AnnualRestorativePractitionersDay


 

The 2007 ARP-Network Day Workshops

 


10.35 workshops:

Workshop1: Does Restorative Justice Work?

 

Marian Liebmann and Lindy Wootton

 

This workshop will look at what we might mean by ‘Does RJ work?’ and give some results from research results around the world. We will look at the following areas: 

  1. Does restorative justice prevent or reduce offending?
  2. Do victims and offenders find the process helpful and fair?
  3. Are agreements about compensation and reparation fulfilled?
  4. Are schemes cost-effective?
  5. Is there community support for restorative justice?

    What works in implementing restorative justice?

 

It is hoped that there will be discussion along the way of how findings may be applied in participants’ work situations.

 

Marian Liebmann has worked in mediation and restorative justice for over 20 years, including as director of Mediation UK. She currently works freelance as a consultant and trainer, in the UK and abroad, most recently in Serbia. Her latest book is Restorative Justice: How It Works, published in April 2007.

 

Lindy Wootton has worked with victims for 20 years and in the field of restorative justice for 10. She has coordinated the RJ Project in Bristol Prison, and now currently works as a freelance trainer and consultant. Some of the organisations she works for are; Victim Support nationally, the local YOT and Bristol Prison.

 


Workshop 3) Tools for (learning and doing) restorative empathy

 

Paul Crosland & Paul Baker (-Powerpoint presentation available hereRestorative+Empathy - V2.ppt)

 

 

This workshop explored three approaches to cultivating empathy:

  1. Assisting people to identify the source of their feelings as their needs, and to develop awareness of the unmet needs of the other.

  2. The restorative workers’ role in the face of offenders judging their own behaviour harshly. (Who empathises with the needs that the offending behaviour was trying to meet?)

  3. The potential transformation of offering mediation with a role-played other, role-played as if they had full emotional (and needs) literacy.)


     


 

Workshop 4) The needs of young victims of violent crime

 

Peter Wallis, Oxfordshire Youth Offending Team

 

The experience of victimization is an important factor in the lives of many if not most children and young people. The impact on the young person cannot be easily predicted and may be underestimated by adults. Large numbers of the most serious adult offenders self-report victimization in childhood and there is good evidence that for young people victimization is a risk factor in developing offending behaviour.

This workshop will look at the impact of being the victim of violence on young people and consider the specific needs of this vulnerable group. We will share ideas about how best to address those needs and will share knowledge about projects and services around the country that are specifically targeted towards young victims.

Pete Wallis has worked in restorative justice for the last 7 years with Oxfordshire Youth Offending Service. He established the national 'doing sorry' conferences in Oxford looking at ways of ensuring that reparation is restorative.

 


12.15 workshops:

 

Workshop 2) Restorative Practice in ‘Anti-Social Behaviour’ and other community settings

 

Wendy Freshman & Jane Douche (Family Support Project Manager), The Mediation Service, Canterbury

& Paul Dunn, Anti-Social Behaviour, Metropolitan Police

 

(More details about the developments of ASB, Acceptable Behaviour Contracts, Family Support and mediation work will be put here  by Wendy, Jane and Paul, along with a description of their background)

 


 

Workshop 5) Victim Satisfaction and Offender Satisfaction

Peter Wallis, Oxfordshire Youth Offending Team, Paul Crosland, & Saar Yaniv, South Devon YOT

 

This workshop will support practitioners in using the long-developed (but little known) Victim Satisfaction Framework, receiving feedback and moving onto a third of the workshop looking at how the experience of the offender is evaluated.

 

Please print-out and bring along to the workshop the Victim Satisfaction Framework.

 

(More details about the structure of this workshop will be put on this page by Pete, Paul and Saar as they hold telephone conferences to further develop workshop content and a database for practitioners)


 

Workshop 6 Self awareness and self care for Restorative Workers in the Context of Serious and Sensitive Cases

Barbara Tudor, West Midlands Probation Service

 

Where such serious harm has been caused the restorative route may very well be crucial to the future well being of many of those involved . These types of offence create very widespread distress and damage which if ignored by those of us involved in the administration of the criminal justice system can result in permanent ongoing trauma for victims and offenders.

