RESTORATIVE BRISTOL STRATEGY 2013/14 2014/15 1
Contents 1. What is a Restorative Approach? 2. Purpose of the Strategy 3. Values Organisations People harmed Perpetrators Communities Families Training Innovation 4. Restorative Bristol Strategy 5. Key Points of Action Plan 6. Appendices Restorative Bristol Standard Action Plan Governance Partnership Board I. Restorative Bristol Board (RBB) II. Restorative Bristol Practitioner & Advisory Group (PAG) Restorative Approaches In Practice I. How Restorative Approaches are used in the Criminal Justice System II. How Restorative Approaches are used outside the Criminal Justice System 2
What are Restorative Approaches? Restorative approaches to resolving conflict and repairing harm are about doing things differently and engaging those involved in conflict to be part of the solution. This is a philosophy that can be applied to many situations including, but not exclusively to education, communities and neighbourhoods, the criminal justice system, families, the workplace, equalities and health & well-being. Therefore Restorative Bristol will refer to restorative approaches rather than restorative justice. Restorative approaches can be used as a final resolution or alongside other actions to resolve harm and reduce conflict. Moreover, there are conflict situations where it is not clear who is the victim and who is the perpetrator? In such situations, a restorative approach can be used to bring all the people affected together to create dialogue to resolve disagreements, disputes, miscommunication and repair the harm. Restorative Bristol defines restorative approaches using a set of key principles, which are: Facilitating dialogue between all those affected by the wrongdoing or conflict Encouraging those responsible for the harm done to become accountable for their actions and responsible for putting right the wrong Ensuring that all those involved or affected are given the opportunity to share their story, their feelings and their needs Involving everyone affected in finding mutually acceptable ways forward Repairing the harm caused by any behaviour that has a negative impact on others Repairing, or at times, building relationships between those affected 3
Vision The purpose of this document is to set out Restorative Bristol s vision for the city - a city where individuals, agencies and services see restorative approaches as the first option for dealing with conflict. Restorative Bristol has been set up to continue to promote and support all sectors, communities and the public to embrace a restorative culture where our response to dealing with initial conflict, wrong doing or harm, puts the wishes and needs of the person (s) harmed at the heart of any restorative approach, community resolution or restorative justice activity as described by Marilyn Harrison, Safer Bristol Chair and Assistant Chief Officer with Avon and Somerset Probation trust. The vision is for all of Bristol s many and varied communities to have well informed advocates and champions for restorative approaches who promote the benefits of engaging with restorative approaches. They will encourage and support others within their community to have the confidence to request a restorative approach to a local issue. Restorative Bristol builds connections and networks between organisations and individuals who work across the spectrum of restorative approaches. We recognise and value the diversity of applications of this approach and also recognise the common principles which underpin restorative work. Restorative Bristol is compiling a list of groups, individuals and organisations who can sign up to a standard based on the principles. We are referring to these organisations, individuals and communities as restorative partners (see appendix 1). 4
Values At the heart of Restorative Bristol is a clear set of values. These values are as follows: Organisations We want to encourage the effective use of Restorative Approaches amongst staff and employees across all sectors. By providing support, training opportunities and an information hub in the form of the Restorative Bristol website, we hope to support organisations and businesses to integrate a restorative approach into the management of their staff and the way they interact with their customers and clients. People Harmed Through Conflict Restorative Bristol will place the victims of crime at the heart of any restorative approach. Repairing the harm caused by conflict, crime and disorder has a huge impact on the ability of the victim to recover from an often stressful and life changing event. Sadly the victim is often forgotten in the overriding need to see justice done and the offender punished. Bristol has led the way in offering those harmed a voice. Perpetrators Although the victim of crime should be at the very forefront of restorative justice, a restorative process can also meet the needs of the offender. There is firm evidence that an offender is less likely to reoffend if they have been involved in a restorative approach, particularly if that approach has involved the victim of their crime. Avon & Somerset Constabulary (Police), Avon & Somerset Probation Trust (Probation) and the city s Youth Offending Team (YOT) use a number of restorative approaches to tackle crime and reduce reoffending. 5
