Mediation Skills for Student Relationships

Learn how to facilitate conversations for disputes involving students.

This course specifically addresses the need of groups who wish to train in mediation to resolve student disputes at the earliest possible stage. The programme is especially popular with those wishing to incorporate structured mediation skills into their existing roles as student welfare officers, union staff, lecturers, or accommodation managers.

Mediation Skills for Student Relationships aims to train your group to resolve interpersonal disputes in a more positive way, using the same step-by-step model employed by mediators, and teaches your delegates to resolve all manner of conflicts. This includes allegations of bullying and harassment, accommodation issues, and personality clashes.

About the course

The aim of this two-day course is to get you to the point of being confident and competent to resolve disputes involving students.

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 student-based 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 students
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 workplace case examples.
Build agreements between students 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 Student Relationships covers everything you need to be able to facilitate resolution meetings involving students.

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 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 course is delivered face-to-face at your location, or online via Zoom or Teams, where we can use custom-made video material, run small-group exercises, and take part in some case simulations.

What our learners say

"I really enjoyed the course and found it very interesting. The instructor was lovely, approachable, supportive, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic about her specialism, which made the day really enjoyable."

Clare Canty Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts

"It has been great to have more of an understanding about what mediation actually is and is not. It has been challenging and eye-opening."

Liz Timms RADA

"Everything about this course was insightful and useful. The training was engaging and entertaining, and provoked a lot of thought. I will return to work with a new insight!"

George Lewis Trinity Laban

"An excellent two days. The trainer was professional, approachable, oozed experience, and made the content relevant to our roles at the university. A++!"

Scott Bailey University of Hull

"A really informative and supportive couple of days with plenty of opportunities to put newly learnt skills into practice. Cannot fault the delivery or the resources!"

Rosa Denison Manchester Metropolitan University

"Excellent course, very engaging. I definitely feel that I now have the confidence to manage a mediation."

Danny McIver University of York

"I thought it was a really useful and informative course. It was delivered in a very engaging way and the instructions for activities were clear. It was easy to put the tips and strategies into practice and, for the first time ever, I wasn't too daunted by the role plays!"

Georgia Thompson Bath Spa University

"I think the course was very good and covered all the aspects of mediation well. I thought the trainer was excellent and their knowledge brilliant. They facilitated the course really well and I would encourage anyone who needed this skill set to attend this course."

Sue Welford University of Kent

"An excellent training course! It had a good balance of theory, practice, and video examples, and I have learnt new skills which I will definitely try to implement in my role."

Aliya Shah University of Chester

"A very insightful two days with lots of practical role play. Extremely worthwhile!"

Olena Cresswell Keele University

"I thought the course & trainer were very good and would definitely recommend it to others. Good pace of delivery and practical exercises."

Sarah Bennett University of Exeter

"This is an area that I was unfamiliar with, but this course has given me skills to take back when dealing with student complaints. Very relevant and very useful!"

Maria MacRae Cranfield University

"I felt this training was really interesting, engaging, and useful. I can see the areas where I will use the skills I have learnt in both my work and personal life. I also really appreciated how much the training was tailored to us as a group and our needs."

Alexa Toms University of Derby Union of Students

"I really liked the practical side of the course, which was really beneficial. The trainer's knowledge and experience were very high, and the printed resources were great."

Stephanie Groves Birmingham City University Students' Union

"A very interesting and enjoyable course. I will definitely use the skills and techniques learned today. Thank you."

Melissa Breeden Croydon College

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Want to find out more or get a quote from us?

We're a friendly bunch at UK Mediation and we're always happy to talk about our training courses.

Whether you're interested in a specific course of ours, or if you would just like some friendly advice, just fill out the form and we'll get straight back to you.

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Course FAQs

We understand that you may have some queries about the course’s content or about how the training is delivered.

We’ve gathered together some of the most Frequently Asked Questions and have answered them below.

Who should attend this course?

This two-day course would be suitable for those who work with students in their professional roles, including student union staff, accommodation managers, welfare officer, teachers and lecturers, and student counsellors.

No previous experience with conflict resolution is required in order to attend.

Will I be a mediator after doing this course?

No, we are careful to distinguish our shorter courses from our accredited mediator programmes.

What we say is that this course will teach you how to facilitate resolution meetings involving students, but you won’t be a Mediator. To gain full accreditation, you would need our Interpersonal Mediation Practitioner’s Certificate course.