Mediation

What is Mediation?

Mediation is an effective way of resolving disputes. It involves an independent third party, a Mediator, who helps both sides to reach an agreement.

The role of the Mediator is to help parties to reach a solution to their problem and to arrive at an outcome which both parties are happy to accept.

Mediators are entirely independent; they avoid taking sides, making judgements or giving guidance. They are responsible for developing effective communication and building consensus between the individuals who are in dispute.

The focus of a Mediation meeting is to reach a settlement which is agreeable to both parties.

Mediation is a voluntary process and will only take place if both parties agree. It is a confidential process and the content of a Mediation meeting is not disclosed to anyone outside the meeting.

What are the Benefits of Mediation?

Mediation provides a quicker and simpler way of resolving disputes rather than using formal procedures.

The University's Mediation Team

The University has established a Mediation Team. Members of the Mediation Team are fully trained, and are able to provide a Mediation service for all members of staff, and between all levels of staff, with the aim of providing resolution at the early stages of a dispute.

The team adhere to a set of guiding principles to ensure that all members of the Mediation Team demonstrate respect, independence, impartiality and confidentiality, consistent with the European Code of Conduct for Mediation.

Co-Mediation

The approach to Mediation which has been adopted by Members of the Mediation Team is Co-Mediation. This involves two Mediators who work together as a team.

The advantages of Co-Mediation are:

• The participants have the advantage of the combined skills of two Mediators whose skills usually enhance and complement each other;
• There is a better check on any bias or shortcomings which might occur if only one Mediator is used;
• A participant has a better chance of establishing a sense of trust with at least one of the two Mediators.

How Does Co-Mediation Work?

There are usually three phases to Co-Mediation:

1. Pre Mediation – once the people involved in the dispute agree to participate in the Mediation process, the Co-Mediators will schedule a separate Pre Mediation meeting with each individual. The purpose of this meeting is to find out more about the individuals' perspectives and to answer any questions about the process. A confidentiality agreement is signed by all the parties at this stage.
2. Mediation – the people involved in the dispute and the Mediators meet, and the Mediation process is explained in detail. Each person has the opportunity to provide his or her perspective on the dispute. One Mediator will guide the conversation while the other will listen and feedback what has been recorded to check for accuracy. The role of the Mediators is to guide the process to facilitate increased understanding between the people involved in the dispute. Mediation aims to help people achieve a win/win solution to a dispute. This may take some time and the outcome is a Mediation Agreement which is signed by both parties.
3. Follow Up – It is good practice for one of the Mediators to follow up with the participants in the Mediation process some time after the Mediation has been completed to see how things are progressing.

Members of the Mediation Team

The following members of the Mediation Team are prepared to take part in Co-Mediation for early dispute resolution:

Further Information and Access to Mediation

Members of the team are able to provide more information on mediation and to make arrangements for mediation to take place.

An alternative is to contact Joy Wootten (via email: j.wootten@abdn.ac.uk or Tel: +44 (0) 1224 27 3378 who will make the necessary arrangements.