It is with regret that a decision has been taken to revoke the membership of HOS Home also known as House of Sparkles.  All ACID members sign a Code of Conduct and agree to go to mediation if there is a member to member issue. A benefit of the mediation process is for ACID to be a conduit for pre-mediation correspondence between the two parties to try and resolve the issue without the need for mediation. Unfortunately, HOS Home failed to follow the mediation protocol, repeatedly ignored the time limits imposed for response, and suggested that mediation was “a waste of time” and attempted to circumvent the ACID Mediation Protocol by writing directly to the other party, resulting in protracted correspondence, which delayed the process to an unacceptable level and compromised the respect that the ACID mediation process has gained over many years. ACID, as a result, has no alternative but to revoke their membership.

The revocation of HOS Home’s membership of ACID will leave the complainant free to pursue their dispute with HOS Home through legal channels.

ACID Mediation is an alternative dispute resolution process where an expert IP trained mediator will bring two parties together and, in a three-hour period, use his or her skills to help both parties reach a resolution to which they can both agree, within an agreement to which both sign.

The mediator is not a judge and does not take sides but uses their mediation skills to enable resolution in a dispute. In our 21 years of offering this benefit to our members as a viable option to what can often be protracted legal proceedings, it has been very successful.

Dids Macdonald, OBE., CEO of ACID commenting on this said, “ACID cannot take any sides in a dispute between members but is an independent facilitator of a cost and time effective mediation process for the benefit of its members. The decision to revoke the membership of HOS Home does not make any comment about the dispute itself, nor the merits, but is purely on the basis that they have failed to adhere to the principles of the ACID Code of Conduct. Their actions have shown a complete disregard for the mediation process.”

The protracted delays and failure to agree to enter mediation is contrary to the terms and conditions to which all members sign when they join and which the majority respect. It is essential that this is not eroded in any way by any member.