Welcome to the autumn newsletter.
I hope you’ve all had a good summer, despite the weather, and have managed to take a break from normal routines?
I had a fantastic, if slightly unexpected, time in the Ukraine and have come back with lots of impressions and good memories. If anyone would like to see my photos, there are quite a few and I would be happy to share them so let me know!
This month’s bulletin is short as things tend to be quieter over the summer, so here are the items I’ll update you on;
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The Blog
Polly, I and other contributors have tried to make the blog a place for mediators to put down their thoughts, start some discussions and keep in touch with each other. However, we have come to the conclusion that it’s not being well used and we need to rethink this aspect of our communication with each other.
We hope to revamp the Mediation Hertfordshire website over the next few months and, as part of that process, to have a Members Area which we will access via a password. This area could then be used to share information and thoughts with each other, much as we hoped the blog would do.
If anyone would like to continue with the blog, in the meantime, and is willing to monitor its use and add new content, please do let me know as it would be shame not to have a virtual forum when it can fulfil an important purpose.
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Peer Support Groups and Future Training
A number of meetings of the PS groups have already taken place and there will be 3 more happening in September.
Tal has offered to host a group for southern volunteers and will be circulating a date for that shortly. Phil is hosting a central group 2 meeting on Tuesday 13th September at his home in Harpenden – please check with the office if you’re unsure of the address. I will host a central group meeting in St Albans on Monday 26th September at 7pm. Please can you inform the host if you plan to attend. Each group should decide the date of the next meeting at the end and who will host that meeting. Could feedback of the main points discussed and any learning from the group be relayed to the office so that this can be circulated either via the Newsletter or e-mail?
Polly has been planning some training to take place prior to Christmas and is in the throes of arranging 2 evening training sessions – to be facilitated by Duncan and me. It is hoped that one will be in October and the second one in November and Wednesday evenings seem preferred by the majority. Please look out for further information about this and we hope to see you at both the groups and the training events.
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Minimum Requirements for Mediators
Following our meeting in June, I circulated some information about minimum requirements. Some mediators were concerned that attending 3 round tables a year might be challenging, given that a significant number of cases do not reach that stage. These guidelines are purely that; something to aim for in order to maintain good practice and develop our mediation skills. The principle behind these is that mediators make themselves available for a minimum number of cases, but can use experience gained in their work or volunteering elsewhere to make up any shortfall. It would be interesting for this to be a discussion item at the support groups and to get more feedback about how to ensure that everyone has opportunities to develop their skills as a mediator.
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Funding Bids
We are currently waiting to hear about 2 funding bids, which would provide opportunities for mediators should we be successful. The first is the Herts County Council Targeted Services Fund – we have put in a partnership bid with Family Lives (formerly Parentline Plus) to provide a mediation service for schools and young people, where the young person is at risk of exclusion or is being reintegrated to school following a period of absence. The second bid is to Awards For All – to provide a workplace mediation service for small, voluntary sector organisations which are struggling with staffing or volunteer issues but cannot afford to buy in our services. For both of those projects, we would require mediators who are confident to work with schools and parents and/or in the workplace setting. I will update you on the outcome which we should know by late September.
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Board Developments
Our Trustees have decided to set up 2 subgroups in order to take forward plans for developing MH’s activities and supporting staff and mediators. One of the groups will be considering how to improve internal communications, particularly between volunteers and Board members, and the other group will be discussing the issue of developing volunteer skills, as is currently being addressed by the proposal on minimum requirements and the training programme to be rolled out shortly. If you have any particular thoughts or suggestions to make on either of the above, Macarena is the Trustee who has been tasked to take special responsibility for these areas. I’m sure she would be happy to hear from you and get ideas on how to take this forward.
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Mediation Herts AGM
Here is an early notification of the date and venue for our AGM;
Tuesday 18th October from 6.30 - 9pm
Friends Meeting House,
St Mary’s Road,
Hemel Hempstead
HP2 5ZB
The speaker will be Tony Shinner from Mediation Bucks who will be talking about how his service is diversifying its activities in order to remain sustainable and viable. It should be an interesting and thought-provoking evening!
Official invitations will be sent out in mid-September but please make a note of the date in your diaries and calendars.
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