Mediation skills training aims to support local community

A group of nine participants have successfully completed the first pilot community outreach mediationskills training course run by Mediation Plus at the Willingdon Trees Community Centre last week.

Supported by funding from the Sussex Community Foundation, Mediation Plus adapted their accredited mediation course to meet the needs of learners from a wide range of backgrounds who would benefit from having these skills in their professional and working lives.

The group included a Community Officer and Neighbourhood Advisor from Eastbourne Borough Council, a PCSO who helps co-ordinate the Police to response to neighbour disputes, two volunteers from a local community drop-in centre, an agency nurse, and local a provider of accommodation to ex-offenders.

Mediation Plus Service Manager Clive Gross commented “This successful pilot course demonstrates just how much value mediation skills can have in so many different areas, and we are really pleased that we have been able to deliver them to people who are supporting so many different groups in the local community.”

The new mediators all completed the twelve week training and will now have the opportunity to work with members of Mediation Plus’s experienced mediation team taking on new cases across Eastbourne to practice their skills and work to complete their full accreditation from the Open College Network.

Joan Eades, Training Manager at Mediation Plus said “We have been looking at how we can offer mediation training in the wider community to people who would not be able to attend our regular volunteer training courses and have been delighted that we have been able to work with people from such diverse backgrounds in our first course. We are very keen to build on this in the future.”

Mediation Plus would like to hear from other community and voluntary groups, front-line support organisations or individuals who think they could benefit from gaining mediation skills so they can look to develop further courses. Anyone interested should contact Joan Eades at Mediation Plus on 01323 442781 or email training@mediation-plus.org.uk for an initial discussion.