PCC funding boost for Mediation Plus

Mediation Plus was one of over 60 local organisations awarded grants totaling almost £300,000 from the Safer in Sussex Community Fund by Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne in Lewes last week from more than 90 applications made to the fund.

Working together with colleagues from community mediation services in Brighton, Hastings and West Sussex to make a joint bid as the Sussex Mediation Alliance, the application had to demonstrate support for the priorities set out in the PCC's Police and Crime Plan, including tackling antisocial behavior and addressing community priorities such as drug and alcohol harm, as well as reducing reoffending and the impact of domestic abuse and hate crime.

The Sussex Mediation Alliance was awarded funding of £30,000 to support the four services, who together provide domestic, intergenerational and family mediation services across East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton & Hove. The will help to ensure the continued provision of voluntary dispute resolution to residents and communities across the county.

Clive Gross, Mediation Plus Service Manager said: "This funding is vital to help preserve our work with our local Neighbourhood Policing Teams in Eastbourne and Wealden, providing them with a valuable early-intervention service that can prevent disputes escalating and ending in serious incidents. Over 600 community mediation referrals are serviced every year across Sussex. Mediation can help to assist in the prevention of crime and reduce the levels of crime and antisocial behavior as well as addressing the fear of crime. Police officers are also offered suitable training on how to make appropriate referrals to mediation and how to encourage parties to take part, prior to any intervention."

"By working together as the Sussex Mediation Alliance, we can offer community based mediation and conflict resolution services to individuals, organisations and agencies across both counties to a high and consistent standard of services in terms of quality and working practices.

Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne added: "I am delighted with the initial response to the Fund. The sheer number of applications received reflects the huge number of local organisations and community groups who are committed to keeping Sussex safe.

“I will be closely following the progress of these projects over the coming months to monitor the real impact they are delivering for residents in Sussex.”

AGM marks successful year for Mediation Plus

Members of MediationPlus gathered last week at their Annual General Meeting in Hailsham to celebrate seven successful years as the community mediation service for Eastbourne and Wealden. After having come close to closure in early 2011 due to funding cuts, Chair of Trustees Barbara Molog presented the charity’s latest Annual Report which showed a year of continued progress in delivering mediation services across the area – including the Time 2 Talk service for young people and their families – and developing community based mediation training projects to spread mediation skills into new areas.

Presenting her report to the meeting, Barbara said “The past year has seen steadily growth in our activities while keeping a very tight reign on expenditure. Our success in renewing the funding of our Time2Talk service with BBC Children in Need has provided a key platform on which to develop that service over the next three years, while support from Wealden District Council, Eastbourne Borough Council, Wealden and Eastbourne Community Safety Partnerships, and other Parish and Town Councils has ensured we have been able to support the costs of an increased number of neighbour dispute referrals during the year.”

Barbara thanked retiring Trustees Pam Hart and David Hines for their work over the past 12 months and welcomes new Trustees Caroline Adcock and Wendy Shuttleworth who were elected at the meeting. The meeting also welcomed Sussex Police new Wealden District Commander Gary Pike to the new Mediation Plus Board as the service continues to develop close working relationships with their local Neighbourhood Policing Teams.

Delivering his report, Service and Development Manager Clive Gross highlighted the success of the two pilot community mediation training projects that have been delivered in 2013 and the recruitment of two cohorts of new accredited volunteer mediators to the service.

Special Guest Speaker Miriam Wilkinson from 3VA’s Speak-Up Forum then told the meeting about a new project looking to develop the use of Restorative Justice in Sussex and how mediators and mediation skills could be used to help deliver it. Clive Gross added “We are very excited to be part of this project as Restorative Justice is very close to our work in resolving disputes without the need for legal action. We hope it will become part of what we can offer the local community over the coming years in conjunction with our local partners.”

New Mediators needed to support increased referrals

Mediation Plus – the community mediation service for Eastbourne and Wealden – is looking to recruit a group of new community mediators to help cover the increased number of referrals the service has been receiving this year.

With local public sector and statutory services such as the Police, Courts, Youth Support and schools all continuing to face a financial squeeze, mediation is being increasingly used as an alternative way to resolve disputes and help improve communication between neighbours and young people and their families.

Service and Development Manager Clive Gross said “We have been experiencing an increase in the number and complexity of the cases referred to our service over the last year, especially to our Time2Talk service that helps young people experiencing problems within their family or at school. We are also seeing a wider variety of issues between neighbours coming to us, including some resulting from the increased pressure on local authorities and social housing providers to accommodate people needing extra support to live independently in the community”

The service is looking to put up to 14 new mediators through their accredited mediation skills training course which starts next month, who will then help to diffuse local conflicts, neighbour disputes and anti-social behaviour across the area, helping to prevent minor issues becoming major problems and improving the quality of life of residents. The training will take place across five Saturdays in their Hailsham offices, starting on October 12^th.

