Community Mediation from CAOS Conflict Management

CAOS Conflict Management has its roots in a community mediation background, possibly the most challenging field of mediation in which to practice.

CAOS Conflict Management provides mediation and conflict coaching across London, and training and consultancy nationally.

We do, however, have CAOS-trained mediators all over the country so if your interest is in a different geographical area, please still get in touch with us as we may be able to help. 

Community mediation covers a wide range of types of dispute including neighbour disputes, community wide issues, tenant-landlord disputes, disputes between owners of commercial properties such as pubs, workshops etc. and the local population and many more issues besides.

Disputes between neighbours can lead to very stressful and damaging outcomes including turning to drink, being prescribed medication, family arguments, moving out of home to stay elsewhere as well as verbal abuse and violence.

Issues can involve the following and more:

• Noise - from music or other activities eg. DIY or fitness machines
• Pet behaviour - barking, soiling garden or pathway
• Rubbish - misplacing household or garden rubbish
• Smells, cigarette, cannabis, cooking smells
• Arguments within a property or between the neighbours
• Parking disputes
• Boundary disputes such as high-hedges or fences or overhanging trees
• Access issues following some kind of building work or other adaptations

Over the years, community mediation has, quite rightly, come to be seen as covering a much wider range of dispute situations, including workplaces, NHS complaints, intra-family conflict including in areas such as homelessness and as a pre-conference support for Family Group Conferencing and many more areas. 

Community, after all is where we all live and so this needs to include all the activities, organisations and services that exist within the areas in which we live. 

Do you have 'high hedges' dispute with your neighbour or are worried that one might arise soon? Click Here for further information and support relating to this kind of difficulty.

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Community Mediation as an alternative

Dealing with disputes through mediation encourages both parties to work to find a resolution to their problem. This may be difficult if they do not like the other person or are frightened of them, but by continuing the dispute and dealing with it adversarially, the long term consequences can be much worse.

The CAOS approach to mediation is designed to take into account people’s fears and anger towards each other and provides a ‘safe space’ to create better ways of dealing with the issues that cause the dispute.

In the case of neighbour disputes, mediation offers the chance for neighbours to find ways of living next door to each other which do not lead to problems.

However, in some areas of mediation, in particular neighbour mediation, we may only assist one person as the other party may not want mediation.

Mediation from CAOS Conflict Management supports any person wanting our support in such situations to:

• Create alternative ways of responding to their situation.
• Create alternative ways of communicating with their neighbour when it is necessary to do so.
• Create alternative ways of supporting themselves in the situation, whether the actions of their neighbour change or not.

This approach applies to all parties involved in mediation, so that the simple, clear aim of mediation is to assist all involved in creating a better way forward in their situation however they define that.

CAOS Conflict Management provides training in Mediation Skills and has a particularly strong background in mediation of neighbour disputes with many of our most experienced associate mediators having worked in this field for 20 years or more.

Please click this link if you would like training in mediation skills for yourself or your staff. 

Are you a Registered Social Landlord or Local Authority Housing Department or other landlord wanting access to mediation for your tenants and/or residents?

CAOS Conflict Management can provide 'open access' to mediation for your tenants and residents based on a Service Level Agreement for either a fixed or open-ended number of cases.

Contact CAOS Conflict Management on 020 3371 7507 to discuss your interests in this.

Alternatively CONTACT CAOS if you have an enquiry about Mediation or our other services.

We are able to draw on over 20 years of experience in this field and have a clear insight into the issues involved in setting up community mediation provision as well as the pitfalls and obstacles to providing an effective service.

Tel. 020 3371 7507

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