Matthew Barber has announced the launch of a dedicated anti-social behaviour (ASB) mediation service, which will be available to all communities across the Thames Valley

The Thames Valley Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Mediation Service is being delivered by Alternatives to Conflict (previously known as Mediation Bucks) and is available to residents across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Milton Keynes.

The Police and Crime Commissioner has provided funding of £60,000 annually to Alternatives to Conflict for a period of 3 years (April 2024 – March 2027). There is an option to extend the service at the end of the period by up to two years.

Announcing the service, Matthew said: “The aim of the Thames Valley-wide mediation service is to prevent the escalation of anti-social behaviour by making mediation more widely accessible to our communities.

“Mediation helps to resolve neighbour and community disputes that, if left, can escalate and cause significant harm and distress.

“Often these disputes don’t meet the criminal threshold and can’t be resolved by one agency alone. However, we know from pilot programmes in the Thames Valley that engaging in mediation can lead to significant benefits for all parties involved. 

“Over the long term, working with Thames Valley Police and our statutory partners to collectively tackle ASB remains a priority. The introduction of a Thames Valley-wide mediation service will strengthen this work by helping to alleviate some of the community issues our frontline teams come into contact with. I hope to see it making a difference.”

Phyllida Middlemiss, Chair of Trustees for Alternatives to Conflict, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this opportunity to continue our important work with Thames Valley Police in the prevention of escalation of anti-social behaviour throughout the region.

“Clashes involving noise, parking, pets and boundaries often lead to challenging and offensive behaviours that can cause significant distress to those involved and divert police resources away from preventing serious crimes.

“To better reflect the fact that we are accessible to all Thames Valley residents, and provide a range of conflict resolution services, we have changed our working name to ‘Alternatives to Conflict’.

“We look forward to developing our partnership with the Office of the PCC and working with Thames Valley Police, with the shared objective of reducing the impact of anti-social behaviours to create healthier and more resilient communities.”

Inspector Mike Darrah, Community Policing Command Inspector for Thames Valley Police, said: “I am thrilled to announce the launch of the Thames Valley Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Mediation Service, spearheaded by PCC Matthew Barber. This dedicated service aims to prevent the escalation of ASB within our communities, by providing independent advice and support to those involved in neighbour and community disputes.  

“Our hope is that the mediation program will help to resolve disputes more quickly, and mitigate harm and distress for those affected. Proven to be highly effective, it offers an alternative to court proceedings and statutory agency intervention.”

Mediation provides an independent support service and can offer a solution when there is no clear course of action open to a statutory agency, such as the police or local authority. It also represents an alternative to court proceedings and intervention by statutory agencies.

Mediation is a confidential, informal process in which a neutral third party, the mediator, will help those who are in dispute to reach agreement. Individuals can either self-refer into the mediation service or professionals can complete a referral with the individuals consent.

Following an initial conversation, Alternatives to Conflict will arrange for all parties involved to meet individually online with a mediator. If all parties agree, a joint in-person meeting will be arranged to talk openly and respectfully, acknowledging differences and recognising common grounds and shared needs. In the majority of cases, where parties agree to meet together with a mediator, important steps towards resolving the conflict are made. The service also offers conflict support when only one party in a dispute consents to be engaged in the process.

For further details on mediation and the services available, please visit the Alternatives to Conflict website.