Mediation Skills for Facilitated Conversations

About the course

The aim of this two-day course is to get you to the point of being confident and competent to facilitate resolution conversations between people in dispute.

At the conclusion of the course, you will be able to:

Understand how mediation compares with other methods of resolution
What mediation skills can and can’t do, and the sorts of situations it would be beneficial for. Why confidentiality and impartiality are important.
Understand how conflict starts and how it develops
The signs and symptoms of conflict and the importance of early intervention. Dealing with resistance and getting buy-in to the resolution process.
Use a stage-by-stage model for the resolution of conflict
Exploring UK Mediation’s relational model, re:talk. Encouraging people in and then setting up and running a facilitated resolution process.
Set up and run a facilitated resolution meeting between individuals
Getting people to meet and to have a productive conversation. Managing disruptive behaviour and keeping the discussion on-track.
Understand the skills required for effective conflict resolution
Learning some key mediation skills, including reframing and active listening. Having a go at one of our specially-chosen case examples.
Build agreements between people who are in conflict
Creating options for a mutually-beneficial resolution of conflict. Creating an environment that allows parties to come up with their own resolutions.

Mediation Skills for Facilitated Conversations covers everything you need to be able to facilitate resolution meetings.

This includes:

Some key mediation skills and principles
Applying mediation skills in a step-by-step process
Confidentiality and impartiality when working face-to-face or online
How to get a good resolution without directing or imposing
How to ensure that your facilitated conversations are safe and effective

Our trainers have a wealth of practical mediation experience and are able to adapt the course content to the make-up of the particular group.

All of our online courses are live interactive events run by a practising mediator who is an expert in the field.

This course includes a combination of:

Custom-made video clips
Lecture and live discussion
Group exercises

Practice sessions with simulated case material
Real-life case studies

The learning group is created as a Zoom meeting, in which we can use custom-made video material, run small-group exercises, and take part in some case simulations.

What our learners say

"The trainer was clearly a very experienced mediator which gave them a high level of credibility. The course was done remotely using Zoom which I think works very well. A great course that ticked all of my objectives."

Hamish McLure The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

"The trainer was amazing. They really knew their stuff and made it entertaining and engaging, which can be difficult with online courses. A great mix of interactive work, roleplay, and videos from UK Mediation."

Sophia Brooks South Norfolk & Broadland Council

"A great course that I really enjoyed. I have learnt lots of new techniques which I could apply in the conversations I have in my role."

Rachel Minett Cambridgeshire County Council

"I learnt a lot from the training, especially from the seven-stage model. The trainer was very knowledgeable and went at a good pace."

Lisa Clowery Centrepoint

"The training clearly took us through the stages of the process and gave us a chance to practise the skills in our breakout groups. The course facilitator set a very easy tone, and was very good at responding to questions from participants and drawing learning points out from them."

Ian Davis ivolve Group

"The course was very informative and I have learnt some great skills that I will take back into the business, for example active listening and re-framing in conversations. I would 100% recommend this course to anyone."

Claire Allman Hill-Rom

"I'm really glad I took part in practising facilitating like that and I really think it made a difference. Overall it was fantastic - I learned so much, and the trainer was an excellent teacher!"

Helen Gould Rusty Quill

"The mediation process was explained brilliantly and we had lots of opportunity to practise the skills required at each stage. There was good use of videos and I found the role play and practical elements very useful."

Rachael Parker Mainstay

"I thought this was an excellent course with enough practical input to allow you to feel confident with the skills being taught. I feel I have developed new skills and taken away a lot from this course."

Christine Shaw Albany Learning Trust

"This course was excellent. Exactly the right balance between theory and practical application. As a result of the course, I have since been able to address and resolve an ongoing issue between a number of staff members."

Marie Sweetlove The Fortis Trust

"I really enjoyed the course and will be implementing these skills in my workplace. The knowledge and support of the trainer was good and helped me to understand the process."

Ray Jones We Are With You

"This course was extremely useful. I certainly felt that I learnt a lot and will be able to put that knowledge into practice."

Caroline Gurevitz Avlo HR

Book your place

Discounts

We offer a 10% discount for any ONE of the following reasons:

Charity Funded by a UK Registered Charity
NHS Funded by an NHS Trust
Group Booking 3+ learners from the same organisation

Discounts will be applied at the next step.
Discounts cannot be used in conjunction with the ELCAS scheme.

What's included

2 days of online training, 9:30-4:30
PDF training guide
Certificate of Attendance
Free post-course support

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Total cost

£ + VAT

Course FAQs

We understand that you may have some queries about the course’s content, the resulting qualification, or about how the training is delivered. We’ve gathered together some of the most Frequently Asked Questions and have answered them below.

How can a course in interpersonal skills be delivered online?

At UK Mediation, we have looked long and hard at what we can deliver online and what needs to be taught face-to-face. While some of our accredited mediator programmes have to be delivered in person, we believe this course can achieve its aims and objectives with a carefully delivered online approach.

Plus, we know what we’re doing – we lead the way in virtual training delivery! We are an externally-accredited training provider and the only holders of the ISO 9001 quality standard in the mediation world. Our trainers have devised this course and refined it over the years to be a lively, interactive event, and feedback from previous learners include comments on it being ‘engaging’, ‘highly relevant’, and ‘a great confidence booster’.

Will I be a mediator if I attend this course?

No, we are careful to distinguish this course from our accredited mediator programmes.

What we say is that this course will you how to facilitate resolution meetings with people in dispute, but you won’t be a Mediator. To gain full accreditation, you need to attend one of our open-access Interpersonal Mediation Practitioner’s Certificate courses.