1. By Sir Henry Brooke Accredited Mediator Member of LADR Chair, the Civil Mediation Council

2.  From bitter wrangling  To a happy settlement  Within six hours

3.  Most disputes get resolved on their own  Or with help from HR, trade union etc  But some get stuck  A need for a trusted third party neutral

4.  Active listening and empathy  Open questions and play back  Exploring needs & concerns & interests – not just legal rights  Helping people move from entrenched positions  To a willingness to see the other side’s point of view

5.  Don’t wait until relationships break down  Tackle disputes early on  ACAS can’t do it all  Scope for private workplace mediators, too

6.  21 registered providers already  The website shows where they each work  The requirements for registration  A pilot scheme  These requirements may be made tougher  Transparency in the mediation marketplace

7.  The challenge today:  The 2004 Act didn’t work  Can we make the 2008 Act work?  The benefits of early dispute resolution are colossal  This is what today is all about