40 hours training is designed for Mediators who have successfully completed an MII recognised Certified Mediation Training Programme or similar certified programmes which meet the MII criteria, and are wishing to work in the area of Family (separating couples) mediation.

This training is a requirement for members of the MII who wish to practice as separating couples’ mediators.  Participation in this training by a person who is not, at the time of completing the training, a Member of the MII or cannot demonstrate that they have successfully completed MII Accredited Certified Training and MII Certified Assessment prior to this training, will not be recognised retrospectively should a person make an application for membership of the MII at a later date.

Assessment for this programme takes place through the building of individual portfolios. The portfolio will be generated during the mediation programme.
The portfolio will be divided into three areas:

• ·Skills demonstration
• ·Assignment
• Reflective Learning Record

Session 1

• Family Systems Theory
• Family Dynamics: Structural issues and roles
• Patterns of relating and interactions between family members.
• Culture and diversity issues in family mediation
• Couple relationships
• Family Bereavement and Loss
• Grief and Loss for Separating Couples
• The complexity of third-party support

Session 2

• Dynamics of Conflict
• High Conflict Cases
• Intervention Techniques
• Managing the Process in High Conflict Cases
• De-escalation Techniques
• How Conflict manifests in a family
• Couple Dynamics and Conflict
• Mediating in high conflict and emotional situations.

Session 3

• Mediation Act 2017
• Principles of Mediation
• Family Mediation Models
• Self-Awareness in Conflict.

Session 4

• The Family Mediation Process
• The structure of mediation sessions from contact to conclusion

Session 5

• Domestic Violence Legislation
• Power and control issues with couple dynamics
• Intimate Partner Violence Policy and its application
• Safe termination of mediation
• Mediator safety and wellbeing.

Session 6

• Overview of Child Inclusive Mediation
• Child development
• Attachment: Children, Parents and Caregivers
• The effect of conflict on Children
• The place of the child in separation and the mediation process
• The effect of separation on children from blended families and their inclusion in future planning.
• Techniques for child focused mediation.
• Negotiating future arrangements for their children
• Drafting a parenting plan.

Session 7

• Child Protection Legislation, Policy and Procedures
• Recognising Child Protection Issues
• Screening for Child Protection
• Managing the Mediation where an issue arises
• Reporting Structures
• Procedures for Reporting
• Techniques for child focused mediation.

Session 8

• Legislative Framework of Family Law
• The Family Court System
• Relevant Legislation.

Session 9

• Financial Matters of separation/ divorce
• Budget Session
• Full and Mutual Disclosure
• Negotiating what happens the family home.
• Mortgages and the separating couple
• Mediating Housing Needs for the family.

Session 10

• Maintenance
• Taxation
• Companies and other assets
• Social Welfare
• Pensions
• Drafting skills
• Drafting a mediation settlement
• Review templates
• Legal advice
• Mediation Act obligations
• Legally and non-legally binding agreements
• Components of legal binding agreements
• Financial Statements and documentation
• Signing the agreement.

Ber is an advanced accredited mediator with the Mediators Institute of Ireland, with 20 years’ experience as an active mediator, having qualified in the Family Mediation Service in 2000. In addition to her extensive work in mediating with families, Ber is a member of Council with the MII, currently the MII Family Sector Representative, and the incoming President of MII taking up her role in Autumn 2021. As the family sector representative, Ber chairs the family committee of MII, who in the last two years have produced such documents as the guidelines on Separation Mediation Settlements, Parenting Mediation Settlements and Child Support Mediation Settlements; the revised programme for Family Separating Couples Mediation Training.

Ber is on the panel of mediators for the Medical Council, and panels for mediation in a number of Irish Universities and Third Level Institutions and on the panel of assessors for Advanced Mediators with MII. She has mediated cases in family separation/divorce, child issues (both direct and indirect work with children), foster and family law cases.

Ber has delivered the Family Separating Couples Programme since 2010. She brings extensive experience to the training in working with families and delivers a practical applied programme through case study application. Click here for more information on Ber’s experience https://www.roundtable.ie/our-people/ or access our video to hear about family mediation from Ber.

Available Online Nationwide: To respond to the changing landscape of remote working environments, this programme is presented in its entirety as an online programme. For further information please contact Myrtle@roundtable.ie, Telephone: (01) 5390212 (021) 2339350; or view our website http://www.roundtable.ie/. RoundTable is committed to protecting the rights and privacy of individuals in line with the Data Protection Legislation