Communication to Members re the Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Guidelines:

Dear Member,

In September 2019, the EMIN Board tasked our Ethics Committee with developing a set of Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults (SVA) guidelines to enable a consistent and appropriate approach by EMIN Certified Elder Mediators in matters relating to vulnerable adults and to ensure that vulnerable adults are supported and enabled in the Elder Mediation Process and protected from actual and potential abuse. The Ethics Committee examined the policies and practices of organisations and services involved with vulnerable adults across different jurisdictions and developed a comprehensive framework to ensure best practice by Elder Mediators in the safeguarding of vulnerable adults in Elder Mediation.

The SVA Guidelines will apply to all EMIN certified Elder Mediators and should be followed in tandem with the EMIN Code of Ethics to guide and inform Elder Mediators in practice.

The SVA Guidelines were formally launched at our online EMIN World Summit in November 2021. These Guidelines constitute an important step in the development of standards in Elder Mediation and we are grateful to the members of our Ethics Committee  including – Mags Bouchier, Chairperson, Judy McCann-Beranger, Gabriela Peter, Carol Ryan and Anja von Rosenstiel  –  for the immense amount of work that went into producing them.

At the 2021 Virtual World Summit, Mags Bouchier presented a webinar to familiarize EMIN members and other interested parties with the new Guidelines. A recording of her presentation is available for streaming below and the Ethics Committee is available to engage with members in relation to any queries and/or questions arising in relation to the application of the Guidelines in practice.

The SVA Guidelines – an English version, and a German version, are posted below.  Your comments and/or suggestions will be very welcome – this is a living document and will be revised periodically as and when necessary.

Best wishes,

Brian O’Neill, EMIN President

Margaret (Mags) Bouchier, Chairperson of EMIN Ethics Committee

To access and download the Guidelines, please click here:

Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults – Guidelines for Elder Mediators – English  (Revised March 2021)

Schutz von gefährdeten Erwachsenen – Leitlinien für Altersmediatorinnen – German (March 2021)