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The Dispute Resolution
Training and Membership Specialists

Tel: 1300 781 533 

CHC81115 - Graduate Diploma of Family Dispute Resolution

Inspiritive

Deliverer through a training partnership with RTO Inspiritive 21178. All training and assessments are provided by Mediation Institute. Quality Control and Validation provided by Inspiritive. 

This program is designed for Australians aspiring to fulfil the qualification criteria necessary for becoming a registered Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner (Family Law Mediator). Registration is facilitated through the Australian Attorney General’s Practitioner Registration department.

The course equips participants with the essential skills to offer competent and professional services as a Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner, specialising in resolving issues related to parenting, finance, and property among family members post-separation.

Individuals eligible for direct entry into the program include those with a degree or higher in law, psychology, social work, or dispute resolution. Alternatively, direct entry is available for individuals with evidence of significant industry experience in a dispute resolution environment or accreditation as an NMAS Accredited Mediator.

Mediation Institute offers training and accreditation for those seeking NMAS Mediator Accreditation.

It’s important to note that counseling degrees do not serve as direct prerequisites for enrolment or registration with just the core units of competence. Individuals with counseling degrees may need to follow the NMAS Mediator Accreditation pathway or provide documentation evidencing their experience in working with dispute resolution cases to enrol in the core units exclusively.

For those interested in the course but lacking the specified prerequisites, completion of the NMAS course first is an option, adding 6–12 weeks (depending on availability) to the study timeline. More details about the NMAS course can be found here.

What is different about Mi's CHC81115 - Graduate Diploma of Family Dispute Resolution

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No Mandatory Workshops

Using the internet and video meeting technology, you get to participate in the course, including role-plays
from your home or office or even when you’re on holidays.

You will need a computer with a web camera and audio capabilities and preferably a headset to block out surrounding noise.

You can even join video meetings by smartphone or tablet but the course work is best done on a computer as is participating in FDR role-plays.  

We run webinars every Monday/Tuesday that it is great to attend live if you can, but the design of the course is to fit into your lifestyle and responsibilities, so the webinars are optional. 

Play Video about FDR Practitioner Tutorial

Who is this course for?

 

This course is for anyone who wants to become a Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner (Family Law Mediator) registered with the Australian Attorney General’s department in Australia. 

Our course provides you with all the knowledge and skills you need to complete pre-mediation and mediation for people dealing with parenting issues, financial issues and property settlement issues following separation. 

We offer ongoing enrolment from Mid January right through to Mid December each year. You join the course when you are ready and move through at your own pace. 

Ready to get started? 

Want to review offline?

 

Is your employer paying or you need to make a family decision about taking this course? 

You can download our CHC81115 Graduate Diploma of Family Dispute Resolution Course Guide by clicking the blue button below. 

This comprehensive document covers all the important information about this course.

 

What are the step to becoming a FDR Practitioner?

Chc81115 - Graduate Diploma Of Fdr Steps To Fdrp Registration With Mi

What is the Delivery Model?

Immediate Start

You start your course as soon as you are enrolled. No waiting. No long delays or unrealistic timelines based on other students. We practice individualised learning.
 

Online Learning

Training and assessment are online. Mandatory work placement is online with real clients (if with Interact Support)  or arranged locally with a FDR service or independent FDR Practitioner.

You can undertake the course and assessment for competence from anywhere in Australia. You can even do the course outside of Australia, although you must be in Australia for the work placement and to offer FDR services.

The learning of theory: online learning is a course where you can read the information, watch recorded webinars, attend live webinars (if you can) and assessed through a variety of assessment tasks to ensure you have the knowledge you require to be a Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner.

Skills development: you will develop your skills in live mentored video mediation role-plays with other students with live mentoring by one of our training team.  

Workplace Experience: achieved through work placement. The requirement is 50 hours of work placement, and unlike other providers, we do not interpret role-plays as the same as a work placement.

With Mediation Institute, you will have the opportunity to work with a minimum of 5 families to help them with their parenting, property or family violence issues during your work placement.

Course Duration

The course takes between nine and eighteen months to complete.

