Community Mediation
Are you in a dispute with a neighbour?
Our mediators facilitate a face-to-face meeting for you and your neighbour. This flexible and structured process will allow you to discuss your issues openly in a constructive conversation and non-threatening atmosphere, leading to a peaceful agreement and common ground of understanding.
Our community mediation service has helped hundreds of Lambeth residents to communicate their issues in a healthy manner, alleviating difficult symptoms such as anger, hostility and distress.
Pre-Mediation Visits
Before a mediation happens, two of our volunteer mediators will ‘visit’ you for a private meeting. They will separately visit the other party. In a ‘visit’, you will be able to share the problems you are experiencing and your perspective on the situation.
The visit takes place at a time convenient to you, with flexibility for in-person, phone calls or Zoom.
The Aim of Mediation
The aim is for both parties to come to an agreement on how the situation can be improved. If possible, the agreement you make will be written down point by point, as well as communication methods if either feels the other has not kept to the agreement. This is not legally binding but made openly and in good faith. Most participants keep to it because it is made by you, for you and to meet your own needs. This agreement will not be shared with anyone else unless you want it to (such as Housing Staff).
In past experiences of this service, if both parties agree to meet, they usually reach an agreement. If they don’t, they haven’t lost anything and have at least heard one another’s feelings and perspectives.
Our Promise To You
All conversations and meetings you have with us are private. What you say is not repeated to other mediation participants or anyone else.
IMPARTIALITY
Our mediators will not blame or judge the participants of a mediation. They will not take sides or decide what is right and wrong.
is up to you if you want to try mediation. You decide how far you want to go in the process and you can change your mind at any stage.
Our volunteer mediators and staff are here to help guide you through the process. They do not focus on what has happened, but how your situation can improve in the future.
Our mediators will not blame or judge the participants of a mediation. They will not take sides or decide what is right and wrong.
FLEXIBILITY
The mediation meeting is a safe space for parties to discuss issues openly in a non-threatening and constructive conversation. All participants follow a respectful code of conduct.