PCC marks anniversary of anti-social behaviour mediation service.
Matthew Barber (Police & Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley) has marked the one year anniversary since the launch of a dedicated ASB mediation service for communities across the Thames Valley.
Today, Matthew Barber marks the first anniversary of the Thames Valley ASB Mediation Service which has been providing mediation and conflict resolution support to communities since 1st April 2024.
Since launch, Alternatives to Conflict have received over 300 referrals for support covering a range of issues including noise, verbal abuse, harassment and parking.
Marking the anniversary, Matthew Barber said: “It is just over a year since we launched our ASB mediation service in the Thames Valley, providing communities with a range of support to prevent the escalation of anti-social behaviour by making mediation more widely accessible.
“It is great to see how much of an impact the service has had in its first year of operation, with over 300 individual referrals for mediation and conflict resolution support received by Alternatives to Conflict since April 2024.
“With the majority of case referrals coming in via police officers when responding to incidents of anti-social behaviour, this demonstrates why the service is an important pathway for our frontline teams to offer support to those who need it.
“I look forward to seeing the continued impact our dedicated mediation service has for our communities, in support of my Police and Crime Plan for the Thames Valley.”
Anthea Beeks, Chief Executive Officer for Alternatives to Conflict, said: “We are incredibly proud of the impact this service has had in just one year. Over 300 referrals and more than 90 self-referrals show a growing public trust in mediation as a meaningful way to resolve conflict.
“We are excited to continue working with communities across Thames Valley to build safer, more understanding neighbourhoods.”
Community Policing Command Inspector Mike Darrah said: “Preventing and addressing anti-social behaviour is crucial for the well-being of our communities in the Thames Valley. The success of our mediation service in its first year is fantastic news, and we are excited to continue building on this achievement. Our strong partnership with Alternatives to Conflict is delivering better outcomes for people across TVP, and we look forward to further improving our efforts, together.”
Within the first year of the service, Alternatives to Conflict has held over 70 public engagement events to promote the service and raise awareness of the service.
Through these events Alternatives to Conflict have encouraged residents to use mediation to resolve disputes, which has been reflected in the volume of self-referrals with over 90 received (between 1st April 2024 – 1st April 2025).
Overall, approximately 60% of individual cases received within the first year of the service operating have proceeded to have a mediator appointed. This demonstrates a demand for conflict resolution support within communities across Thames Valley.
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), with an option to extend the service at the end of the period by up to two years.
For further details on mediation and the services available, please visit the Alternatives to Conflict website.
