Essential skills: It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability to: Apply dispute diagnostic skills including: recognising indicators of substance abuse recognise and respond appropriately to the indicators of domestic and family violence and abuse and power imbalances in client situations identifying, responding to and managing cultural dimensions of the conflict recognise own reactions to the dispute and/or disputants that might impair practitioner ability to conduct a fair process Apply relationship skills including: effective liaison and working relationships with other allied professionals establishing and maintaining trust and respect encouraging client self determination recognising own reactions to the dispute and/or disputants that might impair practitioner ability to conduct a fair process applying age appropriate methods of relating to and eliciting perceptions, information and responses from children who have experienced high levels of parental conflict Apply content management skills including: obtaining, identifying, analysing, prioritising and evaluating information assessing the issues and options and reasoning logically reading, comprehending and using relevant documentation writing clearly and concisely using neutral language creating, maintaining and organising records and materials in an appropriate manner eliciting information from other professionals in the dispute resolution process using and exchanging information in a manner that broadens rather than limits the participants' options Apply process skills including conducting appropriate intake procedures and ascertaining appropriateness of mediation for participants assisting participants to articulate concerns, negotiate and develop an agenda assisting participants in converting positions of interest and to explore own underlying interests and become aware of others, particularly children work within a child focused approach. encouraging clients to focus on future options and contingencies and to create and assess workable options assisting clients to understand consequences of their suggestions and plans |