 

One of the most regularly expressed reasons for not attempting to work with these cases is the belief that “I could do more damage by working on this”. The other side of this comment is “I am fearful that I may be damaged”. These comments could be true of any human engagement that we may undertake.

 

Self awareness and self care are among the most important aspects of working in the restorative arena. How do we achieve them? This workshop will explore these concepts within the wider concept of restoration.

 


 

 


 

2pm-2.30pm Lunchtime Fringe Presentation: Conflict Practitioners and Sociocracy

 

Maria Arpa & Shantigarbha Warren

 

Sociocracy is a process for collective decision-making that makes sure that everyone's voice gets heard. It also supports the flow of information and decision-making in organizations which value 'equivalence' (valuing each member equally in decisions).

 

Sociocracy is a method for governance for all kinds of organizations - associations, corporations, and societies - that ensures inclusiveness, accountability, and productivity.

 

It rests on the equal valuing of all members of an organization and creates a structure that both protects the interests of members of the organization and produces a strong and efficient decision-making structure.

 

It was developed over the past 40 years in a unique management science laboratory in The Netherlands, and is being trialled by the Nonviolent Communication (NVC) community worldwide, including the UK Network

 

See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wi ki/Sociocracy and http://www.sociocracy.info

 

Further reading:

 

1. A 24 page article: 'The Creative Forces of Self-organization' by John Buck and Gerard Endenburg available to download as a PDF from

Governance Alive on the Resources page.

 

 

2. A newly published book: 'We the People - Consenting to a Deeper Democracy',

A Guide to Sociocratic Principles and Methods, by John Buck and Sharon Villines   

 

'We the People' is a comprehensive presentation of the history, principles, and theory of sociocracy. It also includes "how to" information, reprints of historical texts, several guides to meeting processes, a glossary, and a bibliography. Further information from http://www.sociocracy.info Available from Amazon.com and, hopefully, on the day, from Shantigarbha.

 


 


 

 

2.30pm workshops:

 

Workshop 7) Whose standards are out there? -different approaches to practice standards

"I'm a restorative practitioner - how do I get the T-shirt to prove it?"

 

Lesley Saunders ("7 steps to mediator competence") & Paul Crosland (formerly co-opted to Home Office Restorative Practice Training & Accreditation Policy Group).   Session chaired by Harriet Bailey, CEO of RJC.

 

(Lesley will draw from her experience of developing competency frameworks eg. Competent Mediator Status & Paul will draw from the experience of developing Best Practice Guidance for Restorative Practitioners and National Occupational Standards). Harriet Bailey from the RJC will chair.

(More information to follow)

 


Workshop 8) Emotional safety and risk assessment

 

Vince Mercer, AIM project, Manchester

 

This workshop will consider issues in relation to how we can create safe spaces for dialogue or contact between potential participants. What are our fears and ‘nightmares’ around bringing people in conflict together? Through reflection on his practice in the field of Restorative practice in cases of child/adolescent sexually harmful behaviour Vince Mercer will give an account of his use of specialist assessment frameworks designed to answer the above question, he will consider the usefulness and limitations of such an approach. In doing so he will touch upon the necessary standards of practice outlined in the Home Office Best Practice Standards, especially in relation to sensitive and complex cases.

Finally the workshop will reflect upon the notion of ‘risk’ assessment, what does this mean to RJ practitioners?

What does a risk management approach mean in the context of the criminal justice system? Are these two areas in conflict?

 

The workshop will consist of a 20 minute presentation and exercise to ‘open up’ the discussion.

 

Vince Mercer is an experienced mediator and Family Group Meeting facilitator. He is currently working in the area of RJ in cases of sexually harmful behaviour. He is an experienced trainer in the field.


 

Workshop 9) Working with cases where the responsibility for the harm is shared (eg after bullying from ‘the victim’).

 

Saar Yaniv, South Devon YOT

 

The workshop will focus on those cases where the legal definitions of offender/perpetrator and victim/aggrieved does not represent the relationship between those involved in the crime/harm done. I will facilitate discussion on the specific challenges those cases hold for r.j practitioners, both on an ethical and practice level. Sharing experience and ideas would be welcomed and appreciated.

 


 

Front page -flyer and venue map 16th October 2007

 

(Papers from 2006 Annual Network Day)