Restorative Justice Action Plan 2019 - 23

Outcome 1: Restorative Justice is available across Scotland

Activity

• CJS hosted the 3rd Sheriffdom Lothian and Borders development group meeting, which focused on restorative justice and trauma informed approaches. This was attended by approximately 28 stakeholders and discussed the following inputs:

• A full minute can be accessed here (see Session 3). The next meeting will take place in April 2023, allowing sufficient time to provide a clear update to stakeholders on the next steps of the initial test project.
• The CJS team have attended 20 meetings with stakeholders, providing needs led discussions on restorative justice and the initial test project; some include:

• CJS submitted an application to their Research and Ethics Committee to complete a series of World Cafés with experts by lived and professional experience in the development of a trauma informed risk and strengths framework for restorative justice. World cafés will take place in late February and March 2023. This will help to draft a person-centred framework for consultation before publication and sign off by the restorative justice stakeholder group.

Activity

Progress

• The CYCJ team have met with the Hearing System working group (Sheriff Mackie and a representative from The Promise) to discuss the synergies between restorative justice and family group decision making and how restorative justice may fit with future changes to the Children’s Hearing System. This was followed up by a report written by CYCJ to be shared with the wider Hearing System working group for consideration.
• An information sheet was published in November in relation to referral routes for restorative justice for children and young people.
• A meeting with the ‘Restorative approaches’ group took place this quarter. This was not well attended however it did provide a helpful forum to share work with Youthlink Scotland and learn from their current work. A targeted approach to recruit group members will be undertaken in the New Year followed by the development of a focused work strategy.
• A further information sheet is underway, in collaboration with Education Scotland, in relation to restorative approaches.
• CYCJ have contributed to papers lead by CJS including an RJ glossary and a policy and practice proposal paper. Supporting the writing of such papers ensures that all documents published are continuing to incorporate the rights and needs of children and young people.

Activity

Progress

• Thriving Survivors sexual harm delivery model has now been created and is a National to Local partnership model. This is being developed ahead of the testing phase.
• The lived experience group membership has grown from 6 to 15 members in the last quarter.
• The restorative café has been fully designed and is now ready to pilot in the next quarter. For those who have not engaged with the criminal justice process, are not yet prepared for the process or to whom traditional Restorative Justice is not suitable, the service offers an opportunity for survivors to start a process of self-development and self-restoration through the sharing, discussion and understanding of harm and its impacts, using a group approach for wider discussion.
• The risk working group has developed a draft restorative risk screening tool for persons responsible for harm. It is currently out for wider comment to the full risk group and will go out to consultation in partnership with CJS trauma informed risk and strengths restorative justice framework consultation.
• The service development working group have provided comments on all 4 service provision documents and accompanying leaflets, which will now be created for each service.

Outcome 2: Restorative Justice is delivered by highly trained and skilled facilitators

Activity

Progress

• Community Justice Scotland are seeking to produce a Restorative Justice Learning Module which is accessible to stakeholder services via the CJS restorative justice learning hub. An invite for proposals and quotes was circulated widely in December with the aim of producing an online learning module by 31^st March 2023.
   

Activity

Progress

• Thriving Survivors training has almost completed with a remaining two practice days. A total of 12 facilitators have been trained to the highest standard. All training will be complete by the 8th February 2023.

Outcome 3: There is a public awareness and understanding of Restorative Justice across Scotland

Activity

Progress

• In addition to engagement detailed in outcome #1 of the report, CJS completed the following:
• Workshops to George Watsons College on restorative justice in Scotland for their advanced higher modern studies community justice conference.
• Publication of a Restorative Justice Sheriffdom Lothian and Borders Stakeholder Awareness Needs Report.

Activity

Progress

• Engagement has continued this quarter with a presentation to CYCJ’s Executive Governance group (EGG), and attendance at several external groups including the RJ Practitioner’s Forum and Research Network.
• Contact was made with all 32 local authorities offering a visit to update on the restorative justice work in Scotland. The aim of this is to provide an update on the status of the action plan and Sheriffdom area, gain information on local barriers and prepare areas for an extension of the soft roll out. Several meetings have now been scheduled for January/ February 2023.

Activity

Progress

• Thriving Survivors provide daily social media posts to raise awareness of restorative justice on various platforms.
• The restorative justice team have written a series of blogs available on Thriving Survivors social media platforms. One blog discusses the previous successes of restorative justice and why it can make a difference.
• Thriving Survivors won the Scottish Social Services award for excellence in Justice in partnership with Midlothian Community Justice Partnership and Community Justice Scotland.
• Thriving Survivors continue to engage with a number of partnerships within the Sheriffdom and nationally.

Restorative Justice Animation

Useful documents

Contacts