Our Approach
Practice Belief
Making sense of what happened
What is a Restorative Process?
A restorative process is the application of using restorative practices — it's a 'sense making' of a shared concern or conflict that moves through a series of emotional stages. Making sense together has the effect of transforming conflict into cooperation. Restorative practices can help establish, maintain, deepen, and repair relationships.
A restorative process using the above restorative practices should enable all involved to work together towards negotiation of a shared understanding.
Principals that underpin restorative practice:
- Cause no further harm.
- Work with all involved.
- Set the relationships right.
The approach follows a common sequence:
- What happened?
- How has each person been affected and impacted?
- What now needs to be done to reduce any further harm?
- What type of situation are we dealing with?
- What are we looking for as a desired outcome?
A restorative process can help relationships that are:
- Already positive but could be deepened.
- Be established, meeting people for the first time.
- Simply no longer involve conflict, become neutral.
- Or formally end by mutual agreement.
Justice
Restorative practice within Justice can have benefits for people affected by any type of crime, and those who have offended, as long as both parties are willing to take part. Family and community support is vital to assist change across community.
Education
Restorative practice within education can have benefits that help children and young people opens the door to stronger relationships and supportive change. This assists children and young people up for lifelong learning and holds everyone accountable.
Families
Restorative practice within families can have benefits that assist putting supports in place to help work with them and find solutions that last and keep children and young people safe. For some families this may be a new way of operating and opens the door to have conversations around impact of actions and how things can be different.
"As a facilitator of this work, we must manage our own thoughts and bias to support participants — the facilitator doesn't impose their viewpoint on anyone involved but helps people to consider multiple viewpoints of the story."
The facilitator must be constantly alert, allowing people to express what they need but then return to a sequence. They are neutral, connected, and ready for the next session at any time.
As a facilitator we must aim at all times to be respectful, transparent and clear.