It is nominally 675 hours in duration; however, that is worked out by adding up each unit individually. We have clustered the learning for the core units into a course that is delivered coherently to avoid duplication. 

Depending on the time you commit, we recommend planning for 6 – 8 months for the core units only and 9 – 12 months for the full qualification. 

 You can complete the course quicker if you have the time and commitment to your studies. Our flexible delivery model means you are not held back by other students of set times you have access to content. 

The course is self-paced, allowing you to move through it as quickly or slowly as your other commitments and learning style dictate.

The course requires you to demonstrate competence in role-plays before commencing your work placement. The number of role-plays you will have to do as a mediator will depend on how many it takes for you to be assessed as competent.

You will receive detailed and specific feedback about your strengths and the areas for improvement at the end of every role-play.

You have two years to complete the course, although you should expect to complete it in a year or less. If you cannot study for some time, you can put the course on hold; however, this cannot be indefinite. 

Pathway to Master of Conflict Management and Resolution

This course gives you a pathway to the Master of Conflict Management and Resolution at James Cook University. The opportunity is uniquely designed to offer a significant advantage to students who have completed the CHC81115 Graduate Diploma of Family Dispute Resolution. By achieving this diploma, students earn credit for four subjects within the Master’s program, accounting for a substantial one-third of the overall Master’s requirements.

Pre-Requisites

Pre-Requisites - Website

This course has prerequisite qualifications, experience or accreditations required to be eligible for enrolment. 

To enrol, you must have: 

  • an undergraduate degree or higher qualification in Psychology, Social Work, Law, Conflict Management, Dispute Resolution, Family Law Mediation or equivalent or 
  • hold accreditation under the National Mediator Accreditation System (NMAS) or 
  • hold the Mediation skill set from the Community Services Training Package (CHC) or 
  • Provide documented evidence of previous (recent) experience in a dispute resolution environment in a job role involving self-directed application of knowledge with substantial depth in some areas, the exercise of independent judgement and decision-making, and various technical and other skills. A letter from a current or recent employer would be sufficient. 

If you meet these requirements, you are eligible to enrol. The next step is to complete the enrolment form, which you can find on our website. CHC81115 Enrolment Form | Mediation Institute 

Counselling Degrees

Counselling degrees are not included as one of the prerequisite qualifications to allow direct entry to enrol or to register with just the core units of competence.

You may need to complete the NMAS Mediator Accreditation pathway or provide documentation evidence of working with dispute resolution cases to enrol in the core units only.

If you wish to undertake this course and don’t meet the prerequisites, you can complete the NMAS course first (this adds 6 –12 weeks, depending on your time availability to study). You can find out more information about the NMAS course here. 

Course content is delivered via eLearning. Course Units are:

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to determine and respond to family law requirements, work collaboratively within the family law system, and contribute to improved work practices linked to family law.

The three elements that you will demonstrate competence in are:

  1. Determine and respond to family law requirements
  2. Collaborate with others in the family law system
  3. Contribute to workplace improvements

Performance Evidence

There must be evidence that the candidate has:

  1. correctly applied family law to at least 5 different client situations, that individually or cumulatively include needs relating to domestic and family violence/safety, finance, property, children, relationship conflict
  2. demonstrated effective use of the following in the context of family law. Systems and processes, documentation, reporting and collaboration with others in the system
  3. developed appropriate responses to at least 5 different legal or ethical dilemmas in the family law context
  4. identified and analysed at least 3 work practices in terms of how they meet family law responsibilities and what improvements could be made.

During the course you will demonstrate competence in role plays and simulations and then apply them in the workplace. If you are completing this unit as a stand alone course it is acceptable for all assessment to be completed in a simulated environment that simulates workplace conditions.

Delivery

This unit is delivered as part of our Core Units Course which is made of the six core units.

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to prepare for and facilitate the family dispute resolution process with the aim of assisting families to reach mutual agreement on issues related to relationships, children, property and assets.

It requires the ability to use mediation, conciliation, facilitation and conferencing skills.

