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Restorative Practice
In a little over a month’s time, I will be running a workshop on the subject of Restorative Practice. This is a term that may be unfamiliar to many of you. You might wonder “restore what?” or “how does it work?” The restorative landscape contains a number of phrases that describe different processes, and for those unfamiliar with these terms, it can be confusing.
There is “restorative approaches” where the practitioner works with only one person. There’s “restorative justice” which is where cases relating to criminal offences are worked with, and then there’s restorative practice. This last phrase, restorative practice, covers all types of activities in a restorative setting. But what does restorative mean?
Whenever I try to describe something, I reach for the dictionary. Restorative comes from the Latin word restaurare, meaning to rebuild or repair. And that takes us immediately to the heart of the matter. Any restorative process has at its core, the wish to help people rebuild or repair. Whether you are working with the person responsible for the harm or the person harmed, it is a process based on a foundation of repair.
When both parties are involved, a restorative process aims to help the clients rebuild and repair the harm caused by one party to another. This may be in the form of an apology, an explanation, or other form of making amends. The practitioner’s role is to provide a safe space for the two people to talk with each other, for the person harmed to explain the impact of the harm on them and what they would like to see happen to make things better. For the person responsible, it is the opportunity to explain the background to the day the harm was caused, and for them to hear the impact of their actions on the other person. From that point of common understanding, a way forward is constructed.
I have portrayed the process here in very simple terms. There are a lot of skills a practitioner will use, and our free workshop on the 24th September takes delegates through some of them. If the above has piqued your interest, why not join us on the day? More information can be found here.
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