Communicourt intermediaries are highly trained and skilled communication specialists. We are proud of the professional standards which we have developed and uphold. We are a Managed and Approved Service Provider (MASP) for HMCTS, which means our training (and other processes) are monitored and regularly reviewed by the Ministry of Justice.
Our Intermediary Training Programme is externally accredited as an NCFE Customised Qualification, and our standards are based on our experiences of working with thousands of people with communication needs in legal proceedings.
Who we recruit
Our intermediaries include both graduates and experienced professionals who have a relevant degree (typically in Speech and Language Therapy or Psychology). Many of them already have extensive experience of working with people with communication needs in a variety of settings. Many of our team have worked in social care, mental health hospitals, prisons and the court system.
We hold rigorous recruitment and selection days to find the right candidates (around 10-20% of total applicants are offered an intermediary role per application round). All successful candidates will then complete our comprehensive training programme, which is based at our dedicated training space in Birmingham city centre. Applicants must also meet our safeguarding checks – all our intermediaries are appropriately insured, and DBS checked.
Intermediary training programme
This is an initial two-week intensive programme, followed by 6-9 months of additional training modules including communication skills, assessment skills and effective report writing.
Over the next 6-9 months, all intermediaries complete a comprehensive competency framework, evidencing skills that they develop through regular supervision with an experienced practitioner. They also have dedicated team leaders and mentors for advice and support if needed.
They must all pass structured exams to test their practitioner skills and evidence their capabilities.
Ongoing training and CPD
All of our intermediaries must complete ongoing continued professional development (CPD). For speech and language therapy graduates, we provide support and supervision to complete RCSLT competencies.
Intermediaries attend up to eight compulsory CPD / training days per year (organised on Saturdays and in evenings to avoid disruption to the courts), to ensure that Communicourt continues to provide the most effective support to vulnerable adults and children.
Clinical supervision
Communicourt intermediaries recieve regular clinical supervision sessions. Our staff work in small teams, with a mentor and a team leader, to provide ongoing informal support and check-ins, alongside more structured supervision sessions and annual reviews to monitor and support their development.
