25 and Counting: International Recognition

1. In January 2021, UK Mediation chose to align themselves with the International Mediation Institute (IMI). What was the thought process here?

Dr Mike Talbot: It was partly brought about by Brexit, which was officially ratified a year before, partly down to the needs of our international clients, and partly a response to what was happening in the mediation field in the UK.

For a lot of UK businesses, Brexit was a blunt divorce from many European trading partners. Despite this, we wanted to continue to have good relations with our own clients in Austria, Sweden, France, Germany, Spain, and beyond. The International Mediation Institute (IMI) allowed us to demonstrate conformity with Europe-wide standards in mediation and training.


2. Why did UKM choose IMI, as opposed to other professional bodies?

MT: Through the noughties, a lot of legal professionals in the UK were responding to the surge in interest in mediation, and the legal profession wanted not to be left behind with the greater use of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). So, they were setting up their own training courses and membership bodies to try and ring-fence an area of the ADR market, to set their own standards, and to try and take ownership of a particular area of ADR practice.

We were already working way beyond those standards, having achieved ISO 9001 and Investors in People, and having our courses on Ofqual’s professional framework. Also, we were and are mediators in the truest sense, not legal practitioners, and we remain dedicated to the fundamental values and principles of voluntary and impartial mediation. Our standards and values really exceeded what was starting to be adopted in the UK, so we looked further afield and found IMI.


3. What does this mean for learners who complete UKM's accredited qualification, The Interpersonal Mediation Practitioner's Certificate?

MT: It means that, as well as gaining a proper qualification, externally accredited by the UK’s foremost regulator of qualifications, learners’ achievement is also recognised around the world, and especially across mainland Europe. It also means that their qualification, designed and delivered by professional mediators, is not an extension of legal practice, but a very solid training in the skills and theory of how to resolve interpersonal disputes.


4. Are there benefits for EU-based institutions who undertake training with UKM?

MT: Definitely. EU-based learners can rest assured that their qualification will be recognised across the whole EU and beyond. For mediators who want to work across multiple sites, or who want to freelance in different countries, our qualification will suit them perfectly.

Secondly, because we have held true to our values and standards as non-lawyer practitioners, learners in the EU will know that they will qualify to offer much more than just legally-oriented ADR, and will become true mediators.