Intake Questioning & Information Gathering
Develop more effective initial conversations and explore what parties really need from the mediation process.
Individual Meetings, Rapport & Trust
Practise creating the conditions in which parties feel able to engage openly and constructively.
Listening, Rephrasing & Reframing
Work with language, perspective and meaning to help conversations move forward.
Managing Emotion & Psychological Safety
Explore practical approaches to emotion, difficult conversations, communication needs and maintaining an effective mediation environment.
Interests, Impasse & Appropriate Challenge
Practise moving beyond stated positions, exploring underlying interests and responding constructively when conversations become stuck.
Outcome Management & Closing Well
Develop confidence around options, agreements, partial agreements, unresolved issues and bringing mediation to an appropriate conclusion.
Six Core Skills Covered
Practise and refine
These are not assessments.
Each session uses a straightforward scenario divided into three short practice exercises. Participants work in small groups and rotate between the roles of Mediator, Party and Observer.
This gives you the opportunity not only to practise the mediator role, but also to experience how different mediator interventions feel from a party's perspective and to learn by observing another practitioner.
The emphasis is on peer learning, experimentation and reflection rather than individual performance scoring.
Scenarios may introduce realistic considerations such as communication differences, neurodiversity and learning needs, emotion, mental wellbeing, power imbalance, cultural or identity considerations and other sensitive situations that mediators may encounter in practice.
Morning and early-evening sessions
We recognise that many developing mediators are also working full time. Sessions will therefore alternate between morning and early-evening delivery, providing different opportunities to participate throughout the programme. The same Practice Skills format and materials are used regardless of delivery time.
Continuing your development
Your funded Practice Skills sessions can be used as standalone development opportunities.
The DRA also provides individual practitioner supervision, dedicated professional development support and practical help with establishing and growing your mediation practice.
Register your interest
Register your interest in the DRA Practice Skills programme and tell us which areas of your mediation practice you would particularly like to develop. Once you submit your registration, we will arrange an initial call and explore your needs.
If a session is full, we will offer you an alternative where possible.
Up to three DRA-funded Practice Skills sessions per eligible mediator during a 12-month period. Maximum nine participants per session.
WE'RE FUNDING THREE mediator practice SKILLS SESSIONS
Continue developing and refining your mediation skills with our support
Mediator training gives you the foundations. Continuing to practise those skills, particularly when mediation opportunities are still developing, can be much more difficult.
Our DRA-Funded Practice Skills Sessions give mediators regular opportunities to practise specific skills alongside other practitioners in a supportive and professionally facilitated environment.
Each session lasts just two hours and concentrates on one core area of mediation practice. Rather than working through a complete mock mediation, you will focus on a particular skill, try different approaches and reflect on what you learn from the experience.
Sessions are deliberately small, with a maximum of nine participants.
Three sessions funded by the DRA
The Dispute Resolution Agency is investing directly in mediator development by funding up to three Practice Skills Sessions for each eligible participant during a 12-month period.
You can choose the sessions that are most relevant to your own development rather than having to complete the programme in sequence.
This gives you the flexibility to identify where additional practice would be most valuable and select your funded sessions accordingly.
If you would like to continue participating after using your funded allocation, additional sessions may also be available. Please contact us for details.