The eight elements you will demonstrate competence in are:

  1. Determine suitability for dispute resolution
  2. Prepare for dispute resolution
  3. Assist participants to define and clarify the issues
  4. Facilitate communication and information exchange
  5. Invite the framing of the disputes to increase the range of options
  6. Encourage mutual personal understanding between participants
  7. Assist participants to generate and evaluate options
  8. Confirm and document outcomes and agreements

Performance Evidence

This is a very large and complex unit of competence. To be assessed as competent there must be evidence that you have completed the tasks identified above in a way that complies with legal requirements and ethical standards during a period of 50 hours of dispute resolution work with clients under the supervision of an accredited Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner in a dispute resolution service.

That includes:

Facilitating individually or in a co-facilitation capacity at least 5 different dispute resolution processes that individually or cumulatively include matters relating to domestic and family violence, child abuse and child protection, finances including child support, property.

You will expect to facilitate disputes involving multiple parties, voluntary participants and involuntary participant and including manage sessions where all the parties are present and shuttle situations

There is a detailed list of skills you will be required to demonstrate including dispute diagnostic skills, applied relationship skills, interpersonal communication skills, facilitation skills, critical thinking and content management skills and the ability to facilitate a fair and structured mediation process.

Practical Assessment

You will be participating in a number of role plays to develop your skills before you are able to participate in your work placement to ensure that you and your future clients are protected.

Delivery

This unit is delivered as part of our Core Units Course which is made of the six core units.

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to determine ethical responsibilities, apply ethical standards to the dispute resolution process and reflect on ethical practice.

The three elements you will demonstrate competence in are:

  1. Determine ethical responsibilities
  2. Apply ethical standards to the dispute resolution process
  3. Reflect on ethical practice

Performance Evidence

This unit requires that you demonstrate your ability to work within the legal and ethical requirements of the role during a period of 50 hours of dispute resolution work with clients under the supervision of an accredited family dispute resolution practitioner in a dispute resolution service. You will also be required to develop responses for at least 5 different complex ethical dilemmas in family dispute resolution practice.

Practical Assessment

You will be assessed against your ability to uphold your legal and ethical obligations in all of the role plays you participate in to develop your skills before you are able to participate in your work placement to ensure that you and your future clients are protected.

Delivery

This unit is delivered as part of our Core Units Course which is made of the six core units.

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to assess the suitability of the dispute resolution process for vulnerable parties and the support the physical and emotional protection of those parties. 

The three elements you will demonstrate competence in are:

  1. Assess the needs of vulnerable parties 
  2. Take measures to protect vulnerable parties
  3. Manage situations that threaten safety

Performance Evidence

This unit requires mandatory work placement evidence before you can be assessed as competent.

That includes:

Facilitating individually or in a co-facilitation capacity at least 5 different dispute resolution processes that individually or cumulatively include matters relating to domestic and family violence, mental health issues, alcohol and other drugs abuse and vulnerabilities associated with peoples cultural and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

You will be required to manage sessions where all parties are present and in a shuttle situation.

Practical Assessment

You will be participating in a number of role plays to develop your skills before you are able to participate in your work placement to ensure that you and your future clients are protected.

Delivery

This unit is delivered as part of our Family Dispute Resolution Cluster training unit which is made up of this unit, the other two core Family Dispute Resolution Units of Competence and CHCFAM001 – Operate in a Family Law Environment.

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to manage responses to family violence in domestic and family violence in family work.

The five elements you will demonstrate competence in are:

  1. Analyse the impact of domestic and family violence on family work
  2. Work within the legal context of domestic and family violence
  3. Implement organisation procedures that support family members to cease violent, controlling, intimidating and belittling behaviour
  4. Implement organisation procedures to promote safety for family members who are subject to violence
  5. Align service interventions to specific clients

Performance Evidence

This unit requires mandatory work placement evidence before you can be assessed as competent.

That includes:

Deliver services to at least 3 people affected by domestic and family violence.

You are also required to conduct research into the theoretical perspectives that underpin work with people affected by domestic and family violence, sourcing and analysing information from multiple credible sources.

It is required that you work with users of violence, victims of violence, families and colleagues from other services.

Some of the skills you will demonstrate when working with victims of family violence include goal setting and strategy development, questioning and active listening, counselling skills and relationship building skills.

