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 鈥渃ost-effective鈥� approach, and it was a 鈥渃ause for concern鈥� that it is underused. The committee recommended that the government work with councils to set up a 鈥渟ystematic referral mechanism鈥� for the use of mediation.
Howard Clark, chair of the G17 Antisocial Behaviour Group 鈥� which represents the 17 largest housing associations in London 鈥� agreed that mediation could be used very effectively to combat antisocial behaviour.
He said: 鈥淢any 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.鈥�
But Clark added that mediation was not always the best solution: 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to have other measures in place if this approach doesn鈥檛 work to ensure that cases are progressed to a satisfactory conclusion.鈥�
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 鈥渘ear 100% success rate鈥� 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.