a conflict resolution strategy in many settings is a relatively new phenomenon. All too often interpersonal conflict, go unattended or end up with costly investigations (time, money, resources and personal trauma). Mediation offers an alternative process to conflict resolution, allowing parties to resolve problems and let go of their sense of grievance and mend broken relationships.
Aim
The aim of this course is to cover the entire mediation process from first contact through to review and closure. It aims to give participants an extensive foundation in advanced Mediation Skills, such as active listening, impartiality, rapport building, managing difficult conversations and facilitating change. It aims to develop an understanding of the mediators’ own responses to conflict, so they can manage their own feelings and assumptions and interact constructively with disputants.
Objectives
The course will enable participants to: -
· Understand conflict which includes an awareness of the feelings and patterns of behaviour that can be present
· Appreciate the conditions which enable mediation to act as a catalyst for constructive conflict resolution
· Be aware of the skills, behaviours and knowledge required of a mediator and of one’s own competence in these areas
· Understand and use the process of mediation
· Use active listening skills required to develop rapport with disputants
· Develop ways of working that are impartial and which empower disputants to resolve their disputes themselves in a fair and realistic manner
· Use facilitation skills to manage face-to-face mediation and encourage disputants to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement
· Develop ways of working with the difficulties and opportunities provided by the diversity of culture and lifestyles within the organisation
Target Group
People who are likely to carry out complex mediation sessions or who wish to pursue mediation as a career. Participants have included In house Mediators, HR Practitioners, Neighbourhood Housing Officers, Solicitors, TU Representatives, Social Workers, Management Consultants, Youth & Community Workers, Police Officers, Fire & Rescue Officers, and Probation Officers.
Assessment Process
“Poor help is worse than no help at all”. The position of mediator is not one to be taken lightly. With this in mind, there will be an assessment process in which participants will undertake an observed mediation session during the programme which will be evaluated by self, peers and the tutor.
Following successful completion of the course, participants have 12 months to submit a real life case for endorsement.