Workplace and Employment Mediation: In-House Practitioner-Led Masterclass

Most workplace conflicts that end up at an Employment Tribunal could have been resolved earlier, at lower cost, with less damage to all involved. Mediation is the mechanism that makes that possible — but only when the people involved know how to use it. This intensive one-day masterclass gives your HR team, managers, and legal advisers the practical skills and knowledge to make mediation work, delivered at your premises in the context of your organisation’s policies and the types of conflict you actually encounter.

Enquire About In-House Delivery

Discuss Your Requirements

Sending individuals to an open course works for some organisations. For others, in-house delivery is the more practical and cost-effective choice. Here is why organisations choose the in-house option.

• Your policies, your procedures, your cases. The open course is built around real cases drawn from Robin’s 25 years of practice. The in-house course can use your own case types, your own policies, and your own disciplinary or grievance framework as the working material. Your delegates will leave knowing how the training applies to the work they actually do.
• The whole team trained on the same day. Rather than sending individuals to open courses at different times and getting inconsistent results, in-house delivery gives your entire team a shared foundation, a common language, and a consistent standard on the same day.
• No travel time or delegate absence beyond the training day. Delegates attend at your premises or a nearby venue you choose, with no day of travel before or after.
• Cost-effective at scale. At £4,990 + VAT for up to 12 delegates, the in-house day works out at £416 per delegate for a full team of 12 — significantly less than the open course rate, and with content tailored specifically to your organisation.
• Preparation included. The price covers Robin’s preparation time. There are no hidden extras for pre-course reading, customisation discussions, or materials development.

Customisation

The standard in-house programme covers the same comprehensive content as the open course. If your organisation has specific requirements — particular policies to focus on, sector-specific considerations, case types that arise regularly in your workplace, or a different emphasis or running order — the content can be adapted.

Customisation is agreed in advance. Robin will discuss what changes you need, confirm what is possible within a standard day’s programme, and agree whether any significant departures from the standard content affect the price. In most cases they do not. More substantial redesign of the programme may be priced separately, and this will always be agreed before any commitment is made.

If you are unsure whether your requirements need customisation or whether the standard programme would suit you well, contact Robin directly for a no-obligation conversation.

Who Is This For

This in-house masterclass is designed for:

• HR professionals and HR business partners who need to understand mediation, refer cases appropriately, prepare parties effectively, and commission mediations with confidence
• Practising or aspiring mediators who want to deepen their understanding of workplace and employment mediation practice
• In-house legal advisers and employment lawyers who represent parties in mediation and want to act as genuinely effective mediation advocates
• Managers and senior leaders who want to understand what mediation involves before they find themselves in one
• Organisations with responsibilities under the new all-reasonable-steps sexual harassment duty that want their people to understand how mediation fits within a broader prevention and resolution framework

Why This Masterclass

The most common mistake parties make in mediation is approaching it as though it were litigation. A legal representative who turns up with a position paper and an adversarial mindset will derail a workplace mediation before it has begun. An HR professional who has never understood the difference between workplace mediation and employment mediation will prepare their party for the wrong process.

This masterclass starts with the distinction that most training ignores: workplace mediation and employment mediation are not the same process. They have different purposes, different dynamics, different measures of success, and they require different behaviour from everyone in the room.

Built directly on Winning in Workplace and Employment Mediation — a 550-page practitioner text covering the complete mediation process — the in-house day can be anchored to your organisation’s conflict context, your HR policies, and the types of disputes your people are most likely to face. One day. Both types of mediation. Everything your team actually needs.

Programme

Morning — Understanding Mediation and Preparing for It

• Workplace mediation vs employment mediation: the critical distinction that most training ignores
• What mediation is, what it is not, and what it can realistically achieve
• When mediation is appropriate: identifying suitable cases and knowing when not to refer
• The legal framework: confidentiality, without-prejudice protection, and the mediator’s role
• The new all-reasonable-steps sexual harassment duty and where mediation fits within a prevention and resolution framework
• Preparing parties for mediation: building emotional readiness, managing expectations, and helping parties identify their real interests
• Positions vs interests: the foundational distinction in interest-based negotiation and why it matters for mediation preparation
• The pre-mediation phase: what the mediator is doing in individual meetings and how to use that time effectively
• Whether to have a joint opening session: the arguments for and against, and how to approach it when it happens

Illustrated throughout with real Employment Tribunal cases and, where agreed in advance, scenarios drawn from your own organisation’s context.

