An introduction to Restorative Practices and Conflict Resol - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

An introduction to Restorative Practices and Conflict Resolution

‘Schools that work restoratively find that relationships are stronger and learning is more effective.’ Economic & Social Research Council 2011Slide2

Aims:

What are restorative approaches?What is involved in a restorative approach to harm or conflict?What is being restored?What are the key elements of restorative approaches?Why are restorative approaches helpful?Slide3

The aim of restorative practices is to develop community and to manage conflict and tensions by repairing harm and building relationships

PUNITIVE RESTORATIVESlide4

Four Key Elements

Social Discipline WindowFair ProcessRestorative QuestionsFree Expression of EmotionsSlide5

Restorative doing things TO or FOR them. It is about offering High Levels of Support, whilst challenging inappropriate behaviour through High Levels of Control, encouraging acceptance of responsibility and the setting of clear boundaries.Slide6

Fair Process – the central idea

‘…individuals are most likely to trust and cooperate freely with systems – whether they themselves win or lose by those systems – when fair process is observed.’Fair Process: Managing in the knowledge of the Economy 1997

Three core elements

ENGAGEMENT – EXPLANATION – EXPECTATION CLARITYSlide7

Responding to conflict

Helping a young person to de-escalate and return to their ‘baseline’ behaviour requires a variety of skills:Active listening;Behaviour support techniques;Strategies to reduce stress and risk;Emotional first aid.Slide8

Before entering any conflict situations, it is vital to at first assess yourself and then ask yourself these four questions:

What am I feeling now?What does this young person feel, need or want?How is the environment affecting the young person?How do I best respond? What am I feeling now?

What is important about being in touch with our own feelings and responses in a crisis?

What effect does our feeling have on our behaviours in a crisis?

What does this young person or individual in conflict require?

How can an understanding of this question guide us to a better, more appropriate response?

How will meeting the young person’s needs help to de-escalate the situation?

 How is the environment affecting the young person or person in conflict?

What elements in the environment might further escalate the situation?

How can we modify the environment to decrease the stimulation?

How do I best respond?

How will our response be more likely to succeed after considering the four questions?

Engaging person in agitation

Provide environmental support by managing the environment to neutralise potential triggers.

Provide emotional support by engaging the young person.

Exercise self-control over your own feelings.

What am I feeling now?

Anger can undermine objectivity.

Anger is an emotional and physical state.

Cognitive abilities are reduced.Slide9

Effects of Anger

“When we are at our angriest, we are at our stupidest.”

If we can identify the physical symptoms we experience when we start feeling angry, we can keep ourselves in check. We can change what we tell ourselves by looking at what the young person feels, needs and wants, and then thinking about the situation differently. We can create positive self-talk statements that help us stay composed and rational

Trigger (Behaviour) Thoughts Feeling ResponseSlide10

Goals of the interview

Return the young person to normal functionality

Clarify events

Repair and restore the relationship

Teach new coping skills

Reintegrate the young person

Steps to the PEI

I – Isolate the conversation

E – Explore the young person’s point of view

S – Summarise the feelings and content

C – Connect feelings to behaviour

A – Alternative behaviours discussed

P – Plan developed/Practice new behaviour

E – Enter young person back into the routine.

Post-Event Interview using Life Space TechniquesSlide11

The Restorative ApproachSlide12

Restorative Questions 1:

To respond to challenging behaviour:What happened?What were you thinking about at the time?What have your thought been since?

Who has been affected by what you did?

In what way have they been affected?

What do you think needs to happen next?Slide13

Challenging those causing harm

Theme

Question

Key skills conflict resolution

Story-telling

What happened?

Minimal encouragement. Proactive use of nonverbal communication.

Thoughts, wishes & feelings

What were you think about at the time?

Verbal encouragement. Make judgement when to move to next question.

Effect, affect & harm

What have your thoughts been since?

Open questions and reflection time. Allow for silence. Make judgement to move to next question.

Thoughts, wishes & feelings

Who has been affected by what you did?

Allow time. Listen to understanding connected to the actions. Use open questions.

Accountability

In what way have they been affected?

Supporting gestures. Draw on key elements of previous questions. Allow time and reflection.

Accountability & problem solving

What do you think you need to do to make things right?

Draw upon agreements and allow to reflect on the harmed person statements.

Linking restorative questions to conflict resolution enquiries and

learningSlide14

Restorative Questions 2

To help those harmed by others’ actions:What happened?What were your thought at the time?What have your thoughts been since?How has this affected you and others?What has been the hardest thing for you?

