Mediation is not used enough to tackle antisocial behaviour, according to a home affairs select committee report published on Tuesday.
The report said mediation was a “cost-effective” approach, and it was a “cause for concern” that it is underused. The committee recommended that the government work with councils to set up a “systematic referral mechanism” for the use of mediation.
Howard Clark, chair of the G17 Antisocial Behaviour Group – which represents the 17 largest housing associations in London – agreed that mediation could be used very effectively to combat antisocial behaviour.
He said: “Many of the associations within G17 currently use mediation services, and we are currently working on proposals to introduce the joint procurement of such services across our organisations.”
But Clark added that mediation was not always the best solution: “It’s important to have other measures in place if this approach doesn’t work to ensure that cases are progressed to a satisfactory conclusion.”
Source
Housing Today
Postscript
A report by York University has concluded that the Inclusion Project run by homelessness charity Shelter had, in its first two years to September 2004, had a “near 100% success rate” in helping 50 households accused of antisocial behaviour to curb their actions.
The project involves clients signing behaviour contracts and following a tailored programme of support to tackle problems such as alcohol and drug dependency.