Communities By involving a diverse range of communities in Restorative Bristol, we will be better placed to develop solutions at a community level. Many minority ethnic communities share the principles of restorative approaches as a key community value. We want to build on this and equip community leaders with more skills and support communities to resolve community issues and tensions through restorative approaches. Families Restorative Bristol is embedding restorative approaches in schools, parenting and tackling conflict within the home. Restorative approaches are well established in some schools because children and young people can change their behaviour through a better understanding of their emotions and the effects their behaviour can have on others. Bristol has recently set up an early intervention scheme in line with the Troubled Families agenda, who will aim to increase the number of restorative approaches involving young people and families. Training Restorative Bristol will work to make more training opportunities open to staff, volunteers and parents. Bristol already has a number of highly trained and dedicated volunteers and paid restorative practitioners across the city. The success of Restorative Bristol will depend on these individuals offering training programmes across the city. Innovation We want to make Bristol the national leader for restorative approaches and become a city that sets the benchmark for their uses. We want to keep Bristol at the forefront of the implementation and development of innovative forms of restorative approach, building on the excellent systems already in place. 6
Restorative Bristol Strategy To make Bristol a restorative city we will 1. develop a range of communication tools to promote our efforts, good practice and learning 2. develop a standard for organisations and individuals to meet to become part of Restorative Bristol 3. identify training needs, developing and implementing a training package to meet these needs across our diverse population within Bristol 4. make restorative approaches available to everyone, with a skilled and diverse workforce across the city and develop a service user group to meet community needs 5. Work collaboratively with key partners in different organisations adopting a multi-agency approach to strengthen the use of restorative approaches across the city 6. Continue to develop innovative ways of using restorative approaches in Bristol with special emphasis on hate crime, substance misuse, homelessness and workplace tension 7. Develop a clear set of performance measures to record the number of restorative approaches being used across the city and evaluate their effectiveness 7
Key Points of Action Plan Develop a range of communication tools to promote our efforts, good practice and learning. Restorative Bristol is developing a website to deliver an information hub for residents, practitioners and service users to find information on local services and information relating to restorative approaches including shared lessons learnt and success stories. This will enable communities, professionals and residents to make an informed decision on their use of restorative approaches. Content for the website will be developed using the experience and knowledge of members of the Restorative Bristol Board and the Practitioner and Advisory Group. In 2013/14, a media campaign will be launched to raise the profile of Restorative Bristol at a local and national level. Organisations will be encouraged to upload positive news stories and events on the Restorative Bristol website. Restorative Bristol will make best use of social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook to spread news of events and successes. Launch Date December 2013 Develop a standard for organisations and individuals to meet to become part of Restorative Bristol. Organisations who meet the Restorative Bristol Standard (Appendix 1) will be added to the Restorative Bristol website and will be able to display the Restorative Bristol logo. The logo will act as a standard mark for Bristol over the formative years of Restorative Bristol. In the longer term, a system of categorisation will be developed based on the level of restorative uses. Launch Date October 2013 8
