Best qualification to become a workplace mediator

Hi Cher, glad to hear your organisation is positively supporting you. Some thoughts on selecting an appropriate provider - depending on where you are based in the UK:
- you can go for the big hitters such as CEDR and ADR Group, these are good but expensive courses although this may not be an issue depending on the financial support available to you.
- there are other well established names in this field, some of which I would approach with caution (such as Globis and TCM) and some I would recommend (such as CMP Resolution and UK Mediation). I did my conversion from community to workplace mediation with UK Mediation and thoroughly enjoyed the course.
- What I would definitely do is ensure your course is accredited and recognised by big names such as the Civil Mediation Council. There has been a little debate about the value of having membership through the CMC (I'm a member) and if you would also like to join there would be some criteria to meet before your membership application can be accepted. In which case you may want to give them a call and clarify what to look for or avoid. There are other mediator memberships available through other organisations.
- In terms of accrediation courses offered through the Open College Network (OCN) would be very appropriate. Generally speaking colleges local to you may offer mediation courses and provided they are OCN accredited that could be a suitable route as well as being slightly cheaper.

In addition to this please be prepared to do some intensive work, you will probably do a 5 day course, some role playing (for which you will be assessed) and there will be some written work to complete, probably in the form of assignments. So I would aim for an accredited course which you can accommodate around your existing lifestyle and check with the CMC for any hints on what to look for or avoid. Please do contact me privately if you would like to chat off line, I'm very happy to offer a sounding board if needed. :-)

Hi Cher, glad to hear your organisation is positively supporting you. Some thoughts on selecting an appropriate provider - depending on where you are based in the UK:
- you can go for the big hitters such as CEDR and ADR Group, these are good but expensive courses although this may not be an issue depending on the financial support available to you.
- there are other well established names in this field, some of which I would approach with caution (such as Globis and TCM) and some I would recommend (such as CMP Resolution and UK Mediation). I did my conversion from community to workplace mediation with UK Mediation and thoroughly enjoyed the course.
- What I would definitely do is ensure your course is accredited and recognised by big names such as the Civil Mediation Council. There has been a little debate about the value of having membership through the CMC (I'm a member) and if you would also like to join there would be some criteria to meet before your membership application can be accepted. In which case you may want to give them a call and clarify what to look for or avoid. There are other mediator memberships available through other organisations.
- In terms of accrediation courses offered through the Open College Network (OCN) would be very appropriate. Generally speaking colleges local to you may offer mediation courses and provided they are OCN accredited that could be a suitable route as well as being slightly cheaper.

In addition to this please be prepared to do some intensive work, you will probably do a 5 day course, some role playing (for which you will be assessed) and there will be some written work to complete, probably in the form of assignments. So I would aim for an accredited course which you can accommodate around your existing lifestyle and check with the CMC for any hints on what to look for or avoid. Please do contact me privately if you would like to chat off line, I'm very happy to offer a sounding board if needed. :-)

Really appreciate you sharing your experience, Clare :)