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& Independent Mediation Service Spotlight on 2015 / 16

Police video highlights benefits of mediation A three minute video has been produced by Mediation Alliance which is a consortium of to brief police officers about the benefits of mediation services comprising of BHIMS, community mediation. The video, which is presented Mediation, Mediation+ and and Rother by Brighton Police, ASB and Hate Coordinator, Mediation. During the year 269 cases across Sussex Yvonne Simpson, describes the benefits of mediation, were referred by the Police to the mediation services how it works and how it can be accessed by the Police. and the number is growing. Youtube Link It was produced in collaboration with the Sussex https://t.co/ziLkdeBGhB

Outreach and training During 2015/16 considerable effort Service, booked for Hastings has been placed on developing our and Rother Mediation Service. Mark Green, Service Manager collaborative and training services. Outreach and Jo Wilkinson, Training BHIMS sees itself at the centre of • Mediation awareness sessions & Volunteer Development the community, not only offering for all housing teams within Officer. support to help people resolve B&HCC What is BHIMS? conflict when it happens but also to • Housing team at Independent and sheltered housing. We work help people manage and avoid District Council Mediation Service is a small charity with nursing and care home conflict in their lives. More details • Southern Housing which has been operating in providers and offer conflict about our outreach services can be • Sussex Police Brighton, Hove and the Lewes coaching which is an alternative to found overleaf but here are just a • Integrated Team for Families areas for over 23 years. mediation when only party agrees few of the organisations we have Collaboration The majority of our work focuses to take part. We also deliver worked with over the last 12 months. • Transgender alliance / on neighbourhood disputes. tailor-made conflict resolution Training trans-inclusion conference In addition we offer workplace training within charity sector and Managing difficult conversations - • YMCA and Southdown Housing mediation, support for people to other organisations on a Hounslow Council, Downsview • Youth Offender Service facing conflict within the family, commercial basis. School, Trust for Developing • Restorative Hub - Kathy has tenants and landlords in dispute Communities. attended training and is now Conflict Coaching - BHIMS regarded as one of the City's mediators, West Sussex Mediation Restorative champions.

Kathy Whitestone, Senior Case worker Our workload and Liz Bolt, Admin Support. Most of our cases during 2015/16 • 75% cases reached an agreement Our mediators came from Brighton and Hove City after following a sequence of Our 40-plus trained volunteer We approach each case Council, Lewes District Council, steps which allow those involved mediators come from all walks individually; listening to everyone The Police, Southern Housing, to identify possible solutions and of life. They continue to be the involved. Then opening up the Affinity Sutton, Orbit Housing, find a way forward. backbone and lifeblood of the conversation to improve Two Piers Housing, Southdown • BHIMS also handled 4 workplace organisation. To work for us understanding. Often a case will Housing,Youth Offending Service, mediations and delivered a mediators need to successfully end with a joint meeting and an and the YMCA. During 2015: number of training interventions complete a six week training agreement about how to move • 92 cases were referred for to outside organisations. programme. Many of our forward. Fiona, Linette and Pam. mediators have specific mediation, an increase from Turn over to find out what our the 72 cases mediated in 2014. Volunteer mediators qualifications in specialist referrers think of us.... discussing a case. types of mediation.

Full copy of the annual accounts is available at www.bhims.org.uk “Excellent handling BRIGHTON & HOVE by the three mediators. Independent Mediation Service Both were lovely, I felt “The mediation very comfortable service has been a tremendous and relaxed in “Your work is amazing!” help to me and hope it continues What our clients and their company” referrers think of us: - Sussex Community to help others” Making a difference Foundation. - Client - Client. Chair, Susy Taylor says: “This was a new course for us, having This year we continued to provide a high quality community established that we want to equip staff with some “There have been no more mediation service to local people. We handled a record basic mediation skills in order to try to quash any number of referrals including an increasing number of calls to the Police due to workplace and inter-generational cases. But It is the problems with staff before they were escalated. As you the work of the mediation expansion of our collaborative and training services know almost fifty people have attended the training and all Service. Thank you.” “Brighton and Hove City that I am particularly proud of this year. The conflict of the feedback has been positive. As well as the notable skills - Sussex Police. Council’s approach to breach of coaching service, which has been developed in-house, base that your trainers have people have commented on the has been rolled out during the year and it is now tenancy is to seek to end the behaviour embedded in the service as a real alternative to personable approach that they exude. We have been delighted whilst sustaining a person’s tenancy. mediation. During the year we trained 12 of our own with your flexibility and ability to tailor things to our needs mediators to provide this service. Our agreement with BHIMS is to provide a and would welcome working with you again in the future.” fast and effective mediation and/or conflict In addition to the outreach and training initiatives described - Peta Newlin, Workforce Development Manager. coaching service. This is very successful. on page one we have also been involved in: Hounslow Borough Council • Training BHIMS mediators in mental health awareness, “The mediators Our experience is that over seventy-five Trans Gender awareness and conflict coaching. were perfect” per cent of cases referred are • Mediation awareness training for Brighton and Hove City successfully resolved.” Council and the Police. - Client • Mediation in elder care schemes across the City. “I see the benefit of your service and how it - Rachel Chasseaud, Head of Tenancy. • Delivering conflict coaching and mediation awareness can save police resources – eg neighbour to other charities. disputes etc. I have heard only positive feedback Money In 2015 we celebrated our 21st years of delivering from the Police. Thank you and well done”. community mediation and outreach services by holding a Like many charities funding is key to our ability to deliver high party for our referrers and mediators. Amongst the guests - Detective Sergeant Stephen Rigby, quality services - thanks to the funders and grant providers who was our patron,international author,Peter Jamesand the Mayor Sussex Police. help keep BHIMS solvent. The services we provide are well of Brighton and Hove City Council, Councillor Lynda Hyde. regarded and are seen as good as value for money - so much so that all our key funders have remained committed to BHIMS BHIMS finishes the year in a good place thanks mainly to our key “I was apprehensive and what we do. financial providers including Brighton and Hove City Council, Lewes District Council, Sussex Police and Residential Social at the start but it We turn the year in surplus Landlords. Also to our 40-plus trained volunteers who continue turned out really well” and with sufficient reserves to provide the professional service we aspire to and without whom - Client we would not exist. I look forward to the future with significant to help us manage the optimism. unexpected. The 2014/15 accounts are attached. Susy Taylor, BHIMS Chair. Our focus for the year ahead is to try and grow BHIMS will continue to focus on maintaining a high standard service, our reserves so that we which meets the needs of the local communities in our catchment area. can invest more of our Following successful bid for funding from Sussex Community fund to resources into outreach train more Community Mediators we will be running a further training work and mediator programme early in the new year and hope train up 20 new mediators. development. Anyone interested in becoming a mediator can find an application form on our website. There are also a number of initiatives planned emphasising our outreach and collaborative working focus. These include: How to contact us • The first pan Sussex Mediation Conference on - Empowering Local Communities in Conflict Resolution. This will be held in October. • A collaborative partnership with “Know My Neighbour”. • Extensive work with B&HCC Housing on their elder care schemes. Phone: 01273 700812 Mayor of Brighton & Hove Cllr Lynda Hyde, BHIMS Patron • Outreach work which we hope will involve the . Peter James and Julia Warnes, Finance Officer. Email: [email protected] So, BHIMS faces a busy and exciting year ahead!