Identify training needs, developing and implementing a training package to meet these needs. Probation have trained probation officers to facilitate conferences S.A.R.I. have trained case officers to facilitate hate crime cases Bristol Mediation has a bank volunteers all of which have done a 6 day accredited mediation course. YOT have a number of trained volunteers and staff. All Police officers and beat officers are trained to level 1 RJ. Some are trained to level 2 A number of schools are trained in Restorative approaches and conflict management. In 2013/14 training will be rolled out to frontline staff in Bristol City Council in the uses, methodology and language of restorative approaches. Each organisation or team within an organisation, who have agreed to the principles of Restorative Bristol, will have a super user, responsible for cascading ideas, training and support throughout their team or organisation. Nominees for training will be invited via Neighbourhood Forums and Neighbourhood Delivery teams to undertake training to level 2. Launch Date October 2013 Make restorative approaches available to everyone, with a skilled and diverse workforce across the city. In addition to skills being developed in geographical communities, we will also train a local bank of restorative practitioners who have links to Black and Minority Ethnic communities and organisations. By 2015 Bristol will have a number of skilled, coordinated and enthusiastic practitioners working for a range of organisations covering health, communities, education, employment, criminal justice and equalities. Launch Date Early 2014 9
Use a multi-agency approach to strengthen the use of restorative approaches across the city. There are currently a number of highly trained and experienced restorative practitioners in the city working across a broad range of services. Sadly these services are often working independently of each other. Restorative Bristol will tap into already developed multi agency working procedures such as neighbourhood working partnerships and anti-social behaviour case conferences to develop a co-ordinated approach to resolving issues across the community. Launch Date December 2013 Develop innovative ways of using restorative approaches in Bristol with special emphasis on hate crime, substance misuse, homelessness and workplace tension. Developing the first family mediation and victim support services in Britain, Bristol has a long history of pioneering the use of restorative approaches. Restorative Bristol will continue to develop the use of restorative approaches in new areas with specific emphasis on hate crime, substance misuse, workplace tensions and homelessness. Launch Date Early 2014 Develop a clear set of performance measures to record the number of restorative approaches being used across the city and evaluate their effectiveness. Working closely with practitioners and providers to create a clear set of performance measures, the Restorative Bristol Board can monitor and identify the effectiveness of restorative approaches across the city, allowing the tailoring of services to best serve the city. Launch Date December 2013 10
Appendices Appendix 1 The Restorative Bristol Standard Individual This document will act as a standard to recognise an individual as a restorative practitioner within the scope of the Restorative Bristol strategy. To register to become a member of Restorative Bristol and display our logo, individuals will need to explain how they meet the following criteria. Please include evidence if possible. Evidence can take the form of: 1. Case studies 2. Policy documents 3. Procedures 4. Training, accreditation or education certificates 5. Feedback 6. Examples of publicity or press releases One piece of evidence can be used to address a number of items. 1. You are committed to involving those affected by conflict in finding mutually acceptable and innovative ways of moving forward. 11
2. Where there is a clear victim of harm or conflict you endeavour to place the victim at the heart of the process (If this is not appropriate please specify why). 3. Where possible you provide opportunities for all parties to share their stories, feelings or needs. 4. You are committed to developing your skills and training around restorative approaches, while making efforts to develop a multi-agency approach with other restorative providers in Bristol. 12
5. You are currently using or planning to use Restorative approaches to benefit hard to reach communities and individuals. 6. You are committed to using restorative approaches when tackling conflict in the in your own life. A Restorative Bristol Panel will meet every 8 weeks to consider new applicants. 13
Please send a covering letter and any evidence to Tommy Jarvis, Princess House, Princess Street, Bedminster, Bristol, BS3 4AG or email them to Thomas.jarvis@bristol.gov.uk If you have any queries on Restorative Bristol please contact Thomas Jarvis on 07795 600 371 Terms and Conditions By signing this standard, you agree to the conditions stated in this document. 1. You are responsible for updating your information on the Restorative Bristol Website. 2. You have a commitment to providing equalities based services. 3. You will monitor and provide evidence of good practice projects/interventions/initiatives that address conflict and bad behaviour using restorative approaches. 4. You will monitor the use of restorative approaches and provide Restorative Bristol with this information if requested. 5. You agree to resubmit a completed standard of a bi-yearly basis 6. You will provide evidence of a complaints policy and an up to date equalities & diversity policy Name of Practitioner Signature Date Signature of Assessment Officer Date Organisation This document will act as a standard to recognise an organisation or part of an organisation as restorative against the Restorative Bristol strategy. To register to become a member of Restorative Bristol and display our logo, organisations will need to explain how they meet the following criteria. Please include evidence if possible. Evidence can take the form of: 1. Case studies 2. Notes from leadership meetings 3. Policy documents 14