Practical Assessment

Skills must be demonstrated in the workplace.

You will be participating in a number of role plays to develop your skills before you are able to participate in your work placement to ensure that you and your future clients are protected.

Delivery

This unit is delivered as a stand alone unit in our learning management system however it is assessed concurrently during your work placement.

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to use, support and evaluate child-focused approaches in service delivery in the context of family law. A key tenet of the family law system and associated service provision is acting and promoting the best interests of the child.

The four elements you will demonstrate competence in are:

  1. Make child needs central to service provision
  2. Support parents to maintain child focused approaches
  3. Respond to situations requiring child inclusive process
  4. Monitor and evaluate child-focused practice

Performance Evidence

This unit does not require mandatory work placement evidence before you can be assessed as competent however your ability to support a child focused approach will be assessed as part of your work placement.

That includes:

That you consistently apply the concepts and intention of working in the child’s best interests as stated in the Family Law Act 1975 in the planning, provision and monitoring of services to at least 3 families with children experiencing conflict

That you respond appropriately to situations where:

  • the child is vulnerable or at risk
  • there is a requirement for child inclusive practice.

Practical Assessment

You will be participating in a number of role plays to develop your skills and may undertake safety planning or review safety plans during your work placement. 

Delivery

This unit is delivered as a stand alone unit in our learning management system however it is assessed concurrently during your work placement.

The elective units in the CHC81115 – Graduate Diploma of Family Dispute Resolution are more general in nature.

If you feel that you already hold units of competence at the Graduate Diploma level in a relevant area or significant, recent, high level workplace experience in relevant skills area you may be eligible for recognition of current competence (if you possess a current unit of competence that is relevant) or recognition of prior learning if you have formal or informal training and recent workplace experience sufficient to provide evidence of competence.

Holders of the CHC80308 – Graduate Diploma of Family Dispute Resolution are not eligible for recognition of current competence as that course has been superseded and is not equivalent. The CHC81115 has a mandatory 50 hours of work placement so if you can demonstrate that you hold the old qualification and are conducting FDR you could be eligible for a RPL upgrade to the new qualification.

Find out more about our Recognition of Prior Learning Process.

You would not usually be able to get recognition of prior learning for the core units of this qualification because they apply to the work of a family dispute resolution practitioner which you can not legally do unless you are accredited with the Australian Attorney Generals Department. Unaccredited mediators who provide parenting and property mediation do not do so under the requirements of the Family Law Act 1975 so they will not have evidence of the legal and ethical requirements of a FDRP in order to gain RPL. Although some applicants work as intake workers in FDR services who use unaccredited practitioners to fulfil part of the role that is described in this qualification for FDRP’s there is not a single unit that only deals with intake work. 

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to assess the vulnerabilities of people who have been subjected to domestic and family violence, and to work collaboratively with those people to develop implement and review safety plans.

The three elements you will demonstrate competence in are:

  1. Assess vulnerabilities and their impact on safety
  2. Implement safety planning procedures
  3. Review safety planning procedures

Performance Evidence

This unit requires that the skills have been demonstrated in the workplace or in a simulated environment. It is possible you will complete the assessment requirements during your work placement but if not you will complete with role plays.
The requirements are:

  • developed and documented safety plans that take account of legal requirements and specific vulnerabilities, with and for at least 3 people who have been subjected to domestic and family violence
  • reviewed at least 2 different safety plans based on client and broader network feedback
  • used interpersonal communication skills to establish and maintain trusting relationships,

Practical Assessment

You will assist clients to understand and make use of safety planing in a supportive and empowering way. 

Delivery

This unit is delivered as a part of the elective units cluster which is made up of the four elective units.  

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to work with and engage users of violence to assist them to take responsibility for their violence, and to work towards changing their behaviour and enhancing the safety of their family.

The four elements you will demonstrate competence in are:

  1. Establish and maintain professional relationship
  2. Assess capacity for change
  3. Encourage personal responsibility
  4. Monitor and review progress

Performance Evidence

This unit requires that the skills have been demonstrated in the workplace or in a simulated environment. 

