News

Housing Associations to offer mediation to resolve conflict between residents

Four Ayrshire based Housing Associations have commissioned Sacro’s Scottish 
Community Mediation Centre (SCMC), to provide mediation training to staff to enable 
them to better resolve conflict among residents. Between them, Cunninghame Housing 
Association, Shire Housing, Riverside Scotland and Atrium Homes provide over 7,000 
homes in the Ayrshires.

The six-day Mediation Skills course was commissioned by Cunninghame Housing 
Association and will be delivered in February 2026. As part of the commissioning 
process, the course has been tailored to respond to the client’s training needs and will 
be delivered in hybrid format, with some delivery being in-person and some online.
One of the key principles of mediation is impartiality, and the model of delivery chosen 
acknowledges this by having an inter-association basis. It is planned that these eight 
trained housing officers will mediate with clients outwith their own caseload. This 
follows existing best practice in the community mediation setting.

The Scottish Community Mediation Centre was developed by the community justice 
organisation, Sacro, and has been delivering its six-day Mediation Skills course for over 
24 years, to staff from more than 150 organisations. The course has been popular with
local authorities, public bodies, third sector organisations as well as the business 
sector, in that it provides staff with the tools and knowledge to resolve conflict 
effectively and without the need for external agencies. The training takes learners 
through all stages of the mediation process and provides a practical and interactive way 
of learning. 

SCMC training programmes are accredited by Scottish Mediation and designed to meet 
the highest standards of mediation practice. SCMC is an associate member of the 
Scottish Federation of Housing Associations.