4. Procedures 5. Customer Feedback 6. Examples of publicity or press releases 7. Training or accreditation One piece of evidence can be used to address a number of items. 1. Your organisation is committed to involving those affected by conflict in finding mutually acceptable and innovative ways of moving forward. 2. Where there is a clear victim of harm or conflict your organisation will endeavour to place the victim at the heart of the process (If this is not appropriate please specify why). 3. Where possible your organisation will provide opportunities for all parties to share their story, their stories, feelings or needs. 15
4. Your organisation is committed to developing training opportunities for staff and volunteers, while making efforts to develop a multi-agency approach with other restorative providers in Bristol. 5. Your organisation is currently or planning to use Restorative approaches to benefit hard to reach communities and individuals. 16
6. Your organisation is committed to using restorative approaches when tackling conflict in the workplace. A Restorative Bristol Panel will meet every 8 weeks to consider new applicants. Please send a covering letter and any evidence, including an up to date equalities and diversity policy to Tommy Jarvis, Princess House, Princess Street, Bedminster, Bristol, BS3 4AG or email them to Thomas.jarvis@bristol.gov.uk If you have any queries on Restorative Bristol please contact Thomas Jarvis on 07795 600 371 Terms and Conditions By signing this standard, you agree to the conditions stated in this document. 1. Your organisation has a member of staff named as having responsibility for restorative approaches, and also has a member of staff with the specific responsibility of updating their organisations information on the Restorative Bristol Website. 2. Your organisation has in place an Equalities Policy covering all equalities groups. 3. Your organisation will monitor and provide evidence of good practice projects/interventions/initiatives that address conflict and bad behaviour using restorative approaches. 4. Your organisation will monitor the use of restorative approaches and provide Restorative Bristol with this information if requested. 5. Your organisation agrees to resubmit a completed standard of a bi-yearly basis 17
6. You will provide evidence of a complaints policy and an up to date equalities & diversity policy Name of Agency Signature Date Signature of Assessment Officer Date Appendix 2 Action Plan To Follow Appendix 3 Governance Partnership Board I. Restorative Bristol Board Restorative Bristol is governed by the Restorative Bristol Board (RBB). The aims of RBB are to: Provide strategic leadership and direction to partners in delivering a Restorative Bristol and a Restorative Bristol Strategy Champion restorative approaches and methodologies and increase awareness across the community 18
Ensure there are clear standards for the delivery of restorative approaches and that practitioners are trained to agree standards Ensure effective communication mechanisms are in place to promote restorative approaches, best practice and learning tools and to celebrate achievements across the city Maximise the use of restorative approaches across the city and in different settings (e.g. criminal & civil justice, neighbourhoods, schools, workplaces and families) Ensure restorative approaches are only used where appropriate As of the 4 th October 2013 the RBB members are: Gillian Douglas (Chair) Safer Bristol, Bristol City Council Marilyn Harrison (Deputy) Avon & Somerset Probation Trust Gary Davies Troubled Families, Bristol City Council Alex Raikes Stand Against Racism & Inequality (S.A.R.I.) Julie Cox Bristol Mediation Marian Liebmann Independent Practitioner Jim Wemyss Avon Fire and Rescue Tommy Jarvis Safer Bristol, Bristol City Council Katherine Piper Voluntary Community Sector (VCS) Advocate Mike Prior/Phil Davis Avon & Somerset Police Rebecca White Victim Support Simon Cook - Councillor John Drowley Mediation at Work Clive Gray Public Health, Bristol City Council Janet Maxwell Public Health, Bristol City Council II. Practitioner & Advisory Group The RBB board are there to provide a strategic direction for Restorative Bristol. The current Restorative Bristol Steering Group is to be renamed the Restorative Bristol Practitioner and Advisory Group (PAG), with the focus in the first year being the development of a diverse and energetic group working towards the Restorative Bristol vision. The Practitioner Group will continue to 19
