Inclusive Restorative Practice - Enabling Participation

Making restorative practice accessible to all through meeting individual needs

RJC Conference

Restorative Practice has been shown to meet the needs of victims and reduce re-offending in Criminal Justice; and to improve attendance and reduce exclusions and bullying in Schools. Good practice means making sure these processes are open to everyone in our communities. How do we address some of the potential barriers to participation – ensuring through good practice that restorative processes are open to all?

This conference is suitable for anyone delivering restorative practice/restorative justice in schools, care homes, local authorities, police, prisons, probation, youth offending teams, workplaces and community based agencies.

We are delighted to welcome to this conference our keynote speaker, Dr Brian Steels, visiting lecturer at the Crime Research Centre at the University of Western Australia, Research Fellow at Curtin University’s Centre for Aboriginal Studies, and an international expert on restorative practice. Dr Steels is also Director of the Asia Pacific Forum for Restorative Justice, and leads the Institute for Restorative Justice and Penal Reform, Australia. He is a facilitator and trainer of RJ Practices, experienced in facilitating various culturally appropriate restorative processes from small conferences to large healing circles.

Alongside Brian we are delighted to welcome experienced practitioners and partners, including Alexandra Ankrah (the Tutu Foundation), Bonita Holland (former Director, Ark Plus), Anita Kerwyn Nye (The Communication Trust), Luke Roberts (Anti-Bullying Alliance), Jenny Talbot (Prison Reform Trust), Peter Wallis (Oxfordshire Youth Offending Service) and Jo Brown (Oxfordshire Anti-bullying Co-ordinator) to provide their practice-based expertise.

We can ensure restorative processes are accessible to all by addressing potential barriers to participation – cultural difference, power imbalances, speech language and communication difficulties and special needs/learning disabilities. This practical conference will help you to ensure – through assessing and meeting the needs of those you work with – that restorative practice is accessible to all.

For Accredited Practitioners registered with the Restorative Justice Council, this conference will contribute to evidencing your Continuing Professional Development, and our member events discount applies. If you have any communication needs or access issues and want to attend this conference, please get in touch.

Event Timings

09:15am - Coffee and registration

10:00am - Welcome, Lawrence Kershen QC, Chair, the Restorative Justice Council

10:10am - Opening Plenary

Jenny Talbot - Restorative Justice and Inclusion - offenders with learning disabilities and difficulties

Alexandra Ankrah - Conversations across cultures – learning from inter-cultural mediation in the UK and in South Africa

Keynote Address:

Dr Brian Steels - Inclusive Restorative Practice – walking the talk as practitioners in unequal societies

11:30am - Coffee

11:45am - Workshop Options (four workshop choices – all repeated in the afternoon)

A: Restorative Practice: meeting special needs in Criminal Justice and in Education settings (Bonita Holland, Former Director of Ark Plus, and Jenny Talbot, Prison Reform Trust)

B: Working with young people with autism and aspergers (Peter Wallis and Jo Brown, Oxfordshire Youth Offending Team and Oxfordshire Anti-bullying Co-ordinator)

C: Tackling power imbalance and bullying through restorative practice (Luke Roberts, Anti-Bullying Alliance and former Anti-Bullying Co-ordinator, Croydon Council)

D: Speech, language and communication needs – How you can support the young people you work with (Helen Clarke, The Communication Trust)

12:45pm - Lunch

13:45 - Afternoon Plenary

Bonita Holland - Restorative Practice and Special Needs – embedding restorative practice in Short Stay Schools/Pupil Referral Units

DaAnita Kerwyn Nye  - Addressing speech, language and communication needs to support the restorative process

Video Presentation and discussion:

Pete Wallis and Jo Brown from Oxfordshire Youth Offending Service – with some of the young people they work with - will showcase a video presentation of their work using problem solving circles to resolve conflicts involving young people with autism and aspergers.

15:00 - Tea & Coffee

15:20 - Afternoon workshops - repeat of morning workshop topics

16:20 Closing Address - Graham Robb, former Headteacher, Member of the Youth Justice Board and Trustee of the Restorative Justice Council

Accessibility: Please be aware that this event will take place on the 30th Floor of the Clifford Chance Building in Docklands. If you require any special arrangements or accessibilty considerations, please contact Graham at the RJC on 0207 831 5700 or email graham@restorativejustice.org.uk