Community & Adolescent Mediation
on the edge of care and preventing homelessness
Mediation can be used successfully in many situations where there is a need to improve communication and alleviate areas of conflict.
Underlying pressure within the family home can cause upset and conflict. This can arise from such things as cramped living conditions, parental separation and the introduction of a new partner, financial hardship, adolescents pushing the boundaries, poor attendance and performance at school, misunderstandings and miscommunications.
Mediation is an effective early-intervention strategy to safeguard children and young people, helping to reduce the likelihood of them being looked after by the local authority - or becoming homeless.
Our Community and Adolescent Mediation Service helps young people and their parents to develop positive and strong family relationships and to support young people to remain safely within their family home, or returning home. We facilitate communication between the young person, their parents and professionals, so that problems can be identified, concerns clearly explained and realistic, sustainable agreements reached.
We aim to prevent young people from going into care; usually through Section 20 of the Children Act, 1989, or from becoming homeless. We strive to reduce family conflict and to prevent court intervention.
Our skilled mediators are also social workers and are here to help. Particularly now, in a time of severe economic difficulties, there is an increased need to work to safely reduce the number of young people being looked after; often under Section 20 Orders.
Our experienced mediators work collaboratively with the local authority to manage risk associated with maintaining young people within their families and communities. We are skilled in working with adolescents and their families, and we are able to recognise domestic violence, welfare concerns and child protection risks.
We understand the emotional and practical issues that cause family breakdown, and aim to reduce conflict and rebuild relationships. All staff are registered with the Family Mediation Council and adhere to its code of conduct. They are also registered with Social Work England.
Our Community and Adolescent Mediation Service supports the work of Children’s Services, homeless persons units, fostering agencies and the courts.
We work with young people aged 13+, their parents, carers and external professionals.
Choose Mediation
Mediation is immediate and can be initiated as part of an early-intervention strategy. This avoids the high cost of Section 20 (Children Act, 1989) accommodation, or, indeed , under a Section 31 Order.
The costs of homelessness are high. The costs to a young person becoming looked after are probably higher; both in terms of finances and their own well-being.
Mediation helps to reduce the likelihood of stress, the time and the expense involved in family matters escalating and coming before the courts.
It enables both sides to the conflict to hear how their own words and behaviours have impacted, and perhaps continue to impact, other family members.
Mediation is voluntary, confidential and non-judgmental, and is focused entirely on resolution. The mediator will ensure that sessions feel balanced for the young person.
The aim is for the family members to suggest their own workable and future-focused solutions for how the young person could integrate better within the family home. If possible, sustainable family living arrangements are successfully negotiated.
It is often easier for young people, parents and carers to speak with, and explore concerns with, an impartial mediator than it is with a school teacher, foster carer or social worker from the local authority, where there may be entrenched conflict and an imbalance of power.
Mediation is cost-effective, and it works.
Contact
Email info@familysupportandmediation.co.uk
Phone +44 (0)20 3962 0001 or
+44 (0)7814 395 702