The requirements are:

  • worked with at least 3 users of violence and provided appropriate support to family members according to organisation, legal and ethical requirements
  • established, documented and monitored agreements with users of violence that include goals, strategies and outcomes.
  • used the following interpersonal communication techniques appropriately with users of domestic violence questioning and active listening, paraphrasing, clarifying, summarising, relationship and rapport building, challenging and supportive feedback and conflict de-escalation / resolution techniques.

Practical Assessment

You will participate role plays and also work with users of violence during your work placement.  

The evidence required is that you are able to identify users of violence, explain the behavioural ground rules for mediation and maintain a safe and fair process should mediation proceed.  This will include using shuttle mediation and also mediator facilitated negotiation simulations.

Delivery

This unit is delivered in our electives course which is made up of the four electives we have chosen.

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to assess parenting practice, then work with parents to prepare and monitor parenting plans and arrangements.

The three elements you will demonstrate competence in are:

  1. Assess current parenting practices
  2. Assist clients to agree on outcomes for parenting arrangements
  3. Monitor parenting arrangements

Performance Evidence

This unit requires that the skills have been demonstrated in the workplace or in a simulated environment. 

The requirements are:

  • Adhered to legal requirements for both process and outcome to assist at least 3 families with different circumstances to develop parenting arrangements that compromise a documented risk assessment, are in the best interests of the child, consider the complexities of relationships both in and out of the immediate family environment and set in place monitoring arrangements.

Practical Assessment

You will participate role plays and may provide post separation pre-mediation coaching, parallel parenting coaching and co-parenting coaching to parents as part of your work placement.  

The evidence required is that you are able to work with high conflict families to develop, review and update parenting arrangements. 

Generally this would be in the context of negotiating a Parenting Plan to replace Parenting Orders that are no longer working for family members, especially the child.

Delivery

This unit is delivered in our electives course which is made up of the four electives we have chosen.

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to analyse own values, goals and professional well-being as part of an ongoing review for sustaining professional effectiveness. It includes the ability to create a professional development plan that incorporates strategies to enhance the coherence and effectiveness of practice.

The four elements you will demonstrate competence in are:

  1. Review professional goals and values
  2. Review effectiveness of practice
  3. Maintain professional wellbeing
  4. Sustain professional effectiveness

Performance Evidence

This unit requires that the skills have been demonstrated in the workplace or in a simulated environment. You will be required to complete a number of activities including during your work placement and on your own initiative. 

The requirements are:

  • engage in a structured process of critical analysis and professional reflection that includes:
    • evidence based analysis of your own values, goals, current practice and their coherence
    • research of current and emerging best practice, trends and skills requirements
    • creation of a professional development plan that includes strategies to enhance effectiveness and coherence of practice
  • develop strategies to address at least three (3) different professional practice issues.

Practical Assessment

You will be required to participate in industry networking / professional development events with practitioners and develop your own professional development plan for your first year of professional practice taking into account the requirements of the unit and the profession.

Delivery

This unit is delivered in our electives course which is made up of the four electives we have chosen.

All students completing the Assist Clients to develop parenting arrangements units will be enrolled in the New Ways for Families Coach Training Course. This course is licensed from Bill Eddy from the High Conflict Institute by Interact Support Incorporated and delivered by Mediation Institute under a training arrangement. 

This is non-VET training which entitles certified coaches to apply for a license to deliver New Ways Coaching in Australia.

The course includes advanced mediation skills to work with high conflict personality clients as a mediator or as a pre-mediation coach.

New Ways Coaching Course Content.

  • Overview of High Conflict Patterns of Behaviour
  • Why New Ways?
  • The New Ways Skills
  • Practising the 4 New Ways Skills
  • How New Ways addresses High Conflict Issues
  • Assisting Clients with Decision Making
  • How to help clients avoid becoming a High Conflict Case
  • You will also be able to complete the full New Ways for Families Course (12 modules on the 4 big skills and co-parenting)
Normally valued at $300 per person and included in the course for any students completing the CHCFAM007 unit.
 

FAQs

This course has pre-requisite qualifications, experience or accreditations required to be eligible for enrolment.

