Community mediation skills

Who is the Course for?

For volunteers who are interested in becoming community mediators, this is an intense but very rewarding volunteer opportunity. If you believe in the principles of alternative dispute resolution, and want to help make your community a better place, the skills you will learn in our volunteer mediators training will equip you to do so.

Areas covered include listening skills, conflict management, questioning techniques and the skills necessary to guide parties through the mediation process.

The course will also appeal to employers who are interested in equipping their staff with highly transferable skills in conflict resolution. It is particularly applicable for front line staff who handle difficult customers, or managers who wish to improve their skills in managing workplace conflict.

Accreditation

The community mediation skills course is a nationally recognised level 3 course accredited by the Open College Network. Three of the units can be achieved in the classroom, whilst the fourth is completed during a probationary period gathering evidence from actual mediation cases and supervision.

You may access additional information on the accreditation process by visiting the 0CNNER website.

Cost

The course is free for any individual who wishes to give their time to UNITE as a volunteer mediator. During the probationary period, the volunteer will be expected to work on a minimum number of cases.

Other individuals or organisations interested in this training should contact UNITE to discuss a training package appropriate to needs. See also Workplace Mediation/Conciliation Training.

Course Outline

AIMS OF THE OCN PROGRAMME – COMMUNITY MEDIATION SKILLS

The aims are to develop:

1. An understanding of conflict, which includes an awareness of the feelings and patterns of behaviour that can be present.

2. An appreciation of the conditions, which enable mediation to act as a catalyst for constructive conflict resolution.

3. An awareness of the skills and qualities required of mediators, and of one’s own competence in these areas.

4. An understanding of, and an ability to use, the process of mediation.

5. The use of those active listening skills required to develop rapport with disputants.

6. Ways of working with the difficulties and opportunities provided by the diversity of culture and lifestyle within the community.

7. Awareness and skills required to promote equality of opportunity, and to deal constructively with discriminatory an oppressive behaviour.

8. Knowledge of where disputants can go if the decision is taken not to pursue mediation.

9. Ways of working that are impartial.

10. The use of facilitation skills required to manage a face to face mediation and encourage the disputants to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement.

11. The skills required to debrief and work effectively as part of a team when mediating as part of a Mediation Service.

12. Self responsibility for monitoring own skills in mediation.

Next Course & Location

Open College Network (OCN) Community Mediation Skills Training Programme

Details of the next course to be held will be posted here.

Trainees who successfully complete the course will gain an OCN qualification in Community Mediation Skills (equivalent to level 3).

Tutorial sessions will be arranged halfway through the programme, when the trainers will assist with any questions you may have about the course content or your portfolio.

On successfully completing the training programme, you will attend an end of training interview, where feedback on the programme will be discussed and the trainers will confirm your acceptance as a Probationary Mediator. You will then also be required to attend an Induction training session.

The selection process for volunteer mediators

The selection process begins during the OCN training programme and is based on the trainers’ observation and assessment of your skills against the criteria on Units 1, 2 and 3 of the OCN. The trainers will also be looking for evidence of some of the qualities that a mediator should have, such as self-awareness, empathy with others and team working. They will also look for evidence of your commitment to UNITE, which in training could be shown by punctual attendance at all training sessions, or completing work on your portfolio within the agreed deadlines.

At the end of the training programme, your OCN portfolio (units 1, 2 and 3) will be assessed by the trainer. Feedback on your portfolio and on the trainers overall observations during training will be given during an End of Training interview and the trainers will also confirm whether or not you have been accepted as a Probationary Mediator.

Issue of OCN certificates

UNITE accepts people onto its training courses in good faith, with the expectation that the individual will commit to volunteering for UNITE afterwards (unless she or he has paid for the training). If you complete the course, but do not go on to volunteer for UNITE, you may be asked to pay for your OCN registration and certification fees, if you still wish to receive the award.

You must hand in your portfolio for assessment by the date set. Your Assessor will ensure that the evidence presented in the portfolio is sufficient to meet all the criteria for units 1, 2 and 3 of the OCN award. Following assessment, internal and external verification, certificates for completed units will be issued.

During your probationary period, you will work on unit 4 of the OCN award. The timing of the issue of a certificate for Unit 4 will depend on how quickly you are able to complete the unit.

What UNITE offers volunteers mediators

Once volunteers have successfully completed the course they will work with experienced mediators to help people resolve neighbourhood disputes.

As a newly trained mediator, you will be assigned a mentor, an experienced mediator whose role is to support and advise you. All mediators also have a supervisor (see below). As you gain experience, you will also have opportunities to receive training and develop your skills in other related areas you may be interested in, such as workplace disputes and restorative justice.

What is expected of UNITE’s mediators?

In return for the free training and the ongoing training and supervision support that they receive, volunteer mediators are expected to: · give at least 18 months service upon completion of their training · Attend Support Group and Top-up Training events, held alternately on the first Tuesday (6.00 – 8.00 pm) of each month at UNITE’s offices in Middlesbrough · attend minimum 4 supervision sessions a year. Additional supervisions may be arranged by either the mediator or the supervisor, as required. · take part in an annual performance review. · work towards completion of unit 4 of the OCN course · Carry a mediation/conciliation caseload, working within UNITE’s Service Promise timescales and in accordance with UNITE’s practice standards.

Supervision

Effective supervision safeguards the interests of the client. When mediators are held accountable for their practice, the quality of the service delivered to clients is maintained.

Supervision sessions provide an opportunity for the mediator to receive feedback in a safe place where they can reflect upon their practice and explore the difficulties they have encountered. It can be a challenging experience; it can also be a valuable learning experience. Supervision is also about providing support – sometimes, the mediator will encounter a situation that they cannot deal with alone, or they simply need to “offload” something that has affected them deeply.

In mediation supervision is a process in which one worker is given responsibility to work with another worker(s) in order to meet certain organisational, professional and personal objectives. These objectives are competent, accountable performance; continuing professional development; and personal support

All of UNITE’s mediators, including probationers, are required to receive a minimum of 4 sessions per year (2 x one-to-one, 2 x group). Either the supervisor or the supervisee may request additional sessions; this is likely to be necessary during the probationary period. Additional sessions may be one-to-one, with a co-worker or as part of a group.

Progression

There are many paths you may choose to pursue once you have completed the Community Mediation Training. Many volunteers identify specific areas of interest in which to utilise their mediation skills such as victim/offender mediation, homelessness/intra family mediation and conciliation.