Training & Seminars
The following workshops are designed and delivered by David Hilton of Out of Conflict Mediation. He is a member of the national mediation Education and Youth Steering Committee. If you would like details, please contact us.
Peer Mediation Workshops
The detail of the workshops is finalised during planning meetings when key issues are identified and in the reviews after each session. The following framework has proved effective in not only equipping young people with mediation skills to resolve their various conflict situations, including bullying, but in giving them enhanced life skills such as personal effectiveness, communicating with peers and adults and in curriculum ownership. It is essential that the leaders and teachers in an establishment are conversant with, and practice, the ethos of the life skills on which these workshops are based- affirmation, communication and co-operation. Staff involvement at all levels and support from senior management is essential.
The workshops with young people:
- Occupy about 10 - 15 hours, the number and duration of sessions being adapted to your requirements
- Are preceded and followed by short sessions for key staff-delivery is a team effort
- Involve circle time, one-to-one and small group activities designed to build confidence, use communication skills including listening, encourage mutual respect for peers and adults.
- Use games to enhance these skills and draw analogies with real life situations
- Feature role play of conflict, ranging from petty arguments to serious fallout and bullying
- Train participants in mediation skills and examine the establishment of peer mediation in a school or youth group, thus helping young people to resolve their own disputes.
Other benefits may be to encourage pupils to:
- Take responsibility for their behaviour and relationships
- Manage conflict constructively as a normal part of relationships
- Prevent the escalation of small problems
- Make schools, Academies, colleges and youth groups (and even communities) more peaceful — peer mediation is confidential and non-confrontational
- Reduce the number of conflicts
- Reduce teacher/leader time involved with disputes and discipline problems and lower stress
- Manage both their relationship problems and their learning more effectively.
- Help inclusion policies and reduce the number of disaffected pupils on the margins of school life.
If you feel that you would like to engage in this learning process, please contact us and we will then arrange to discuss matters in more detail as soon as possible.
Out of Conflict is better than being in conflict.