Restorative Justice Interventions

Restorative justice approaches involve a range of non-punitive responses to harmful behaviour. At an everyday level, this whole-school approach includes staff and students using simple, restorative interventions when harm or rule-breaking occurs. Key staff can also learn to use restorative interventions to address higher tariff incidents: e.g. as an alternative to exclusion.

What does the service offer?

Sacro can offer consultancy and support for a whole-school restorative interventions development programme. This can include:

• consultancy and planning with education authority staff and/or school senior management teams
• awareness-raising sessions for staff, students and parents
• staff CPD training in the various interventions
• on-going staff support.

Links to local Sacro Youth Justice and Community Mediation services can also be developed to offer independent interventions in the highest tariff cases.

How does the service work?

Restorative conversations, meetings, circles and conferences are carefully structured sessions, led by a trained person and involving all those affected by an incident or problem. In the case of a meeting, this may simply involve one member of staff and a student. In the case of a conference this could be any of:

• students
• parents/carers/other family members
• relevant school staff
• other relevant professionals.

Local and national Sacro staff will consult and collaborate with education/school staff to plan and implement an appropriate development programme that will include consideration of individual school readiness factors and needs.

Who is the service aimed at?

The service is provided exclusively for schools and is suitable for local authority services and primary, secondary and special education.

How is the service accessed?

Please contact Sacro directly for details of the service.