by OWL Emergency Accommodation Staff

While enabling young people to gain independent living skills is at the forefront of our support work as emergency accommodation staff, helping to rebuild established relationships with parents/carers is just as vital. However, up until now, the majority of us have only been qualified in life skills (and training qualifications in various subjects!) to share knowledge on how to handle these types of situations and the connected feelings the young people may face as a result of them.

Therefore, we were very pleased that the majority of OWL emergency accommodation were recently given the opportunity to complete some interactive mediation training run by Dave Goldthorpe (OWL mediation worker) and Nicola French (Wellbeing Coordinator from the Community, Health & Prevention service at GIPSIL).

At OWL Emergency Accommodation, as with any establishment that supports young people (or has staff members for that matter!) there is always a need for mediation – be that formal or informal. The mediation training taught skills, demeanour and basic psychology in understanding and being able to advocate for the mediation process. It involved:

• Animated and engaging group discussions
• Case studies and role plays
• An explanation of the seven-stage mediation model and the role of the co-mediator

And, at the end of the session, we were also all given comprehensive training packs that provided us with further information on mediation to help us continue our learning.

One participant of the training said: “I enjoyed getting involved because I sometimes get nervous about training when you have to speak out so it was a good confidence boost because it was interactive. The training will benefit us all by knowing how to approach our clients who are having family relationships issues and help all come to a mutually agreeable solution moving forward.”

Another participant praised the training as it “has enabled me to develop a further skill set and knowledge when supporting clients on their mediation journey. It’s taught me how vital it is to be impartial and to explain to parties involved what exactly mediation is and what it is not.”

Outcomes

Undertaking this training has now enabled us to be part of the formal mediation service offered in OWL and attend sessions over the 8 – week mediation process if a young person/family member needs and wants this. As an emergency accommodation service, individuals often come to us at the point of crisis to avoid being homeless. Now that we have the ability to refer into the mediation service, we hope this will also enhance our ability to support the young people in our care more long-term by strengthening their relationships and aiding their future developments. 

We also think our new-found mediation skills are useful because, on occasion, young people may fall out in the house and the training has reinforced our ability to informally mediate and rebuild friendships by ensuring both parties are heard and have a safe space to voice their opinions. Our mediation training has also helped us understand each other better as a team, reminding us of the importance of ensuring all parties are given the time to be heard and understood, and enabled us to continue being a close-knit strong team in a safe and happy environment.

We would like to thank Dave & Nikki for their expertise and look forward to some great work together in the future.

About OWL Emergency Accommodation:

The OWL Emergency accommodation (formerly Seacole) is managed by TLA and offers a safe and secure service where single young people can access personalised support to help them move successfully into their own longer-term accommodation. The service, which is staffed 24 hours, comprises 9 nine emergency bedsits and three longer-term, self-contained units. The scheme also has shared kitchens, bathrooms, lounge, laundry facilities and a large garden with fruit and vegetable patch. A range of groups and activities takes place led by staff members and external organisations.

If you think you need emergency accommodation in office hours go to Leeds Housing Options Merion House LS2 8BB and ask for housing advice from the young people’s team or phone 0113 2224412, or during out of office hours phone the emergency duty line on 07891273939.