The National Certificate in Healthcare Mediation™ runs over five or six days depending on delegate numbers.

The five-day course is designed for 8 delegates and it runs as a full week or as two blocks (typically three days followed by two days).

The six-day course is designed for 12 delegates and it is broken into two blocks of 3-day study. There tends to be a week or a two-week break between the two blocks of study, although this is flexible.

The National Certificate in Healthcare Mediation™ program structure is set out below:

• Module 1: The nature and the psychology of conflict
• Module 2: Principles and process of healthcare mediation
• Module 3: The FAIR Mediation Model™
• Module 4: Skills and strategies for the healthcare mediator
• Module 5: Managing the FAIR Mediation™ process from start to finish
• Module 6: Securing a commitment to mediate
• Module 7: The pre-meetings with the parties
• Module 8: How to set up and manage the joint meeting with care, calm and compassion
• Module 9. Overcoming impasse and handling strong emotions
• Module 10: Crafting and testing the agreement/action plan
• Module 11: Roleplay assessment

• The expert tutors at TCM help delegates to develop the following skills and strategies:
• Understand the causes and the nature of conflict within the healthcare setting – recognizing the symptoms and expressions of conflict along with its underlying causes and effects.
• Transform dysfunctional and destructive conflict into functional and co-operative dialog.
• Compare and contrast the various conflict management strategies available to healthcare organizations and understand their own personal conflict management styles.
• Understand the FAIR Mediation Model™ including its underlying principles, processes and practical applications.
• Understand the various stages of FAIR Mediation™ and demonstrate competency in managing the process in a safe and controlled manner.
• Understand the standards of practice which mediators must adhere to before, during and after mediation.
• Recognize and develop strategies for overcoming impasse and potential blocks and barriers to the mediation process and be confident in securing a commitment to mediation from the parties.
• Recognize the role and value of positive psychology, emotional intelligence and principled negation within the FAIR Mediation Process. Consider the relationship between conflict, power, prejudice and discrimination; define the role of the mediator in developing a fair and safe environment for positive dialog.
• Enhance parties communication skills and develop core competencies in active listening, including the use of questioning, reframing, funneling, mirroring and summarizing.
• Develop vital problem-solving skills and understand the importance of engaging the parties in joint problem solving to assist them to achieve a mutually acceptable resolution.
• Understand the role of the mediator in crafting the Resolution Action Plan (RAP) and understanding how to test the agreement to ensure that it will be resilient and that the parties have the confidence to handle future challenges or issues when they arise.

TCM trainers are experts at creating a safe, empowering and challenging training environment.

Numerous learning and teaching methods are used during the course and participants develop their knowledge through group discussions, case studies and participation in healthcare setting specific role-plays.

Peer-based evaluation and learning feature heavily throughout the course and this is supported by the course facilitator’s extensive and detailed assessment of learner’s progress. Independent learning and reflection, which takes place outside course hours, will also be assessed.

Participants gain expertise in mediation, negotiation, problem-solving and facilitation whilst developing the skills and competencies to work as mediators within their own organizations or as external mediation consultants.

Upon completion of the National Certificate in Healthcare Mediation™, participants will have developed a highly effective framework enabling them to work as a TCM Accredited Mediator.

TCM delivers extensive support for delegates on the National Certificate in Healthcare Mediation™ before, during and after the course concludes.

• Open College Network (OCN) accreditation fees.
• The unique online TCM Delegate Zone™ which includes useful toolkits, check sheets, videos, papers and other resources for delegates.
• A free copy of the Workplace Mediators Handbook™ for all delegates.
• One to one coaching for delegates during the course and once the course concludes, support via the TCM helpline as required.
• Assessment costs and a personal report for each learner.
• Free refresher training or webinar for all delegates after 3-6 months
• Lifetime aftercare and support for all delegates with TCM’s unique mediator helpline – The Mediator Helpline™.
• 50% off their first year’s membership to The Institute of Organisational Dynamics, an exclusive think-tank for the people and culture profession.

The National Certificate in Healthcare Mediation™ is assessed via an observed role play in the second half of the course.

TCM uses a formative model of assessment which means that the assessors will guide and support the delegates as well as assessing whether they have demonstrated the learning outcomes. Delegates are also required to complete a portfolio of evidence which is marked and then externally verified by the OCN.