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Accreditation: Two years on

Accreditation: Two years on

It is now almost two years since we gained Accreditation by Scottish mediation for our Mediation Skills course. Reflecting back on that time, there was both a sense of celebration and completion. Celebration of achieving this standard, and a sense of completing the whole process, from initial introduction to application, to observations, interview and final assessment. As anyone who has been through an accreditation process knows, there was much paperwork to put together. However within that process there was also a lot of reflection of why we do things a particular way. This opportunity - to refresh our thinking of how and why we do things - proved to be helpful.

I regularly talk about the evolution of our training as being divided up into time into two time periods - before COVID and after COVID. However, the truth is much more complex. Living in an ever-changing world, how we provide a good and useful set of training courses constantly evolves. Our experience of gaining accreditation two years ago provided us with the opportunity to challenge ourselves and to reflect on the ‘why’ and the ‘how’.

Meeting with the assessor, sharing some of our knowledge and expertise, and talking through different scenarios was a thoughtful and pleasurable experience. To connect with your peers, to have the opportunity to explain and showcase our training was positive. Ultimately, it reaffirmed both how and why we deliver training and demonstrated the structures we have in place to ensure both learners’ safety and the optimum learning environment.

So, two years’ after our accreditation, where are we now? We proudly continue to support Scottish Mediation, at their conferences and at Network meetings and through highlighting the invaluable work they do. 

Our Mediation Skills training attracts people from all walks of life, and having that standard – being accredited by Scottish Mediation – has a significance and weight for our learners and those who commission us. And we continue to evolve our materials and delivery, based on evaluations, feedback and our ongoing experience.