What do you think needs to happen next?Slide15

Supporting those being harmed

Theme

Question

Key Skills

Clarity and reflection

What happened?

Encouragement to engage. Nonverbal communication skills.

Thoughts, wishes and feelings

What were your thoughts at the time?

Verbal encouragement. Time for reflection. Judgement to move onto next question

Thoughts, wishes and feelings

What have your thoughts been since?

Verbal encouragement. Time for reflection. Judgement to move onto next question

Thoughts, wishes and feelings

How has this affected you and others?

Verbal encouragement. Time for reflection. Judgement to move onto next question

Reflection

What has been the hardest thing for you?

Verbal encouragement. Time for reflection. Judgement to move onto next question

Moving forward. Endings and clarity

What do you think needs to happen next?

Clarity of events, use statements from the perpetrator or wrong-doer. Allow time and space.Slide16

Why no ‘Why’ questions?

Why?Implies: ‘ I have already judged you and found you lacking – I know what I think you should(n’t) have done.’is a question young people often can’t answer – just as they often act with no awareness of possible consequences.Slide17

Free Expression of Emotions

Restorative Practice is NOT just about the questions.  It is about a process that is seen as fair: allows free expression of emotions and significantly is about offering high levels of support, whilst challenging inappropriate behaviour through high levels of control, encouraging acceptance of responsibility and the setting of clear boundaries.Slide18

Affective statements – another way of saying ‘expressing your feelings’

StatementsI am sorry that I misunderstood the situation …………I feel really proud of you when I heard …………I feel really pleased and encouraged that you made the right choice.

I respected your honesty and thank you.

I was very disappointed when you did that to…..

I am upset and angry by what has just happened.

I feel that (describe action) was very disrespectful.

 Slide19

The compass of Shame

Why does a restorative approach work?Slide20

Positive ways to deal with Shame:

Talk about itApologiseAdmit the wrongdoingMake amendsExpress feelingsMake a commitment to changeAsk for supportSlide21

Restorative Practices in action

This framework is based on sound learning theory regarding how people relate to each other and how

best to meet the different needs that can arise from conflict or harm.

To facilitate such a process requires the ability to:

• establish a respectful rapport with people;

• listen and respond calmly, empathically and without interruption or judgment to all sides of an issue;

• inspire a sense of safety and trust;

• encourage people to express their thoughts, feelings and needs appropriately;

• appreciate the impact of people’s thoughts, feelings, beliefs and unmet needs on their behaviours;

• encourage those involved in the problem to find their own solutions.Slide22

Using restorative practices

A restorative approach can be used in a wide range of contexts:• A one way conversation, with one person listening and asking questions and the other

talking (PEI);

• A two-way conversation, with both people taking turns to ask and answer questions;

• A small meeting when one impartial person - a facilitator - poses questions to two people who

have had

a difficulty, or where harm has been done, and who want to repair their relationship;

• A larger, facilitated meeting involving children, parents/carers, colleagues or others who have

an important role to play (sometimes called a ‘Restorative Conference’);

• A facilitated circle involving part or all of a

class or

a staff

teamSlide23
Slide24

What is being restored?

This depends on the context and on the needs of those involved. What is being restored is oftensomething between the people involved such as:

• Effective communication;

• Relationship, and even friendship;

• Empathy and understanding for the other’s perspective;

• Respect;

• Understanding the impact of one’s own behaviour on others;

• Reparation for material loss or damage.

However, something may also be restored within

an individual – for example:

• A sense of security;

• Self-confidence;

• Self-respect;

• Dignity.

Overall, the process often results in the restoration of someone’s sense of belonging to a community

(e.g. class, school, peer group or family

).Slide25

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfiGiA2bpoYSlide26

Building a Restorative School

Start with ALL adults – agree some protocols to build a restorative community;Encourage positive affective statements (10 a day can transform a school);Build your community – RP circles for staff as well as pupils;

Use the questions: practise them and model them;

Involve wrongdoers and those affected together;

Think explicitly about what we do as adults to build connections/relationships between ourselves;

Model Restorative Practices and encourage each other to do the same;

Be explicit with pupils, model RP and share the questions;

Keep other members of staff in the loop when RP approaches have been used;

Move gradually away from a ‘sanctions’ led approach to behaviour management to a Restorative approach.Slide27

The Iceberg EffectSlide28

Implementation

What can you do in your practices to be more restorative?What can you do to help your school become more restorative?

How can you develop a strong and sustainable collective approach to restorative practices?

How might we work together as a local alliance of schools to become a restorative community?