Staff Mediation Services

Oxfordshire County Council are seeking expressions of interest in the provision of mediation services for employees of the council. Requirements are set out below.

• The provider will ensure that the members of staff providing mediation on behalf of Oxfordshire County Council are suitably trained and have an accredited mediation qualification.
• The provider will provide mediation and mediation advice.
• The mediation provider must have effective processes and systems for taking referrals
PROVISION OF ADVICE
Providers will offer an initial point of contact to HR, managers and employees that will be engaging in mediation that:
• Is accessible with communication provided in ways that accommodate individual needs
• Is conducted via telephone unless this is not a suitable method because of individual needs,
• Is factual and unbiased,
• Seeks to explain the benefits of the service and encourages engagement


The mediation adviser should be ready to answer any questions from participants, to include:

• That mediation is an informal, non-legalistic, accessible and a process that aims to settle disagreements, is run by an independent trained third party and designed to bring two parties together to clarify the issues, and reach a resolution.
• Explain all relevant timescales
• The benefits of mediation
• The timescales which must be met and that an agreement signed by all parties will be produced at the end of the process, and
• Is confidential but that the signed agreement may need to be shared with relevant managers and HR for the purpose of monitoring and managing any issues thereafter.

PROCESS

For all mediations agreed, the appointed mediator must:

• Clarify the nature of the dispute and ensure that both sides are fully prepared for the mediation session.
• Arrange a mediation session in discussion with participants, at a place and a time which is convenient for the parties to the dispute.
• Ensure that initial contact with parties is within 5 days of the initial commission of services.
• Ensure that a mediation session takes place within 30 calendar days of the request. Where it is unlikely that a meeting will occur within 30 days of the request, then the mediation adviser must discuss the reasons for this delay with the commissioner of the mediation within 2 days of being aware of the likely delay.
• When the mediation session has taken place, the mediator must issue the written agreement within 3 working days confirming that the process has been concluded.


COST

Providers will offer the mediation advice service without charge.

Providers will be able to charge for the mediation service in accordance with the appropriate fees and costs agreed. These fees will include all costs and disbursements associated with delivering the service, including all elements of the advice and mediation service process, including completion of the final, signed agreement.

Should employees withdraw from the mediation service prior to face to face mediation the Provider will be entitled to payment of an agreed proportion of the fee tendered to deliver an individual mediation service (to be individually negotiated in order to reasonably reflect the amount of abortive case preparation element of the work undertaken).


Please email EOI to Stephen.king@oxfordshire.gov.uk