organise Restorative Workshops focussing on specific areas of restorative approaches, helping to raise awareness with special emphasis on hard to reach communities. The PAG will continue to develop and run services on the ground, providing input to the Restorative Bristol Board and taking their direction from Board. The PAG will also be responsible for implementing and developing services on the ground. The PAG are made up of a number of independent individuals and organisations representing a broad range of services. As of 4 th October 2013 the PAG members are: Tommy Jarvis (Chair) Safer Bristol - Bristol City Council Paul Baker Independent Practitioner Julie Cox Bristol Mediation Helen Rosenthal Neighbourhood Justice Project Nick Hughes Avon & Somerset Constabulary Frances Place - Equalities Representative Health & Wellbeing Representative Jackie Milliner Orchard School Nigel Singer - Independent Practitioner Chrissy Wyatt 16 25 Independent People Caroline Mellon Youth Offending Team Marian Liebmann - Independent Practitioner Appendix 4 Restorative Approaches in Practice It is clear that Bristol has some very well established and pioneering restorative approaches taking place. The vision for Restorative Bristol is a city where residents resolve problems at home, at school, in the workplace or in their communities by talking to each other, by taking responsibility for the harms they have caused and by doing what they can to put them right. 20
I. How Restorative Approaches are used in the Criminal Justice System 1) The Police and Probation Service link IMPACT (prolific) offenders in Bristol prisons with their victims. The police officer makes contact with both parties and, if agreed, a restorative process can take place. 2) A Neighbourhood Justice Coordinator works in partnership with Restorative Solutions using restorative justice as an alternative to the criminal justice system. The project currently has about 10 volunteers trained to level 2 conferencing, who provide restorative justice in Bristol. 3) All Avon & Somerset Police Officers and PCSO s are trained to a minimum of level 1 (awareness) in the use of restorative justice, with some trained to level 2 (facilitator). They provide restorative justice on first response and within a community setting. 4) The Youth Offending Team (YOT) uses a range of restorative interventions as part of delivering Referral Orders. The YOT have 28 community panel member volunteers trained to Level 2, able to facilitate restorative justice conferences. The YOT has recently trained 7 Victim Support volunteers in basic restorative justice principles to improve victim outcomes 5) Restorative approaches have also been used in secure residential units for young people. Staff at Vinney Green secure children s and young people s unit use restorative processes, whilst HMYOI Ashfield used to deal with conflicts between young people (and staff if relevant). II. How Restorative Approaches are used outside the Criminal Justice System 1 Bristol Mediation have trained hundreds of volunteers offering impartial mediation to thousands of Bristol s residents 2 Bristol Family Mediation supports families to resolve issues arising from relationships breakdowns, without the need for costly legal action. 3 Between 2005 and 2008, secondary schools in South Bristol took part in a trial looking at the uses of restorative approaches in schools
(Bristol Restorative Approaches in Schools). Thereafter more nurseries, primaries and secondary schools are using restorative approaches and benefitting from improved behavior management processes. 4 Children and Young People s residential children s homes are using restorative approaches to resolve tensions between young people. 5 Bristol City Council s landlord services use restorative approaches to resolve neighbourhood disputes and anti-social behaviour (ASB). They currently have a service level agreement with Bristol Mediation to provide mediation for up to 90 cases a year. 6 A number of Housing Associations offer similar mediation services, many having service level agreements of their own. 7 The fear of becoming homeless is a very real problem for many people in Bristol. 16 25 Independent People provide a homelessness mediation service looking at reducing the number of people losing their homes in Bristol. This service is available to anyone over the age of 16 living in Bristol. 8 Several Bristol employers, including the City Council, NHS Trusts, social housing providers, colleges, universities and schools use restorative approaches within the workplace to reduce conflict at work and the number of costly and often stressful grievances being undertaken. Increasingly, restorative approaches are being used within complaints procedures to resolve issues between service users and providers. 9 Stand Against Racism & Inequality (S.A.R.I.) is currently setting up a Tackling Youth Hate Crime project looking at working with 16 25 year olds who have been perpetrators of race hate crime. Restorative Solutions (a training organisation will train 4 staff at S.A.R.I. in restorative conferencing, and they hope to work with 30 young people in 2013/14.