Mediation to prevent homelessness
Edinburgh Cyrenians Homelessness Prevention Service and SACRO have teamed up in Edinburgh to offer Mediation to people who are experiencing:
- a difficult situation with their landlord
- who can't pay their mortgage
- are having problems with debt
- tenants who are being accused of anti-social behaviour
- difficulties with the physical condition of their home, inside and out which need to be improved
If you are worried you might lose your home for one or more of the reasons listed, our Mediator could help.
What does the Mediator do?
The Mediator's role is to be impartial. This means that they are able to communicate with everyone involved without taking sides or judging anyone. Allowing everyone involved in the mediation to feel they can trust that the Mediator will behave in everyone's interests.
In order for Mediation to be successful everyone needs to come out of the joint meeting feeling that:
- they have been heard,
- they have said difficult and challenging things to the person sitting at the same table,
- they have a greater understanding of how the person with whom they are in disagreement with is seeing the situation,
- and they have found a way forward.
Before meeting each other all parties will meet individually with the mediator. This may take more than one meeting and will include preparing for the joint meeting so that everyone feels comfortable enough to engage with the mediation process when everyone is brought together.
The process
A referral is made, by you self-referring or by the landlord or the owner occupier or the lender. Usually each customer (the person at risk of loosing their home) is given their own Personal Advisor who will support them to work through all their individual difficulties. The bonus in this model of Mediation is that their Personal Advisor will buddy or support them through the Mediation as well.
After the Mediation Process is finished the Mediator will not be involved anymore. The Personal Advisor will support the customer to pursue solutions to any other tricky situations they may be having.