To Enrol you must have:

  • an undergraduate degree or higher qualification in Psychology, Social Work, Law, Conflict Management, Dispute Resolution, Family Law Mediation or equivalent

or

  • hold accreditation under the National Mediator Accreditation System (NMAS)

or

  • hold the Mediation skill set from the Community Services Training Package (CHC)

or

  • provide documented evidence of previous (recent) experience in a dispute resolution environment in a job role involving self-directed application of knowledge with substantial depth in some areas, exercise of independent judgement and decision-making, and a range of technical and other skills.
    A letter from a current or recent employer would be sufficient evidence.

If you wish to undertake this course and don’t meet the pre-requisites, you can complete the NMAS course first (this adds 6 –12 weeks, depending on your time availability to study). For more information on the NMAS courses. 

The Student Handbook has the terms and conditions under which we offer training.

Mi Forms and Handbook

The best way to find out more about the course is to talk to us.

Ring us to ask any additional questions about the course, work as a mediator and about a career as a family dispute resolution practitioner. 

You can call 1300 781 533 or email and request a call back.

If you are nervous about the video mediation or unsure if your internet connection or computer are able to cope we can arrange for a video meeting to find out.

This course uses technology to deliver it.

That means that you do not need to travel anywhere to participate in training.

You can join tutorials, role plays, supervision and other activities from the convenience of your home and office.

No additional disruption to your family or costs for travel and accommodation. 

Absolutely. If you would like to participate as an observer or in one of our tutorials we would be happy to arrange it. Contact us to discuss.

As soon as you join the course you can book in for a video orientation meeting. This is to walk you through the learning management system and make sure that your technology is working. 

You can also register to join us on one of our webinars or web meetings – Mi Event Calendar

Our course requires you to participate in video mediation and will not be suitable for you if you refuse to use video mediation technology.

The COVID Pandemic has shown what we have long believed. We need to harness the available technology to facilitate the remote delivery of services to secure the future of our industry and the wellbeing of our clients.

We believe that video mediation is the way of the future and that we would be doing you an injustice to not build your skills and confidence in this method of providing professional services.

Yes you do. We are aware that other training providers are deeming role plays to be work placement. We do not agree.  We strongly feel that this short changes learners, even those experienced in family law and especially those who are not.

While role plays are great learning tools they do not adequately simulate real world experience.

Work Placement Options

  1. If you have existing connections with a Family Dispute Resolution service or practitioners you can arrange your own placement. You will have to work with a minimum of 5 cases (usually between 5 and 10) over 50 hours.
  2. If you live in a regional area you may find that your local Family Relationship Center will assist with a placement (or a job). This is less likely in metro areas but it doesn’t hurt to ask.
  3. You can do your work placement with Interact Support. Mediation Institute directors established Interact Support Incorporated to ensure that our students have the opportunity for their 50 hour work placement.  Interact Support Incorporated. A supervision fee does apply to work placements with Interact Support.

Interact operates as a social enterprise style not-for-profit where we charge moderate fees for “gap filler” services with the option of hardship rates for anyone experiencing financial difficulty.

There is a fee for work placement with Interact of $2,200 (Current May 2021). This goes towards the cost of supervision.

If you want to make your own private arrangements you are welcome to do so and there is no supervision fee payable to Mediation Institute.

A Work Placement Agreement is put in place to ensure you are covered for insurance and everyone knows what to expect from the placement. 

We are aware that other providers of the CHC81115 – Graduate Diploma of Family Dispute Resolution or higher education providers who have a course regarded by the Attorney Generals Department as equivalent to the core units accept less hours or in some cases fully substitute work placements for role plays. 

The 50 hours work placement with real clients under the supervision of a registered family dispute resolution practitioner. 

We would like the training regulator to protect the integrity of qualifications on the Australian Qualification Framework but don’t control that.

What we control is the quality of our training and the support for our students.

Simulations are a training and assessment tool not a replacement for workplace experience.
 
 

The requirement for 50 hours work placement was added when the qualification upgraded in 2015 which is why the old qualification is not equivalent and does not allow automatic upgrades.

