Alone in London
We have included a number of ADR scheme profiles on this site. These are examples of ADR provision that offer an interesting and potentially useful model; they are usually only available in a limited geographical area, not nationwide, though some are being evaluated for potential expansion.
Further information is given below on:
Background
Types of disputes
Cost
How it works
Outcomes
Customer satisfaction
Background
This mediation service has been run since 1996 by Alone in London, an organisation that has worked with young people and homelessness for 30 years. Alone in London says that family breakdown is one of the primary - and most painful - causes of youth homelessness. It uses mediation to help avoid family breakdown or, where the young person has already left the home, to restore communication. It provided mediation in about 126 cases of family conflict, according to its 2009-10 Impact Report.
Alongside its mediation provision, Alone in London also works in schools to prevent youth homelessness, offers training and employment support, and provides an advice service to young people. All young people using the mediation service have access to independent advice and information about their legal and statutory rights.
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Types of disputes
The service deals with disputes between young people and their families. Among the issues it can help with are:
- disputes about a young person leaving or being kicked out of the family home
- leaving home in a planned way
- restoring communication
- behaviour within the home
- intra-family conflict
Alone in London also offers family mediation to support young people coming out of prison or custody. In addition, in conjunction with Lambeth Council in London, it runs a mediation project offering temporary accommodation to give young people respite from home while engaging in mediation with their family.Top
Cost
The service is free to individual parties.
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How it works
The family mediation service is available to young people and their families in London. Cases are self-referred or referred by professionals working with young people.
The service offers direct, face-to-face mediation meetings or indirect mediation through shuttle intervention. The family mediation team members also have specialisms in child and adolescent mental health, working with young offenders, and lone teenage parents.
The mediation process varies in terms of time and the number of sessions required, depending on the issues and circumstances of individual cases. Urgent cases can be dealt with in a week, whereas some need months of intervention. On average, families will attend 4-5 sessions over a period of 3-6 weeks.
Initial meetings with young people are held at the most appropriate venue - this could be a home visit, a neutral venue, or the Alone in London offices. Where parents and others are involved in meetings, they are arranged in mutually acceptable venues. If other Alone in London services appear to be appropriate, the young person can be referred to the department concerned.
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Outcomes
Returning to or remaining in the family home is not always the outcome of a mediation. Of the 126 young people who participated in its family mediation service, 34 were supported in returning to or remaining with their families.
The service also works with young people who are already homeless, or in care, and who might not have had contact with their family for some time but want to try and re-establish positive contact with their families. Among the outcomes achieved are:
- agreements to change behaviour within the home
- agreements to return to college
- restored communication
- agreements to help the young person find alternative accommodation
- agreements to live nearer to the family home
It should be noted that an appeal court case in 2006 found that it was wrong for local authorities to use an attempt at mediation to delay assessing a young person's homelessness application. The case is summarised on this site at Young people and homelessness mediation 2006
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Customer satisfaction
Evaluation forms are given to parties at the end of the mediation case. Results of these show that parties consider the Alone in London mediation service to be accessible and supportive as well as informed about the relevant legislation and associated services.
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Updated November 2010
