AMDRAS Mediator Accreditation cheat sheet

AMDRAS-accredited training is structured as a minimum 38-hour foundational course (typically five days) followed by assessment; shorter workshops do not satisfy the training prerequisite.

Core curriculum units cover: conflict theory, mediation models, communication and reframing skills, negotiation dynamics, ethics, and the legislative framework governing mediation.

Training must include supervised simulated mediation practice with feedback; role-play hours are counted separately from lecture hours in course records.

Assessment in accredited courses has two components: a written/theory component and a practical skills assessment where the candidate mediates a simulated dispute and is observed against a competency rubric.

Common competency rubric items include: opening statement and process explanation, agenda setting, summarising and reframing, managing emotion and power imbalance, generating and testing options, and closing/agreement writing.

Co-mediation experience is a recognised pathway: hours accrued co-mediating with an accredited mediator can count toward the practical experience prerequisite, subject to the assessor's sign-off.

Continuing professional development is mandatory for continuing accreditation; a typical requirement is a set number of CPD hours per cycle, with a portion allocated to ethics.

Recognition of prior learning may reduce course hours but cannot waive the practical assessment; candidates must still demonstrate skills live.

Accreditation is competency-based: applicants must satisfy education/training, practical experience, assessment, and good-standing criteria simultaneously; failing one criterion blocks accreditation.

The standard evidence bundle is: training certificate, practical experience log signed by a supervising mediator, assessment result, referee statements, and a current police/background check where required.

Accreditation is time-limited; renewal requires evidence of CPD hours, a minimum number of mediations conducted during the cycle, and a declaration of continuing good standing.

Accreditation grades/tiers exist in most schemes (e.g., entry-level vs. advanced/senior); progression requires a higher mediation count and additional assessment or refereed practice.

Grounds for refusal or revocation include: dishonest application materials, criminal conviction relevant to practice, professional misconduct findings, and failure to maintain CPD.

A complaints and discipline process sits alongside accreditation: complaints are investigated, and sanctions range from conditions on practice through suspension to removal from the register.

Accreditation bodies must publish their competency standards and assessment criteria; assessors must declare conflicts of interest and cannot assess candidates they have trained without disclosure.

Insurance and membership of a recognised professional association are commonly required adjuncts to accreditation, not substitutes for it.

Mediator duties: impartiality, neutrality as to outcome, confidentiality, competence, informed consent, and self-determination of the parties.

The opening statement must cover: mediator role and neutrality, voluntariness, confidentiality and its limits, process structure, parties' authority to settle, and fees.

Confidentiality has recognised exceptions: threats of serious harm, child abuse or neglect, court orders, and party-authorised disclosure; these must be disclosed to parties at the outset.

Mediators must screen for family violence, power imbalance, and capacity issues; where safety cannot be assured, the matter should be referred to shuttle, supported, or non-mediation processes.

Separate (caucus) sessions are confidential by default; information from a caucus may be shared only with that party's consent.

The mediator does not give legal advice, does not decide the outcome, and must not draft terms that require legal interpretation without referring parties to independent legal advice.

Agreements should be recorded in the parties' own words where possible, checked back for accuracy, and signed; enforceability depends on the governing jurisdiction's framework.

Fees, cancellation terms, and the mediator's role in any subsequent proceedings must be disclosed in writing before the mediation begins.

Registration is the administrative act of entering an accredited mediator on the public register; accreditation is the substantive competency determination, and registration follows from it.

The register typically records: name, accreditation level, date of accreditation, renewal date, languages, specialisations, and any conditions or sanctions currently in force.

Applicants must submit a complete application with all evidence items; incomplete applications are held, not assessed, and are returned if evidence is not supplied within the stated period.

Renewal is not automatic: the registrant must lodge a renewal application before the expiry date with CPD and practice evidence; late renewal may attract a late fee or a lapse in registration.

A lapsed registration means the person cannot hold out as an accredited mediator; reinstatement after lapse usually requires a reinstatement application and may require re-assessment.

Registrants must notify the registrar of changes within a set period: change of contact details, criminal charges or convictions, and any professional disciplinary action.

The register is public and searchable; members of the public can verify a mediator's current status, level, and any conditions attached to practice.

Fees are set per cycle and per level; non-payment of the renewal fee results in suspension or removal from the register until the fee is paid.