Portsmouth Mediation And Assessment Service

05/11/2026

A new community bench engraved with restorative messages will be unveiled in Landport Gardens on Saturday 28 November as part of this Loving Landport, a community event bringing people together through music, food, drink and fun activities. The bench is currently being constructed by the Portsea Men’s Shed

Portsmouth Mediation Service (PMS) will unveil the bench as a lasting celebration of kindness, connection and community spirit.

The project forms part of Portsmouth’s centenary celebrations, with an ambition to collect 100 practical ways to show kindness across the city. Local people will be invited to contribute ideas, helping to build a shared legacy that puts positive relationships at the heart of community life.

The bench’s engraved messages will encourage people to reflect on how everyday actions can strengthen relationships, repair harm and help everyone feel that they belong.

Love Landport will give residents and visitors the chance to meet neighbours, make new connections and celebrate their community. They will also be able to find out about Portsmouth Mediation Service’s work, including mediation and restorative training, which help people navigate conflict and build stronger relationships.

Drawing on its experience of bringing communities together across Portsmouth, PMS hopes the event and the bench will inspire kindness long after the celebrations end.

Landport residents and the wider community are invited to come along, enjoy the activities and help celebrate a more connected Portsmouth.

02/11/2026

Join professionals from policing, community safety, housing, health, and partner agencies for a collaborative workshop exploring the role of restorative approaches in responding to conflict, harm, and community issues.

Featuring input from restorative justice and mediation practitioners, the session will build understanding of restorative practice, showcase its application across different services, and provide opportunities to share experiences and learn from others.

The workshop is designed to encourage partnership working, strengthen professional networks, and support greater confidence in using restorative approaches within your role.

26/10/2026

Love Landport event to unveil community bench celebrating kindness

A new community bench engraved with restorative messages will be unveiled in Landport Gardens on Saturday 28 November as part of Love Landport, a community event bringing people together through music, food, drink and fun activities. The bench is currently being constructed by the Portsea Men’s Shed and pictured here is our service manager Steve checking on the progress with Andy & John.

Portsmouth Mediation Service (PMS) will unveil the bench as a lasting celebration of kindness, connection and community spirit.

The project forms part of Portsmouth’s centenary celebrations, with an ambition to collect 100 practical ways to show kindness across the city. Local people will be invited to contribute ideas, helping to build a shared legacy that puts positive relationships at the heart of community life.

The bench’s engraved messages will encourage people to reflect on how everyday actions can strengthen relationships, repair harm and help everyone feel that they belong.

Love Landport will give residents and visitors the chance to meet neighbours, make new connections and celebrate their community. They will also be able to find out about Portsmouth Mediation Service’s work, including mediation and restorative training, which help people navigate conflict and build stronger relationships.

Drawing on its experience of bringing communities together across Portsmouth, PMS hopes the event and the bench will inspire kindness long after the celebrations end.

Landport residents and the wider community are invited to come along, enjoy the activities and help celebrate a more connected Portsmouth.

14/10/2026

Meet the new Sort it Out Mediation Team!

Pictured here with our trainer and mediator Sue is Fran, Megan and Sangee the new Sort it Out Mediation Team operating out of the Student Union. We are very excited to be working and walking alongside these new mediators in their new Restorative journey, helping to make the University of Portsmouth a more peaceful place.

10/09/2026

A city's greatest strength has never been that everyone thinks the same. It is that people with different experiences, backgrounds and perspectives can live, work and grow together. Every thriving community is shaped by conversations, understanding and a shared commitment to building something bigger than ourselves.

Creating a Restorative Culture is of course about more than festivals and events. It is about the way we treat one another every day. It is about listening before judging, seeking understanding before division, and recognising that every person has a story worth hearing.

That is the heart of our vision for a Restorative City—a Portsmouth where relationships are valued, differences are met with dialogue, and communities become stronger because they choose connection over conflict.
Real Restorative culture change takes time. It is built one conversation, one relationship and one act of understanding at a time. But together, those moments create something lasting.

As we continue our journey towards 2029, let's remember that this story belongs to every one of us. Whatever our backgrounds, beliefs or opinions, we all have a part to play in shaping a Portsmouth that future generations will be proud to call home.
Together, we don't just celebrate our city's culture—we create it

29/08/2026

Congratulations! this is Brilliant News!!

It demonstrates again the power of Relational & Restorative Practice which was central to Portsmouth’s outstanding inspection outcome - making services consistently relationship-based, collaborative and strengths-focused.

Good to see how practitioners built trusting relationships with children and families, used respectful and non-blaming conversations, and involved families and their networks in understanding concerns and agreeing plans. This supported sustained change, reduced escalation of need, and kept children’s voices central to decision-making.

This is what a Positive Restorative Culture looks like!

🏆 Outstanding news for Portsmouth! 🎉

Portsmouth City Council's children's services has been rated Outstanding in all four areas by Ofsted.

The inspection recognised the exceptional support provided to children, young people and families across the city, and the positive impact of Portsmouth's one-Council approach to helping care-experienced young people thrive.

A huge thank you to our staff, foster carers, schools, partners, and the children and young people who continue to help shape our services.

Read more about this fantastic achievement ➡️ https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/portsmouth-childrens-services-rated-outstanding-by-ofsted/

You can read the full report on the Ofsted website here: https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/44/80539

10/08/2026

Come On Pompey!

06/08/2026

The Waterfront Restorative Approaches Partnership (WRAP) in Portsmouth is a multi-agency partnership whose overarching aim is:
To make Portsmouth's waterfront and public spaces safer, more welcoming and more connected by using restorative approaches that build relationships, prevent harm and engage young people positively, rather than relying solely on enforcement.
Its work has grown from a response to anti-social behaviour around the Hotwalls and Camber Dock into a broader partnership covering the Southsea seafront.

A key member of The WRAP is Katy Sexton an Olympic Swimmer and World Champion (2003); in recent years Katy has become a Champion of water safety and we are pleased to share her advice here.

There is growing concern about the safety of some of our young people jumping off the Camber Dock into a working port with the danger of Isle of Wight Ferries. We do want to urge parents to discourage your children from diving off the Camber.

Gogglehedz Portsmouth Police Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire & Isle of Wight Motiv8 URBOND Community Andrew Simpson Centres Tall Ships Youth Trust Game Over Portsmouth Sailing Club (PSC) The Camber Building SPARK Community Space Seekers Create Portsmouth Homes

01/08/2026

The Cultural Festival in Victoria Park is in full swing! - Well done Urbond, Great Event!.........Lost of FREE sweets at the PMS stand!

26/07/2026

https://portsmouthmediationservice.org.uk/100-relational-restorative-practice-stories-from-across-portsmouth/