We have been training since 2013 and the difference for those who have had the opportunity to participate in a work placement and those who didn’t is significant in terms of knowledge application, skills development and confidence when they start out as a FDR Practitioner once registered. 

Comparing training courses is hard as a lot of the outcomes have to be experienced to know.

Mediation Institute offers this course in partnership with the Registered Training Organisation Inspiritive.

You’ll need to look at the Inspiritive information on the governments comparison website.

Inspiritive does the back end paperwork for compliance and Mediation Institute designed, developed and delivers the training and assessment for the course.

Get our CHC81115 Training Provider Comparison Tool to help you to compare providers. Comparison Tool

Other providers

There are currently five VET providers of this qualification on My Skills  (May 2021) Please do your due diligence. 

We encourage you to ask to speak with a current student or recent graduate or to participate in a tutorial if the course has any online training. It is not an unreasonable request of a training provider.

There are also three (3) higher education providers (Bond University,  Queensland University of Technology, The College of Law) who have a course which the Attorney Generals Department considers to be equivalent to the core units only from the CHC81115 – Graduate Diploma of Family Dispute Resolution.

When comparing prices that means that would be equivalent to the core unit’s fees currently $7,900 with Mediation Institute.  Core units only graduates registration as a FDRP is conditional on specific degrees or maintaining NMAS Accreditation.

Make sure you are aware of any implications for your accreditation and comparing like for like.

The number of role plays as a role player depend on
a couple of things. 

  • Pre-Mediation Parenting – Minimum 3
  • Pre-Mediation Property – Minimum 2 but often more are required to
    be competent
  • Mediation Parenting – Minimum 2 but often more and 4 are required
    if you want NMAS Accreditation as part of your FDR Course
  • Mediation Property – Minimum 2 but often more are required to be
    competent
  • Higher Conflict pre-mediation – minimum 1 but may be assessed
    during your work placement
  • Shuttle Mediation – minimum 1 but may be assessed during your work placement
  • Child Inclusive Mediation – minimum 1 but may require more

 Depending on your work placement the minimum could
be 10 – 12 (14 if you want NMAS) but there may be more as you must be assessed
as competent in each type of role play. 

Hope that helps. We can’t be more precise than that as it depends on you and your learning style.

Make sure that you use the assessment tool to identify the requirements and the scripts where provided to help you really understand the flow of each session. 

There is an underlying structure to mediation and FDR that you must demonstrate in addition to the interpersonal skills.

We will consider modifying this for people who are currently working as intake officers for a FDR service and potentially reducing the number of practice role plays. You still have to be assessed as competent before we will officially start your work placement. 

The course is competency based which means that we have the responsibility under the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) Standards to provide training, assessment and support services that meet your individual needs. We take this responsibility seriously and do offer individualised training and assessment.

Assessment is a process not a one off exam but rather a series of tasks and activities that allow you to learn and apply new skills. You will be required to repeat tasks such as fdr mediation role plays until you have demonstrated competence across all aspects of the process in a variety of different scenarios. 

No.

The NMAS Course is a 38 hr non-accredited short course that is not to vocational education and training (VET) standards.

We don’t understand how anyone can claim that is adequate to teach property mediation to any level of competence.

NMAS Accreditation is a possible pre-requisite to allow you to enrol in the CHC81115 – Graduate Diploma of Family Dispute Resolution but it does not allow you credits or any recognition of prior learning.

No.

A law degree is one of the possible pre-requisites to allow you to enroll in this course but it does not allow you credits or any recognition of prior learning.

The role of a lawyer and that of a mediator are very different.

Lawyers advise and advocate and can have only one party to a dispute as a client.

Mediators facilitate and don’t advocate or provide legal advice. They work with both sides of a dispute in a way that is neutral and independent.

No. 

Government loans tend to push the price of courses up and while the loan may defer payment they do have fees and charges that further inflate the cost of your course. Make sure you do your due diligence and ask the full cost of the course with the loan fees applied if you are considering one of those loans.

We are able to offer interest free flexible payment terms so the amount you pay is the course fee and nothing more.

Our RTO has also arranged education finance which will allow you to extend the repayment of the course beyond the completion time if you want to pay off over a longer term.   Education Finance.

