Guide to setting up a Skype Mediation

• The Skype and television conferencing mediation process is available when necessity demands. It must be carefully managed and like all processes, it has its limitations as well as benefits particularly where one or both clients are living geographically far apart.

• One of the challenges facing this process is that whilst it is becoming increasingly popular there is no authoritative guidance on conducting Skype mediation and no one regulatory authority.

• Much of the emphasis with Skype mediation is in the preparation and on front loading, setting expectations, explanation, ground rules/guidelines ie setting it up properly

• Therefore, the purpose of this guide is simply to highlight some of the things to be aware of when setting up and conducting a Skype mediation. 

Test run and engagement 

1. It is particularly important to take account of the fact that in using remote technology individuals are not physically present in the room for the process of mediation. A particular advantage of Skype (over e.g. telephone mediation) is that mediators have visual contact with prospective clients/clients. However, due attention must be placed on the ‘delay’ that can be inherent in skype systems – meaning that physical and verbal responses may be mis-read or mis-interpreted (by mediators or as between the clients). It is essential for mediators to assess carefully with prospective clients the leel/s of conflict between them and the potential therefore for meaningful discussions between them. Mediators must also be aware of the importance of carrying out checks in relation to past, present or feared abusive behaviour (especially in relation to imbalances of power, information and client capacity) and in relation to safeguarding concerns. Care should be taken to properly prepare each potential client for the mediation process.

2. Consider the communication dynamics especially where one client will be in person with you whilst the other will be many miles away on the end of the phone. Amongst other things, that person may need reassurance that there will not be any private conversations. That set up would create an immediate communication power differential in the sense that the distant person may feel at a disadvantage to the person in your room especially bearing in mind the natural tendency for clients to “try to win you over” to their way of thinking, views, beliefs, narrative etc

3. When running a Skype mediation the preference should always be for both clients to be on Skype to avoid the risk of “communication imbalance” and the need to manage this as well as everything else.

4. Preparation is particularly important for a successful Skype mediation including a trial run of the IT equipment to test compatibility and working order. It is worth building into the process and cost of the process before the mediation begins a 30 minute pre mediation equipment and communication test run so that the clients can establish the quality of sound, vision and communication for the mediation. It is essential that mediators are conversant with how the technology works before embarking on a Skype mediation.

5. Make it clear that the mediation has not yet begun and that the purpose of this stage is to test equipment and quality of sound and vision.

6. Skype acts simply as a phone. You will identify the contact, and then press dial up, and it starts to dial. You will hear the Skype phone ringing.

7. The graphic shows the main page from where you can make a call. You can make the call a video or regular audio call. Initiate the call without video first. Then, once you have the person on the phone, press the start video button. The video then becomes operational. Ask the other person to do so also. Once the camera is on, you will be able to see each other and communicate over the internet with very little, if any, delay. As you can see below, the picture is clear and you can then scale the picture to your needs.

8. On the left side of the screen you will see people’s names in green or grey. Green means they are online and ready. Grey means that they are not online.

9. Explore briefly with them how the experience feels before the mediation begins to get a sense of the different dynamic imposed by communicating in this way from each client’s perspective

10. During the test run stage (see above) require clients to, amongst other things, check whether they are alone in the television conferencing room/ who else is present AND refrain from recording the session in any way. Perhaps ask them to explain their location and surroundings to help provide some reality to the situation.

11. Let the people know that they need to be available throughout the entire time of the mediation.

12. Make sure to get alternative phone numbers in case a connection is lost.

13. Attach separate speakers to the computer helps with the communication because the integrated speakers on computer are not usually that powerful. This allows people in the room to hear the other person clearly.
14. Discuss what will happen if you, or one of the clients wishes to speak separately to you although this is not encouraged because these separate discussions are not confidential and there may be a feeling of “them and us” especially if the mediator is in person with one whilst the other is many miles away. Some people want to keep the remote person on the “phone” or online throughout the entire mediation. Others want to shut down the connection and will want to re-establish the connection when the mediator returns to the joint discussions . It is important to note that to re-establish the connection, the other client must remain at their computer.
15. Just as in any other mediation process, thought mut be gien to length of meeting as the intensity of working through a new technology may affect everyone’s ability to work over any length of time.

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