Commercial Working Group
The CMC Commercial Working Group comprises individuals who are commercial mediators and those who manage commercial mediation practices. The group work to promote the resolution of conflicts and disputes by encouraging the use of mediation in commercial matters.
They work to foster links with business and industry and legal industry bodies to explore opportunities for the promotion of commercial mediation. They also aim to collaborate with other CMC working groups to co-ordinate approaches across different sectors.
Workplace and Employment Working Group
The Workplace and Employment Working Group, brings together mediation practitioners and stakeholders committed to transforming how workplace conflict is understood and addressed. Its core focus is driving a cultural shift away from adversarial approaches towards earlier, more constructive resolution of disputes. By promoting the value of dialogue, mediation, and proactive conflict management, the group seeks to embed early intervention as a standard feature of workplace practice; reducing escalation, preserving working relationships, and improving outcomes for both employers and employees.
Alongside this cultural change, the Working Group is actively exploring how mediation can be more effectively integrated into the wider employment dispute resolution framework. In particular, it is considering opportunities to support and strengthen an Employment Tribunal system that is under increasing strain. This includes encouraging policy and legislative developments that expand the role of mediation, improve access to early resolution pathways, and ensure disputes are resolved in a more timely, cost-effective way, as well as supporting the well-being of those experiencing workplace conflict.
Community Mediation Working Group
The CMC Community Mediation Working Group supports the community mediation sector by providing a collaborative platform for organisations to connect, network, and share learning. The group undertakes projects aimed at strengthening and elevating the sector, raising awareness of the vital work carried out by community mediation providers, and promoting the wider use of mediation within communities.
The Working Group also offers a space for community mediation organisations to exchange best practice, discuss challenges, and share inspiration and new initiatives. In doing so, it helps build resilience across a uniquely valuable sector; one that not only prevents disputes from escalating into the civil justice system, but also plays a crucial role in supporting community cohesion and improving outcomes across health, housing, education, and community safety.
Peer Mediation Working Group
The CMC Peer Mediation Working Group comprises individuals and organisations who provide peer mediation training in schools. The group works to increase accessibility to peer mediation training, supporting the next generation to develop skills in conflict management and resolution. It also collaborates to measure the impact of its work and to identify ways to continually improve the peer mediation training experience for pupils.
In 2025, the Working Group collaborated to produce new research highlighting the importance of equipping young people with the skills to manage conflict effectively. The report, Resolving Conflict in Schools: Peer Mediation as a Foundation for Happier, Healthier Futures, explores the long-term benefits of peer mediation in supporting wellbeing, strengthening relationships, and creating more positive school environments.
SEND Mediation Panel
The SEND Panel comprises of individuals and organisations who provide their expertise in SEND. The group work to increase the awareness of SEND Mediation, develop the skills of SEND Mediators, develop the standards for SEND Mediation Providers, improve the SEND Mediation training experience and ensure SEND Mediation is accessible to all potential service user groups. This panel is a joint CMC and College of Mediators initiative and collaborates with the DfE when proposing changes to training, standards and working practices and looks to measure the impact of their work through consultation and self-reflection.
Academic Forum
The CMC Academic Forum supports Higher Education Institutions to embed mediation within their offer to students. It provides a collaborative space for academics, practitioners, and students to share knowledge, explore innovation, and strengthen the role of mediation within teaching, research, and the wider student experience. While many participants teach or study law, the Forum actively welcomes those from a broad range of disciplines, including business and other undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, recognising the interdisciplinary value of mediation.
Previous Forums have included expert-led sessions on topics such as mediation clinics, research opportunities, employability, and trauma-informed mediation. The Forum has also explored how Higher Education can help increase public awareness of mediation, while showcasing how different institutions have incorporated mediation into their curricula to equip students with valuable conflict resolution skills for both professional and personal contexts.
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Working Group
The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) Working Group was established in 2026 to support greater inclusivity across the sector. The group brings together a broad range of perspectives from across the profession and is focused on identifying and removing any barriers to become a mediator and to developing a successful mediation practice. The group will also examine how to improve access to mediation.
The Working Group is committed to supporting mediators from all backgrounds and will identify areas for improvement and develop guidance and proposals to inform CMC’s work to support a more inclusive, equitable, and resilient profession.
International Working Group
An International Working Group is in development and will support international collaboration and comparative learning across the mediation profession.