Mediation Service Resolve workplace disputes impartially and confidentially

Key Benefits

• Many kinds of workplace

disagreements can be

mediated if those involved

want to find a way forward.

• Mediation can be used at

any stage in a dispute.

• It is objective and solution

focussed.

• It offers swift resolution of

workplace disputes,

supports a happy and

productive environment,

helps staff morale and

improves staff retention.

Mediation helps you resolve workplace

disputes and rebuild professional

relationships, so helping prevent the

time, money and stress involved in

tribunals.

We will send you an independent, impartial, ACAS

trained mediator who will ask questions that

explore underlying workplace issues, assist the

parties to understand them and help them to clarify

the options to reach joint solutions.

Your mediator will be objective and keep the focus

on all parties working together to go forward.

Although most cost-effective and valuable if used

early and before any formal action is taken,

mediation can help at any stage in a dispute and is

outside of any formal procedure.

“Schools’ Choice support and good advice has been above and beyond reasonable expectations and I am extremely grateful for your professionalism and expertise, especially during those challenging moments!”

The Bridge School Suffolk

Voluntary - It is up to the

participants if they wish to

agree to mediation and they

can withdraw at any point in

the process.

Confidential - A condition of

taking part in mediation is

that all participants maintain

strict confidentiality.

The mediator will not

disclose the content of any

mediation sessions unless

this is discussed and agreed

with the parties involved as

an outcome.

Management will be notified

only that mediation has been

concluded. Some information

may be shared if this is

agreed by the participants.

Informal - Participants can

come to any agreement,

written or verbal, they wish,

though it is not legally or

otherwise binding (except in

honour) and mediation does

not prevent participants from

using the school’s formal

procedures in the future.

Timely - Though it is

dependent on availability of

the participants to attend

individual and joint meetings,

it is often possible to

conclude the whole process

within a week.

If mediation happens earlier

in the process rather than

later, it can also mean that

everything is ’back to normal’

in the shortest time possible.

Cost-effective - Successful

mediation costs far less both

financially and emotionally

than participating in a

tribunal.

Participants have

involvement in the outcome

and are committed to make it

succeed.

It usually leads to staff

retention, it saves schools

the time and money involved

in hiring and inducting new

staff.

The mediation process is:

Next Steps

If you’d like to find out more about how our Mediation

Service can help your school, please contact the Schools’

Choice team. We will listen to your needs and tailor a

service to meet your unique requirements.

T: 0300 123 1420

E: services@schoolschoice.org

W: www.schoolschoice.org