About Us
The aim of the Portsmouth Mediation Service (PMS) is to assist individuals with problems or difficulties with other people to resolve those situations, enabling the individuals concerned and those with whom they come into contact to have a better quality of life, free from worry or unease as a result of those disputes.
Since being founded in 1996, the PMS has assisted thousands of people in finding mutually acceptable ways forward. This applies predominantly in the case of neighbours but also in the workplace, health and social care settings, and various other areas.
A Registered Charity, the PMS provides services free at the point of use wherever possible but is reliant on funding from organisations, grants, and donations to enable it to function. Any surpluses of income over expenditure are ploughed back into improving and developing the services which it can provide.
Volunteer Mediators form the mainstay of the Mediation services and the PMS recruits and trains local people for this purpose. This gives individuals an interesting and fulfilling role, as well as a nationally recognised accreditation as a Mediator.
The PMS provides Mediation for workplace disputes, between tenants, and landlords, between individuals living within a household, for issues with tradespeople and contractors, between neighbours, and in many other scenarios. The PMS also offers Assessment services and a range of expertise promoting facilitation and management of meetings where disputes (including complaints) are involved and it is important that the people concerned feel that they have been enabled to express their views and been heard and understood.
Basically, the PMS is a people-focussed service, working with and for individuals. People are usually empowered by involvement in Mediation and this is reflected throughout other aspects of their lives.
Funders
The Portsmouth Mediation Service is funded from a range of sources and continually seeks to develop the services which it may offer. Key funding has been found through Portsmouth City Council, First Wessex (PHA), Guinness Hermitage, and Chichester District Council.
Other organisations commissioning services from the PMS have included a number of Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) (also sometimes known as Housing Associations), Havant, Gosport, and Fareham Councils, the Police, NHS Commissioners and Providers, and the Hampshire County Council.
The PMS continuously seeks to develop arrangements and partnerships with further organisations and all enquiries are welcomed.
Patron: Lord Judd
Registered Charity No: 1061569
Registered Company No: 3258327