Ethics Information for Professional Mediators and FDR Practitioners
The Mediation Institute Code of Ethics is a written set of guidelines for members. This is to provide guidance of personal and professional conduct appropriate for a NMAS accredited Mediator or Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner.
For some members being an accredited mediator or accredited family dispute resolution practitioner may be the first time in a professional role. Your continuation as an accredited practitioner is dependent on your conduct.
You can become unaccredited if a substantiated complaint is made about your conduct. You commit certain types of crimes if behave in a way that is inappropriate. This type of complaint may occur because of your behaviour outside mediation or family dispute resolution.
What to include in our Code of Ethics?
Our Code of Ethics currently runs to five pages. It continues to evolve as members continue to find ways to behave in questionable ways. Alternatively, it can evolve when a member proactively approach us for guidance with ethical dilemmas.
We take the question of ethics very seriously. Ensuring our members behave ethically at all times is part of the Mediation Institute’s mission. We desire to lift the standard of Mediation and Family Dispute Resolution.
Ethics are often defined as “moral principals that govern a person’s behaviour or the conduct of an activity” and “moral” is concerning the principals of right and wrong behaviour.
The reason that a Code of Ethics is required is that everyone’s moral compass is somewhat different due to our upbringing, beliefs and personal values.
When it comes to your conduct as a Mediator or FDR Practitioner these rules about what is right or wrong have been documented in the NMAS Standards by the Mediators Standards Board and for Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners in the Family Law (Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner) Regulations 2008
Our Code of Ethics is based on this voluntary standard (NMAS) as we are obliged to do as a RMAB and also includes guidance from the Regulations for FDR Practitioners.
If you are a member or considering becoming a member of the Mediation Institute RMAB please make sure that you read and understand the Code of Ethics.
Structure of the Mediation Institute Code of Ethics
The Mediation Institute Code of Ethics is structured into four sections:
- Professional Conduct which explains the behaviour that is expected in general and in preparing for mediation
- Conduct when Mediating which explains the behaviour that is expected during the facilitation of mediation
- Professional Development which explains the obligations that a mediator and/or Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner has with regards to Professional Development
- Further Information which links to the NMAS and Regulations and the Mediation Institute Complaints Management Service information
You can find more about how we handle complaints about mediator on this page.
https://www.mediationinstitute.edu.au/external-complaint-handling-service/
