Introduction
Smile Mediation is an award-winning charity and social enterprise based in Burnley, providing mediation, training, coaching and conflict resolution services across the UK. Established in 1998 and now part of the Resolve ASB group, Smile Mediation helps individuals, communities and organisations build more positive relationships.
Sarah Griffin, Head of Operations and Business Development, supports the organisation’s mission to help people resolve conflict and communicate more effectively.
The Challenge
As a specialist mediation and conflict resolution organisation, Smile Mediation relies on technology to support its day-to-day operations but does not maintain in-house technical expertise. The organisation needed access to reliable support that could provide guidance when issues arose and help navigate technical requirements without diverting staff from their core responsibilities.
“It’s reassuring to know that, if anything goes wrong with our tech, Citadel are there.”
While technology is essential to supporting day-to-day operations, Smile Mediation’s expertise lies in mediation, training and community support rather than IT management. This created a need for dependable external support that could provide reassurance, guidance and specialist knowledge whenever technical or cyber security requirements arose.
The Solution
Smile Mediation began working with Citadel Technology through its parent organisation, Resolve ASB. Citadel Technology provides ongoing user support and technical assistance, helping the team resolve issues and access expert advice when needed.
The partnership proved particularly valuable when Smile Mediation needed to achieve Cyber Essentials certification as part of a customer onboarding requirement. Citadel Technology provided guidance and expertise, enabling the organisation to meet the necessary standards without developing extensive
technical knowledge internally.
Rather than expecting Smile Mediation to develop extensive technical knowledge internally, Citadel Technology provided support and expertise, allowing the organisation to focus on its core mission while ensuring the necessary standards were achieved.
The Results
The most significant outcome was the successful achievement of Cyber Essentials certification, enabling Smile Mediation to meet customer requirements and complete the onboarding process.
Beyond this project, Citadel Technology continues to provide reassurance that specialist support is available whenever needed. This allows the organisation to focus on supporting communities, businesses and individuals while knowing technical issues can be resolved quickly and effectively.
“The Cyber Essentials support has been massive for me. It would have taken me months to find all the answers.”
The Future
As cyber security requirements continue to evolve, Smile Mediation expects to continue working with Citadel Technology for specialist guidance and support. The organisation plans to maintain a reliable and secure technology environment while benefiting from access to experienced technical expertise
whenever required.
“If something does happen, they’re there and they want to help.”
Want more information on how Citadel Technology can help you?
If you want more information on Citadel Technology’s IT support services, give us a call on 0345 340 2120, or send us a message using the form at the bottom of this page.
