Adrienne is an experienced mediation trainer having trained on mediation foundation training courses and written and presented a number of courses for Resolution on mediation-related topics and currently trains for FMA and in her own name. Following practice as a family solicitor, she lectured in family law at Exeter University between 2002 and 2013 and has been mediating since 2002. In 2013 Adrienne set up her own mediation practice and was one of the original board members of the Family Mediation Standards Board serving on the Board from its inception in April 2015 until Summer 2020. Adrienne is a current member of the Family Solutions Group, a sub group of the Private Law Working Group created to focus on solutions for families in the pre court space.

Effective and appropriate screening and assessment of mediation suitability is paramount in ensuring safe and positive outcomes in mediation. Research carried out by Anne Barlow and colleagues in ‘Creating Paths to Family Justice’ in 2017 found that “inadequate screening may lead to traumatic mediation experiences and / or unfair or dangerous outcomes.” This was again highlighted in the Assessment of Risk from Harm report published in June 2020. This course will provide participants with skills to carry out more effective screening for domestic abuse, ensuring, as far as possible, that assessment is made so that only clients that are suited to the mediation process proceed to mediation and that the mediator feels more confident with the assessment of whether it is safe to mediate for the client. It will highlight perpetrator tactics, the impact of domestic abuse on the victim/survivor, focusing on coercive control and will explore differences between abuse and high conflict. The course will highlight different risk assessment tools and consider which type of questions are most likely to help the client share their experience and enable the mediator to make the most effective and safe assessment. There will be time for discussion and sharing of experiences throughout the day.

Who is this course for?

This course is for mediators of all levels. Depending on previous experience or knowledge, the course will either provide the mediator with new knowledge, information and skills or if the mediator has been practicing for many years, the course will provide an opportunity for discussion, sharing experience and to reflect on existing skills.

Course content

• Exercises to encourage a deeper understanding of domestic abuse in the mediation context

• Presentation of relevant research to support your practice

• Sharing of information about different risk assessment tools

• Sharing of information about impact of domestic abuse on victims/survivors and their children

• Sharing of useful questions, approaches and strategies to assist mediators with their assessment of suitability

• Case study to develop risk assessment skills

• Supporting clients where decision of not suitable has been made

• Group discussions to help support best practice