What is Coaching for Mediator Accreditation?

Coaching for Mediator Accreditation is specifically tailored to consolidate and develop the competencies that prepare you for accreditation. Following an analysis of your competencies according to the accreditation requirements, you and I develop a personalised program to bring those of your competencies which are ‘not yet competent’ to ‘competent’.

Coaching for Mediator Accreditation provides regular, focused, personalised coaching conducted in very small groups. One-to-one coaching is available as an alternative or to supplement group coaching.

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How long does it take?

Mostly one set of Coaching for Mediator Accreditation takes 4 to 6 weeks. You can join a very small group or you can choose individual coaching. The very small groups meet for four sessions of Coaching for Mediator Accreditation leading up to an assessment day. Individual coaching sessions are arranged to suit your schedule over a time period that is convenient for you.

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Where and when is it held?

Coaching for Mediator Accreditation sessions are held at my Wembley mediation rooms. Your Coaching takes place in a relaxed setting in the joint session room with a media board and breakout rooms with whiteboards. Often I make my rooms available for accreditation assessment video sessions. The address is 32 Daglish St, Wembley. You can view a one minute video of my rooms here.

Coaching sessions can also be conducted by Skype.

Sessions are conducted at a time to suit you. Usually this is late afternoon or early evening. Business hours and weekend sessions can be arranged.

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What happens? Summary

There are three stages in the Coaching for Mediator Accreditation program 

Stage 1 I confirm that I can provide  coaching that  is suitable for you.
Stage 2 I customise the coaching, including content and process for the requirements of the very small group. Stages 1 and 2 form the first part of the first session.
Stage 3 I provide the remainder of the first session and the subsequent sessions which involve practical, interactive exercises as well as short presentations.

Coaching for Mediator Accreditation is a blend of consolidation of your 5 day course and additional, related learning including identifying and addressing gaps between trainee and entry-level practitioner competencies and skills. The competencies and skills identified for your training and your assessment form the framework of the program.

As far as is possible, your coaching sessions  demonstrate mediation interventions so that you can observe and discuss a variety of mediation competencies.

Over the period of your coaching you can expect to gradually think of yourself as more like an Entry-level Mediator. That is, as your accreditation approaches you can expect that more often you will notice the certainty in your practice.

You can find out more about what happens in What happens? Description and more about the topics covered, further below.

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What happens? Description

You contact me by email or phone. I answer your questions. If after an initial discussion, you would like to commence coaching, I make a booking for the next convenient very small group or for individual coaching.

Stage 1: Discussion of Coaching for Mediator Accreditation

Whether a very small group or an individual session, I begin the first session by confirming the suitability of Coaching for Mediator Accreditation. Your first decision is whether to proceed. If you decide that you would rather not proceed, there is no cost.

Stage 2: Designing the coaching program

Whether you have chosen very small group or individual coaching, the program is designed to meet the needs of participants on the basis that your primary objective is to pass your accreditation.

Factors that contribute to the design of your program include

• your questions
• review of your feedback from your training course
• review of your training video, if available
• review of CPD  you have undertaken

Usually these factors provide sufficient direction for your program to be planned. As you progress, you, the other participants and I refine the program.

Stages ​of Mediation Model

While the facilitative model of mediation can be straightforward to recall, it can be challenging to practice. During Coaching for Mediator Accreditation you can develop effective and consistent approaches to each stage of the mediation model.

Co​mpetencies of entry-level practice

The list of Mediator competencies by which your accreditation role play will be or has been assessed is a sampling of mediator competencies. And competencies are only one facet among many facets of the role of the mediator. A mediator’s role is a decision making role which relies on an assessment of multiple sources of information.

During your Coaching for Mediator Accreditation I assist you to link your competencies to some of the concepts facilitative mediation and introduce you to how to analyse disputes for mediation.

Stage 3: Coaching

Whatever the topic and whatever the angle, you will find that I will continually empahsise in the discussion and the practical work the

• competencies for accreditation
• skills for accreditation
• analysis of your assessment scenario, if it is available from your RMAB

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Which topics are likely to be included?

Coaching for Mediator Accreditation includes topics agreed by the members of the very small group and the most common difficult aspects as well as

• the mediation model
• purposes of the stages of the model, stage by stage
• competencies for each stage of the model
• refining your mediator’s opening statement
• tips for agenda writing
• mediation skills
• questions for each stage of the model
• discussion of pivotal points in the mediation process
• techniques for transitions from stage to stage
• techniques for if you are stuck during your accreditation

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What does it cost?

The cost of Coaching for Mediator Accreditation group sessions is $800 ex GST per person. There are four sessions each of 2.5 hours mostly held over 4 to 6 weeks.

If you prefer individual coaching, please contact me to discuss my fee.

Please contact me if you have any questions.

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Is it confidential?

There are a number of aspects to confidentiality. I will keep your attendance and your comments at Coaching for Mediator Accreditation confidential. Confidentiality will be clarified further at your first session and as appropriate, at subsequent sessions.

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Is there a prerequisite?

For the very small group sessions, Coaching for Mediator Accreditation works well when each participant has a similar level of familiarity with a five day training course. In practice this is sometimes indicated by a similar amount of time having elapsed since participating in a course. Other times it is indicated by participants coming from a similar practice environment, including Family Dispute Resolution. Coaching for Mediator Accreditation can be more streamlined if the same set of competencies is being assessed. There are benefits, however, of a diverse group. The enrichment from cross fertilisation of ideas and the clarification from demonstrating competencies in ways that are apparently at variance with each other, can enrich the group. I form the very small groups in consultation with you in a way which maximises the benefit to all.

For one-to-one Coaching for Mediator Accreditation there is no prerequisite.

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Where can I go for more information?

You can find more information on the website of the Mediator Standards Board.

Contact me for further information or to discuss commencing Mediation Coaching for Accreditation and Practice. You can read recent Testimonials here.

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Artwork by Felicita Sala