Train with Mediation Institute

CHC81115 Course Guide

If you need something in writing for your funding request you can download our CHC8115 Graduate Diploma of Family Dispute Resolution Course Guide. This comprehensive document covers all the important information about this course. 

Nmas Mediator Course 3 Stage Diagram

Meet Our Supportive Training Team

All team members are Registered Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners.

Joanne Law

Cynthia Brooking(Bg)

Cynthia Brooking

Ken Speakman

Ken Speakman

Lee Lee (Bg)

Lee Lee

Joanne Croxton

Joanne Croxton CIP

Cheryl Bryan

Cheryl Bryan

Ange

Ange Beasley

Sheree

Sheree Anderson

Train with Mediation Institute

CHC81115 Enrolment Form

If you are ready to enrol, you can download the enrolment form here. The Registered Training Organisation (RTO) is Inspiritive. 

All training and assessments are written and provided by Mediation Institute. 

CHC81115 - Graduate Diploma of Family Dispute Resolution

Includes training and assessment. Supervision for your work placement is extra if provided by Mediation Institute.
$ 11,345 Ask about an interest free payment plan.*
  • Expected completion 12 months (up to 24 months to complete)
  • Self-Paced online learning, video tutorials and live video mentored role plays as many as you need for competence
  • 50 hours work placement with the opportunity for more with real clients. We can provide the placement supervision for an additional fee
  • Interest Free Payment Plan available - $1,500 deposit and then 7 to 11 monthly instalments. Alternative payment arrangements by negotiation
  • Bonus Course 1 - NMAS Mediator Accreditation Training and 30% discount off the cost of assessment
  • Bonus Course 2 - Professional review New Ways for families post separation parenting program, included for all students
  • Bonus Certificate - Our course includes training and certification in Property FDR. Costs $990 as a stand alone course

Core Units CHC81115 - Graduate Diploma of Family Dispute Resolution

Only recommended if you have one of the mandated qualifications
$ 8375 Ask about an interest free payment plan.*
  • Expected completion 9 months (up to 24 months to complete)
  • Self-Paced online learning, video tutorials and live video mentored role plays as many as you need for competence
  • 50 hours work placement with the opportunity for more with real clients. We can provide the placement supervision for an additional fee
  • Interest Free Payment Plan available - $1,500 deposit and then 7 to 11 monthly instalments. Alternative payment arrangements by negotiation
  • Bonus Course 1 - NMAS Mediator Accreditation Training and 30% discount off the cost of assessment
  • Bonus Course 2 - Professional review New Ways for families post separation parenting program, included for all students
  • Conditions will apply to FDR Accreditation with core units only if you don't have one of the specified degrees

RPL - Per Unit Rate

This assessment only proces requires current evidence of competence
$ 385 per unit
  • Assessment Only - you must have recent evidence of workplace application to be granted recognition of prior learning
  • We can consider RPL applications for any unit of competence in the FDR Qualification, not just the ones we train.
  • Recognition of Current Competence for Current units of competence held is fee free. Contact us to discuss if you think you are eligible due to relevant current qualifications such as the Grad. Dip. Relationships Counselling.

Pre-Requisites

This course has pre-requisite qualifications, experience or accreditations required to be eligible for enrolment.

To Enrol you must have:

  • an undergraduate degree or higher qualification in Psychology, Social Work, Law, Conflict Management, Dispute Resolution, Family Law Mediation or equivalent

or

  • hold accreditation under the National Mediator Accreditation System (NMAS)

or

  • hold the Mediation skill set from the Community Services Training Package (CHC)

or

  • provide documented evidence of previous (recent) experience in a dispute resolution environment in a job role involving self-directed application of knowledge with substantial depth in some areas, exercise of independent judgement and decision-making, and a range of technical and other skills.
    A letter from a current or recent employer would be sufficient evidence.
  • Nmas Assessment Only (Fdr Students)
    NMAS Assessment only (FDR Students) $250

    If you are able to meet the requirements as part of your FDR training, you will be issued with a certificate of training which will allow you to apply for assessment.

Student Endorsements

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