Paid Foundational Course
Child-Inclusive Practice Fundamentals
Child-Inclusive Practice Fundamentals
A safeguarding-led foundation for hearing children without harm
Duration: 3 hours | Live online
Children have the right to be heard.
They also have the right not to be burdened with adult responsibility.
Child-Inclusive Practice Fundamentals is a 3-hour foundational training for professionals whose work is influenced by children’s voices, behaviour or expressed wishes in the context of family conflict or separation.
This course builds on the free introductory session Why Child Voice Requires Containment and provides a structured, safeguarding-led exploration of how children communicate distress, safety and need, and how professionals can interpret that communication ethically and developmentally.
This training is about understanding, not technique.
It is designed to slow practice down, reduce harm and strengthen professional judgement.
About The Trainer
Katy Harris is a UK family mediator, trainer and international speaker specialising in trauma-informed, child-inclusive practice. She has over 20 years’ experience working with children, families and professionals across child development, safeguarding, mediation and early intervention. She is the founder of Mediation Matters Midlands and The London Mediation Company, lead of the Wellingborough Family Court Mediation Pilot and co-host of the international Bridging the Gap conference.
Practical details
- Duration: 3 hours (live online)
- Format: Interactive teaching, reflection and Q&A
- Materials: Slides and post-session resources
- Certificate: Certificate of completion (attendance and learning only)
Our Professional Bodies
Who this course is for
This course is designed for:
- Family mediators and aspiring mediators
- Family lawyers and legal professionals
- CAFCASS and court-adjacent professionals
- Mental health practitioners working with separated families
- Safeguarding, early-help and education professionals
- Anyone whose decisions or reports are shaped by children’s expressed views
It is particularly relevant for professionals working in systems where children’s voices are reported, summarised or relied upon in adult decision-making.
No prior child-inclusive mediation training is required.
What this course is (and isn’t)
This course is:
- A safeguarding-first foundation
- Grounded in child development, trauma and neurodiversity
- Focused on ethical interpretation rather than extraction of views
- Designed to reduce misinterpretation and escalation
This course is not:
- Skills training for meeting with children
- A qualification to practise Child-Inclusive Mediation
- A replacement for FMC-approved CIM training
What the course covers
1. The ethical frame (45 minutes)
- Voice vs choice
- Child-first vs child-led
- When neutrality becomes unsafe
- Why adult responsibility must stay with adults
2. How children communicate under stress (60 minutes)
- Developmental limits on choice and responsibility
- Trauma responses such as certainty, silence, anger and appeasement
- Loyalty binds and relational pressure
- Why children can sound “clear” while feeling unsafe
Break (10 minutes)
3. Common professional misinterpretations (45 minutes)
- Treating preference as decision
- Treating voice as evidence
- Treating resistance as defiance
- Over-weighting single statements, incidents or behaviours
4. Safeguarding and ethical containment (20 minutes)
- When child inclusion increases risk
- Suitability and pause points
- Ethical limits of child participation
5. Integration and Q&A (20 minutes)
- Professional language that protects children
- Boundary statements for practice, reports and discussions
- Clear signposting for next steps
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Accredited family mediators with over 16 years of experience working with families, focusing on the mental health, wellbeing, and cooperation of your seperation.
82%
Found online family mediation to be more successful and rewarding through online channels.
98%
Family mediation proved to provide a more successful and agreeable resolution than the courts.
93%
Percentage of mediation cases that are successful in resolving disputes amicably.
Common misconceptions about child-inclusive practice
Child-inclusive practice is often misunderstood. This course directly addresses and corrects assumptions that can unintentionally cause harm, including:
- The belief that listening to children means asking them to decide
- The idea that children’s words are neutral or objective
- The assumption that more child voice is always safer
- Confusing reporting with ethical listening
- Mistaking certainty or silence for emotional safety
Participants are supported to develop a more nuanced, developmentally informed understanding of what children’s voices are actually communicating.
What you will gain
Participants will leave with:
- A clear framework for understanding when listening helps and when it harms
- Greater confidence interpreting children’s voices in context
- Stronger safeguarding awareness in child-inclusive work
- Language to hold boundaries with parents, colleagues and systems
Reduced risk of unintentionally burdening children
Who should not attend this course
This course is not suitable for:
- Professionals seeking training in how to meet with or interview children
- Those looking for certification or qualification in Child-Inclusive Mediation
- Practitioners wanting tools to gather evidence or support court recommendations
- Anyone seeking quick techniques to “apply” child voice in decision-making
- Professionals involved in active litigation looking to support a specific case position
This training does not prepare participants to involve children directly in mediation or dispute resolution.
How this fits the wider pathway
This course sits within Hearing the Child Without Harm, a safeguarding-first training model structured in three tiers:
- Free 60-minute taster – Why Child Voice Requires Containment
- This 3-hour foundational course – Child-Inclusive Practice Fundamentals
- Advanced practitioner training (CPD) – Advanced Child-Inclusive Mediation Practice
Progression is optional and values-led. This course stands alone but also prepares professionals for deeper learning where appropriate.
Complimentary Mediation Services
To help families to the best of our abilities, we provide a handful of complimentary services such as a free initial consultation or telephone call assessment, and basic parent plans to help guide you moving forward. If you would like more details about these services.
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COVID UPDATE
Covid-19 Notice
With the impact of COVID-19, some of our services have been amended accordingly. As an additional option, we are continuing to offer a full service to clients through online means. Now that restrictions are lifted, we will also be offering the option of face-to-face meetings keeping to the government’s social distancing guidelines.
Measure their body temperature
Frequently disinfect hands
Wear face masks if required/ or asked
LINKS
ADDRESS
Suite 2,
Rosehill 165 Lutterworth Road,
Blaby,
Leicester, LE8 4DY
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