We are thrilled to announce that we have won the Innovation Award at the National Mediation Awards 2024. Huge congratulations also to our brilliant mediator and trainer Laura Tweedy who won the Newcomer of the Year award.
It’s a great honour to be recognised not only for the innovative ways we run our mediation practice but also for the variety of work we do alongside it – on a national and, starting in 2024, international scale.
Innovations in conflict resolution: empowering peacebuilders locally and globally
We are unique in that we not only offer a broad range of conflict resolution services but also train peacebuilders of all ages through our programmes that we develop in-house. In 2024 alone, we shared our expertise both nationally and internationally:
- Delivered EDI training for mediators for a UK youth homelessness charity (focusing on mediating faith, race, and cultural issues);
- Participated in the UK government’s Reducing Parental Conflict initiative, training local champions and service providers to support parents in conflict using mediation skills. Last month, we also delivered CPD-certified workshops for voluntary sector members on peaceful communication for the sake of children;
- Trained clinical ethicists in Canada to intervene and support clients and colleagues in conflict;
- Conducted conflict resolution workshops for various organisations, including an international anti-slavery organisation, a local church, and a food bank;
- Developed a new peer mediation scheme for primary schools, supported by educational specialists. This programme aligns with CMC standards and will be part of CMC’s national research into peer mediation;
- Trained secondary school students at risk of exclusion in emotional regulation and conflict resolution (“I used to get in arguments before a lot, and now it’s very rare. So thank you.”).
Innovations in service delivery: modernising mediation for clients and mediators
We have worked diligently to modernise and streamline all our processes, to make sure our services are user-friendly for both clients and mediators. This included:
- Developing our own, unique database which allowed us not only to become more efficient at casework, but also to analyse referral pathways and case impact;
- Digitising all processes, including invoices, agreements to mediate, feedback forms, and compliance forms for mediators;
- Launching a new, mobile-friendly website with improved UI and UX, which now drives the majority of our referrals;
- Moving our phone lines to VOIP, enabling us to respond more swiftly to clients’ needs.
- Going the extra mile to meet clients’ needs: such as offering free translation services where needed (using a pool of volunteers and council contacts), circulating flyers in multiple languages (e.g., English, Ukrainian, and Russian for our Homes for Ukraine project), and matching mediators to specific needs (e.g. for faith-based cases).
- Analysing client interactions to improve casework flow: earlier this year, we collaborated with an M·E·L Research volunteer to create a questionnaire for analysing interactions with our caseworkers.
- Improving our EDI: earlier this year, we participated in DCMS’s research into EDI in volunteering in England, which led to the creation of our new EDI questionnaires.
Innovations in mediation: 20 years of growth and excellence
Starting in 2004 as a small charity mediating purely neighbour disputes, we’ve continuously grown in response to increasing demand. As of 2024, we offer eight mediation types (neighbour, inter-generational, co-parenting, faith-based, school, Homes for Ukraine, workplace, and commercial), along with conflict coaching, facilitation, and training services. Each of these services was developed by speaking directly with people and organisations, responding directly to their needs. We strive to offer the highest quality mediation service and continuously improve our case processes. Last year, over 95% of our mediated cases were either partially or fully resolved. As one 2024 client shared, “You’ll receive the most robust and professional service in the industry.”
We would like to thank the judges, Civil Mediation Council, College of Mediators and Family Mediation Council for awarding us the Innovation Award. It is a real honour to be alongside such exceptional nominees.
