Law School Restorative Justice & Practices: Essential Skills Course

There is increasing demand for restorative practices in a wide variety of contexts. The Scottish Government is committed to making restorative service widely available. Restorative Practices (including Restorative Justice) is a process that brings together those harmed  and those responsible for the harm to safely discuss the harm and how it might be set right. 

International research suggests RJ can help people to recover from harm, encourage those responsible to think again, and provide a more satisfying experience for all involved. It can be used both to respond to harmful acts and to prevent harm.

This Intensive Course offers participants the opportunity to come together to learn and develop the skills required to facilitate restorative conferences and circles. It includes training in the engagement and preparation of people who have been harmed and people responsible for harm, their supporters and the community.

The course will be led by Professor Tim Chapman (Strathclyde University) who is widely recognised as one of the world’s leading trainers and thinkers in restorative justice.  

The course will be led by Tim Chapman who is widely recognised as one of the world’s leading trainers and thinkers in restorative justice. Tim has been practising, researching, training restorative justice for over 25 years. 

He has trained serious politically motivated prisoners in restorative practices in order to move them away from violence, as well as hundreds of professionals, including youth justice workers, police officers, probation officers, social workers, community activists, and teachers. 

He is currently acting as a restorative consultant and practitioner in two major cases of multiple institutional sexual abuse and conducting research into the experience of participation in restorative justice by victims. 

The recent Chair of the European Forum on Restorative Justice, Tim has delivered restorative justice and practices training in many parts of the world and has conducted and published extensive research. 

Tim will be assisted by Tania Nascimento (Strathclyde University).  She has undertaken restorative justice practice training, including in sensitive and complex cases, and has conducted research for the Scottish Government (with Tim Chapman) into RJ training needs, as well as into practical issues in the delivery of RJ. Her doctoral research examines the daily delivery of RJ. She has also provided (on a voluntary basis) emotional, practical, and advocacy support to victims of crime.

The approach of this Essential Skills Course emerged from Northern Ireland’s successful and influential Youth Conference scheme and its strong community based restorative sector, which Tim Chapman has been instrumental in developing. The Balanced Model of Restorative Practices enables practitioners to engage people who have been affected by harm beyond the victim and perpetrator. The narrative dialogue method encourages practitioners to feel confident about engaging in difficult conversations with those affected by harm without the aid of a script.

“Tim’s style of teaching the material is very engaging; using real-life examples of how the theory behind restorative practice can be applied.  Tim provided the class with the opportunity to apply the knowledge we acquired via role-play which was challenging, enjoyable and extremely useful. I would definitely recommend this course to anyone who has an interest in restorative justice and wishes to get a better understanding of how to apply the what they learn in real-life.”

Ailbhe Griffith, Restorative Justice International Global Advisory Council. (Film: The Meeting).

"The course was great! I really enjoyed the creative culture of learning. It has been a really worthwhile experience and hopefully has helped me in developing our services to young people and their communities." Ella Brown, Criminal Justice Social Worker, North Lanarkshire

 

The Intensive Course is for a very wide range of people in Scotland and across the globe, including for example:

• lawyers
• social workers
• criminal justice workers, probation/corrections officers
• teachers and those working in education
• faith groups
• youth and community workers
• people working in prisons and custodial settings
• members of the third sector
• people working in education
• recent graduates wishing to add distinctive skills to complement their academic repertoire.

The unique model and method employed in the course can be used within the justice system, in schools, in residential settings, and in neighbourhoods; wherever individuals or groups harm each other.

"This is, in my opinion, one of the best and most serious and comprehensive courses there is for RJ practitioners in Europe, if not the world, today." Dr Estelle Zinsstag, Senior researcher, University (K.U.) Leuven, Belgium

By learning from the very best in the world, you will be able to develop the skills necessary to facilitate engagement in restorative processes. On completion of the course you will also gain a Certificate of Participation in Foundation Skills in Restorative Practices from the University of Strathclyde.

RJC Accreditation. This course is accredited by the Restorative Justice Council of England and Wales as a part qualification for accreditation as a practitioner. (There is not, as yet, separate practitioner accreditation in Scotland). However, the RJC standards are widely recognised and will be acknowledged in practice.

Learning objectives  

• To understand and apply the values and principles of the Balanced Model of Restorative Justice in a range of contexts;
• To be capable of using the skills and techniques of the narrative dialogue method to achieve a high level of engagement and face to face participation in restorative processes.
• To understand and facilitate restorative conferences and circles according to high standards of practice;

 

The course is designed to engage students actively in understanding the values, knowledge and skills underpinning restorative practices. It will encourage you to engage in a critical enquiry into restorative practices and to embed what you find valuable in your daily practice.

The learning methods are experiential and participative and participants will learn together. Guided by theory and demonstrations by Tim, participants will work in small groups through each of the stages of the restorative process through scenarios set in different contexts (criminal justice, youth justice, schools, community, families and residential care) depending upon their interests.  

Each participants will be sent a workbook summarising the theoretical content, clearly describing the stages of the process specifying the skills required at each stage, outlining scenarios and learning exercises, providing references to further reading and spaces for notes.

The course contains four modules: two modules in Part One (online) and two modules in Part Two (in person).