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‘Talking is the best weapon’
A project trialed by a Bristol charity has been so successful that it is hoped it can be used as a national model for conflict resolution in other supported housing settings.
1625 Independent People’s Restorative Approaches project has also been awarded £27,500 continuation funding from Avon and Somerset’s Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens.
The Restorative Approaches service is being piloted at 1625ip’s emergency live-in housing projects and offers a safe space for young people to talk through any issues or conflict and find a way forward together.
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It has already made a positive impact on the lives of some vulnerable young people, including those leaving care and young unaccompanied asylum seekers.
On a recent visit, Mountstevens said: “The restorative approaches service provided by 1625ip, enabling young people to resolve issues, giving them a place of safety and helping them form strong and safe relationships, is vital.”
Scott is one young person who used the Restorative Approaches service and says it helped him to form better relationships with fellow residents and to prevent situations from escalating.
He specifically used ‘shuttle mediation’, – a restorative technique used when two parties need a go-between to help them communicate. This helped him develop greater cultural awareness when things got a bit tricky with some other residents at his hostel.
“I know how to deal with stuff better now than I did this time last year,” Scott said.
“I can communicate with people on a level so they understand me and I’ve learnt a lot about how to respect other people. It’s been like a domino effect as well, I was able to share what I’d learnt with other people living here.
“When there was someone kicking off at the hostel, I said to him, ‘come on mate this is our home.’ And he stopped. It made him stop and think.
“It’s like that saying, the word and the pen are mightier than the sword. Talking is the best weapon.”
1625ip are often the last port of call for some of the most vulnerable young people in Bristol, making it even more vital that they help to avoid unnecessary evictions or criminalisation.
The new funding allows the current project to carry on for a further year without disruption, as well as enabling 1625ip to extend the pilot to their other supported housing projects in Bristol.
For more information, visit www.1625ip.co.uk
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