Supervision in mediation and Family Dispute Resolution provides a structured professional relationship where dispute resolution professionals can reflect on their practice, strengthen their skills, and explore ethical or professional challenges.

Inskipp and Proctor (1993) describe supervision as:

“A working alliance between a supervisor and supervisee in which the supervisee can offer an account of their work, reflect on it, and receive feedback and guidance.”

For dispute resolution professionals, supervision provides a safe and confidential space to explore complex cases, reflect on professional decisions, and maintain ethical and competent practice.

Supervision also supports practitioners to manage the emotional demands of working with conflict, particularly when mediating high-stakes or emotionally charged disputes.

The Three Functions of Supervision

A helpful framework for understanding supervision comes from Hawkins and Shohet (2012), who describe three core functions:

Formative – Learning and Development
Supporting practitioners to strengthen their skills, reflect on their work, and continue developing professionally.

Normative – Professional Standards and Accountability
Ensuring practitioners maintain ethical practice, professional boundaries, and compliance with relevant standards. Rehabilitative Supervision e.g. after a substantiated complaint would fit into this category.

Restorative – Support and Wellbeing
Providing a reflective space where practitioners can process difficult cases and maintain resilience in demanding professional environments.

These three functions underpin many supervision models used in mediation and Family Dispute Resolution practice.