Afternoon — The Mediation Day and Acting Effectively in It

• The structure of the mediation day: arrival, joint session, private sessions, shuttle diplomacy, and closing
• The joint opening session: what to say, how to say it, and the behaviour that creates the right conditions for settlement
• Private caucuses: what you can safely share with the mediator and how to use the session strategically
• Shuttle diplomacy: how proposals move between rooms and how to use the mediator as a strategic resource
• Opening positions, movement, and concessions: managing the negotiation through the day
• Managing difficult dynamics: high emotion, power imbalances, and reluctant parties
• Agreement drafting: working agreements, heads of terms, and the errors that create problems later
• What happens after mediation: implementation, settlement agreements, and what to do if the mediation does not settle
• Acting as a mediation advocate: the skills that help your client and the habits that harm the process
• The mediator’s toolkit: facilitation, reframing, reality-testing, and shuttle diplomacy

Interactive exercises and discussion throughout the day, using real scenarios relevant to your organisation.

About Your Trainer

Robin Somerville LLM is a CEDR Accredited Mediator, practising barrister, and one of the UK’s most experienced workplace and employment mediators. He has been involved in over 1,000 mediations, investigations, hearings, and appeals across 25 years, including mediations involving CEOs, directors, senior executives, and complex multi-party employment disputes. He is the author of Winning in Workplace and Employment Mediation and two further published books on investigations and decision-making. His mediation practice covers both workplace mediation and employment mediation, and is at the front line of the Employment Rights Act 2025 and the new all-reasonable-steps sexual harassment duty.

Endorsements

“Whether you are the employee whose working life is at stake or the employer carrying the cost and the consequences, this book is written for you. Winning in mediation means arriving at the best outcome available once the risk, cost, time, and stress of the alternative are factored in.”

From the foreword to Winning in Workplace and Employment Mediation

“Exceptional professionalism, legal expertise, and personal approach.”

Previous client

Enquire or Book

To discuss in-house delivery of the Workplace and Employment Mediation: In-House Practitioner-Led Masterclass for your organisation, contact Robin directly. He is happy to have an initial no-obligation conversation about your requirements, answer questions about the content, and confirm availability for your preferred dates.

robin@robinsomerville.co.uk    |    020 8242 4106    |    www.robinsomerville.co.uk

All in-house bookings are confirmed in writing with a clear statement of the agreed programme, dates, location, delegate numbers, and price before any commitment is required.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do delegates need mediation experience to attend?

No. The masterclass is designed to be useful whether delegates are encountering mediation for the first time or have been involved in many cases.

Is this for mediators, HR professionals, or lawyers?

All three. The day is structured to serve mediators who want to develop their practice, HR professionals who need to understand and use mediation effectively, and legal advisers who represent parties in mediation. The content is relevant and practical for all three audiences.

What is included in the price?

The price of £4,990 + VAT covers up to 12 delegates, the full day’s training, all course materials, a copy of Winning in Workplace and Employment Mediation per delegate (550 pages, cover price £49.99), and Robin’s preparation time. Additional delegates are charged at £50 + VAT per person.

Is there a minimum number of delegates?

No. Robin will deliver the training for any number of delegates your organisation wishes to include.

Can the content be tailored to our organisation?

Yes. The programme can be adapted to your organisation’s conflict context, your HR policies, and the types of disputes your people are most likely to face. Customisation is discussed and agreed in advance.

Where is the training delivered?

At your premises, or at an off-site venue of your choice and arrangement. Travel costs outside London may apply and will be agreed in advance.

Does this course qualify for CPD?

Yes. The masterclass qualifies for CPD hours and certificates of attendance will be provided. Please check with your professional body regarding recognition.

What is the cancellation policy?

Cancellation terms will be confirmed in writing when the booking is agreed. Please see the booking terms and conditions for full details.