Clive Gross continued “We are looking for new mediators from a wide variety of backgrounds and from across the area, but we are particularly keen to hear from people interested in working in the Uckfield, Crowborough and north Wealden area, where we have seen the largest rise in new referrals in recent months.”

The practical and interactive course offers participants the opportunity to develop mediation skills through exercises, group work and role play. Mediation skills are also applicable to many professional sectors, including housing, young people’s services, family support, education and is suitable for those working in other frontline support services dealing with the public.

For more details about the training and an application form, please call Clive Gross or Joan Eades at Mediation Plus 01323 442781 or email training@mediation-plus.org.uk

Drop in to find out more about free mediation skills training

If you are unemployed or not working and living in the Wealden or Eastbourne area, local community mediation charity Mediation Plus are offering free mediation skills training for up to 20 people to become Neighbourhood Mediators in their communities.

Supported by funding from the European Social Fund through the Skills Funding Agency, the course offers participants the opportunity to develop mediation skills through exercises, group work and role play. Mediation skills are applicable to many professional sectors, including housing, young people’s services, family support, education and many more.

The course is aimed at those looking to return to education and training, get into community volunteering, or learn new skills that may help them back into employment. Completing the course and accreditation process will give participants a recognised qualification at Level 2 or 3 that they will be able to build on with further training in the future.

Mediation Plus are holding a drop in session to find out more about the course at their offices in Western Road, Hailsham on Thursday 16th May between 10 and 11am. If you would like to attend, or get more details and an application form, please call Joan Eades on 01323 442781 or email training@mediation-plus.org.uk

Free Mediation training on offer for those who can see both sides of disputes

Mediation Plus – the community mediation service for Eastbourne and Wealden – is looking for tenants in the Willingdon area who think they are good at listening to both sides to train to become Neighbourhood Mediators.

 

Supported by funding from the European Social Fund through the Skills Funding Agency, and supported by Eastbourne Homes, Mediation Plus will be running its first ever community based Mediation skills training programme at the Willingdon Trees Community Centre starting next month.

They are looking to create a team of up to 20 trained accredited community mediators who can intervene early to diffuse local conflicts, neighbour disputes and anti-social behaviour in their area, helping to prevent minor issues becoming major problems and improving the quality of life of all residents in the neighbourhood. A number of participants will go on to be trained as trainers, who can help recruit and train further volunteers in the future.

This course offers participants the opportunity to develop mediation skills through exercises, group work and role play. Mediation skills are applicable to many professional sectors, including housing, young people’s services, family support, education and many more.

It is suitable for those looking to return to education and training, get into community volunteering, or learn new skills that may help them back into employment. Completing the course and accreditation process will give participants a recognised qualification at Level 2 or 3 that they will be able to build on with further training in the future.

Anyone interested can come to a Drop-in Session at the centre on Tuesday January 22nd from 10am-1pm where you can come and meet the Mediation Plus team and some of their other volunteer mediators. If you would like details and an application form, please call 01323 442781 or email training@mediation-plus.org.uk

Mediation Service Raises Planning Permission Holiday Concerns

Mediation Plus, the community mediation service for Eastbourne and Wealden, is concerned that Government plans announced last week to relax planning permission requirements for property extensions may trigger a wave of disputes among local residents.

 

The service – which has been providing independent and impartial community mediation since 2006 – deals with an average of 120 cases each year. Among the most common causes of disputes between home owners are parking, boundaries and extensions such as conservatories and garages. The plans announced last week would allow extensions of up to 6 meters – double the current limit – to be built without local planning consent.

 

Service Manager Clive Gross said “While the current planning process may seem cumbersome for small developments like conservatories and garages, it does at least provide a mechanism for genuine concerns about the impact of these works to be properly considered. Any extension larger than the current three meter rule may have significant implications for the occupiers of the adjoining properties in terms of outlook and privacy. Doubling the threshold seems to suggest that planners should only get involved when the damage is potentially already done.”

 

Statistics from the Local Government Association show that the proportion of planning applications approved by town halls has risen over the past decade, reaching 87% last year. Home owners who may previously have had planning permission refused for legitimate reasons may now decide to exploit the proposed planning permission ‘holiday’ to go ahead with these schemes.

 

Mr Gross continued “Mediation is a very effective way of resolving disputes, especially if people come to us early before issues escalate. Unfortunately, once a building is up it is usually too late and arguments can even turn violent. We hope the very short public consultation process being scheduled for these proposals will allow the Government to reflect fully on their implications.”