Where Mediation is Used, Other than the Workplace

CMP Resolution Blog by Lesley Allport and Katherine Graham.

Training to be a mediator is very popular particularly for people who have been made redundant and are looking for alternative stimulating and rewarding employment.  And quite right too because being a mediator is deeply satisfying work!

If you are thinking about becoming a mediator, consider all these areas where mediation takes place

Restorative Justice (aka Victim-Offender ) which “bring those harmed by crime or conflict, and those responsible for the harm, into communication, enabling everyone affected by a particular incident to play a part in repairing the harm and finding a positive way forward”.

Homelessness mediation, which is increasingly being used to rebuild family structures when a young person has left home or has been thrown out often due to alcohol or drug misuse by some family member. Mediation is used to bring them back into contact with their family and ideally back to the home; and many local authorities have introduced mediation schemes intended to bring the young person together with their family to explore whether it is possible to negotiate a safe and sustainable return home.

Environmental mediation is used to resolve differences between stakeholders involved in new developments, for example people with a view on environmental protection, nature conservation, quality of life versus development and in particular to projects subject to environmental regulation or that may have an environmental impact (emissions, consumption of resources, exploitation of unspoilt nature, etc.)

School or peer mediation where school children are trained to mediate disputes between other children, live and in the playground. This is the kind of work that is inspiring and really builds a new mediator’s faith in the process and orientation of win-win dispute resolution.

SEN mediation is used where parents and carers disagree with a decision made or actions taken by schools and local authorities regarding their child’s special educational needs. For example, this might be the support the child gets at school, the statement itself, and the schools admission procedure.

Elder mediation provides a tool to help elders and others in their lives as they progress through the difficult decisions that impact their quality-of-life. The most common issues might be caregiver burden, healthcare and finances, living arrangements, step-family issues, retirement and nursing home decisions It typically involves groups of parties including the older people, family and friends, and often paid care-givers, hospital and nursing home staff and doctors.

                       

Katherine Graham

Katherine Graham has worked in the field of dispute resolution for over 15 years’ as a mediator and trainer. She has mediated on the BBC Learning Zone and has given keynote speeches on conflict management and mediation for The MOD’s Equal Opportunities Conference, Women in Business Annual conference and “Getting Beyond… MORE >