RESTORATIVE PRACTICES

Restorative Justice Programs in Schools

Marist Youth Care works with school communities over a 12-month period developing a "whole school approach" in Restorative Practices.

As a philosophy, Restorative Justice provides schools with a framework of management that moves away from the traditional punitive response.

While still providing limits and consequences, it looks for ways to repair the damaged relationships and improve existing relationships. The Restorative School believes in the "Three R's" - Relationships, Responsibility and Relevance.

This program has been successfully implemented across 75 schools in three states in Australia.

As the program continues to evolve and expand, school communities are finding that a whole school approach to Restorative Practices has significant benefits not only for students with challenging behaviours but also for all members of the community. These school communities are ones that view quality relationships as pivotal to good teaching and learning.

The Whole School Approach includes the following programs:

• Restorative Justice in the School Setting
• Spirituality Day - Making Connections
• Management Training
• Parent Education Training
• Student Leaders Training

Programs for Teachers, Students and Parents

Restorative Justice in the School Setting

A full day Staff Development workshop tailored for Primary and Secondary schools provides information about Restorative Justice Principles coupled with practical strategies that teachers and school communities can adopt.

• Philosophy & underlying principles of Restorative Justice
• Application to a school's discipline system
• Creative ways to revise traditional detention systems
• A continuum of strategies in collaborative problem solving
• Engaging students in a Restorative conversation
• Restorative Problem-Solving in post-suspension interviews

This course challenges school communities to reflect on their school culture in order to foster positive relationships.

Spirituality Day - "Making Connections"

Restorative Practices embraces the values of compassion, forgiveness and inclusiveness. This workshop explores how these values are reflected in our work, and in our own spiritual journey.

• Story Telling & Spiritual Experiences
• Making Connections & Meditation
• Gospel Values and our Teaching
• Circles / Ritual and Reflection

Teachers begin to understand the connection between these values, restorative practices and their own sense of spirituality as a teacher.

Restorative Practices for Middle Managers and Executives

These two half day workshops expand on the skills imparted at the Staff Development Day, thus enriching the "Whole School Approach".

Session 1: Explores foundational concepts of conflict resolution, the skills of how to challenge staff in a restorative way are developed.

"The teacher as a Human Being" is a concept that can be imparted to beginning teachers so that they find the balance between control and appropriate boundaries.

Session 2: Develops skills in Restorative Mediation where there is unresolved conflict between a teacher and a student or a teacher and a teacher, Further skills are developed of management of difficult parent interviews.

Parent Evenings

Parents are offered a 90-minute session to explore the skills of Restorative parenting, How can patents establish the blend of clear expectations and consequences with a hight degree of support? The developmental stages of childhood and adolescence are examined. Parents are taught a specific way of dialoguing with their child following a misbehaviour.

Restorative Problem Solving for Students

One of the richest resources in a school community is the student leaders who are highly motivated to assist younger students.

This full day workshop for Primary and Secondary student leaders develops skills in problem solving when there is conflict between students.

This training day is practical and skill based covering the following:

• Restorative Justice principles
• Qualities of Leadership
• Skills in active listening & paraphrasing
• Restorative script to resolve conflict
• Peer observation and evaluation of problem solving skills

Marist Family School Conferencing Service

Marist Youth Care is committed to fostering healthy and resilient school communities.

Following a generous donation from a member of the community, the Marist Family School Conferencing Service was established in 2001.

This service aims to keep students as part of the school community where they can continue to receive the support they need.

School students with extreme misbehaviour face all involved parties to confront the harm they have caused and the people they have affected. A plan of action is then devised.

The following are some genuine reactions from participants in conferences:

"I saw the bigger picture." Student

"This is well suited to adolescents as they gained insights and learned from their mistakes. It is an alternative to expulsion." Teacher

"It was an opportunity for the students to listen to the impact of their behaviour on others. The students saw the different reactions and hurt of others." Teacher

"Conferencing allowed resolution to a matter that we never felt we could resolve. Symbolically we said something to the school community about our commitment to young people and their growth." Principal

Restorative Justice in Residential Care

In 2005 Marist Youth Care implemented Restorative Practices into their residential programs and integrated this with the Therapeutic Crisis Intervention program.

Bringing together these two programs forms an agency approach that encompasses the continuum of interactions between our young people and staff. Both programs acknowledge the importance of the youth worker in providing the primary intervention. Within this intervention the young person and the youth worker learn better ways to manage situations. This agency approach aims at consistency and the high quality of care.

This approach encompasses the following principles:

The daily interaction between the young people and the staff can provide the primary intervention for positive change.

The professional relationship based on trust and respect between the young person and staff is the vehicle through which this change occurs. Staff are authoritative not authoritarian.

Our young people and youth workers are partners in a learning relationship.

Young people learn the skills to deal with situations in their lives. Youth workers as the primary educators provide the opportunities for the mastery of life skills.

Our young people need to develop a greater understanding of their own needs and the needs of others.

In working with our young people there is an acknowledgement of the inevitability of crises. Each crisis needs to be seen as an opportunity for learning.

Emerging out of crisis is often a damaged relationship, which needs to be restored through sound process.

A consistent approach across our agency is more likely to bring about positive change for our young people and staff. These practices should be systemic and not just situational.

The continuum of strategies offered is collaborative, outcomes based and future focused.

At the informal end of the continuum staff are provided with skills of how to engage young people in a dialogue that emphasises a greater sense of other. At the more formal end of the continuum are skills to restore damaged relationships following an incident or outburst.

This training is then reinforced throughout the agency by Restorative Coaches who have been trained in how to implement eleven Reinforcement Modules.