Tier 3 - Paid Foundational Course
Advanced Child-Inclusive Mediation Practice
Tier 3 – Advanced Child-Inclusive Mediation Practice (CPD)
A practitioner-level, safeguarding-led one-day in-person intensive
Advanced Child-Inclusive Mediation Practice is a one-day, in-person CPD programme for experienced mediators and professionals who already work with child voice in the context of family conflict and separation.
This training is safeguarding-led and practitioner-focused. It does not train or certify Child-Inclusive Mediation practice and does not replace FMC-approved CIM training. Its purpose is to strengthen professional judgement, ethical containment and safeguarding decision-making where child voice is already present.
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.
Format and delivery
- Format: In-person intensive
- Length: One full-day format
- Size: Small cohorts to ensure safety, depth and containment
This programme is grounded in the Hearing the Child Without Harm framework:
Hear – Contain – Hold – Interpret – Integrate
A safeguarding-first model that ensures children’s voices are understood in context and ethically integrated into adult decision-making without placing emotional or decision-making burden on the child.
Our Professional Bodies
Why this training exists
Children’s voices are increasingly present in family justice and mediation processes.
Without sufficient developmental, trauma and neurodiversity-informed understanding, child voice can be unintentionally misused, becoming evidence, choice or emotional burden rather than safeguarded information.
This programme exists to support practitioners to:
- interpret children’s expressed views safely and ethically
- avoid transmitting child voice raw into adult decision-making
- hold adult responsibility firmly with adults
- maintain safeguarding clarity under parental, professional or court pressure
Who this training is for
This programme is designed for:
- FMCA-qualified family mediators
- CIM-trained mediators seeking stronger safeguarding judgement
- Experienced practitioners working in high-conflict or court-adjacent contexts
- Senior professionals with responsibility for screening, supervision or complex cases
Participants are expected to bring professional experience and accountability.
This is not an introductory or foundation-level course.
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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Complimentary Services
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What the training focuses on
The programme strengthens practitioner competence in:
- screening and suitability for child-inclusive work
- developmentally informed interpretation of child voice
- trauma- and neurodivergence-aware understanding
- ethical feedback to parents without escalating conflict
- managing parental dysregulation and professional pressure
- documentation principles, boundaries and ethical exit points
Advanced themes are explored at a conceptual and safeguarding level, including alignment dynamics, loyalty binds, coercive control and post-separation risk.
How this training relates to FMC-approved CIM pathways
This programme:
- does not certify Child-Inclusive Mediation practice
- does not replace FMC-approved CIM training
- sits alongside existing CIM pathways as advanced professional CPD
Its focus is ethical strengthening and safeguarding judgement rather than qualification or accreditation.
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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.
Why this training is delivered in person
Practitioner-level child-inclusive work involves safeguarding judgement, relational presence, ethical containment and accountability.
For these reasons, this programme is delivered in person only, allowing for:
- contained and reflective practitioner discussion
- supervision-informed learning
- safeguarding oversight
- professional accountability
This ensures children are protected and adult responsibility remains firmly held.
Positioning statement
The staged structure of the Hearing the Child Without Harm pathway exists to prevent the premature or unsafe involvement of children in adult conflict. Progression to practitioner-level training is intentional, not assumed.
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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