Restorative Justice brings together individuals harmed by crime or conflict with those responsible for the harm. They meet in a safe environment to allow constructive communication, enabling everyone affected by a particular incident to play a part in repairing the harm and finding a positive way forward.
We are working with Lancashire Police to recruit Restorative Justice Volunteers within all demographics, including ethnic minority communities across East and South Lancashire. Lancashire Constabulary work with a diverse range of people originating from Africa, the Caribbean, China, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and all Indian Subcontinent countries, as well as those representing people with a disability (including mental ill health), and the LGBTQ+ community.
As an RJ Volunteer, you will be allocated and responsible for a small case load. The cases that you handle will have predominantly been referred into the RJ Team from Police Officers, and so your volunteering role really does make a difference in respect of reducing demand for our frontline Policing teams. You will undergo an intense and consecutive 3-day training course, to enable you to facilitate Restorative Justice cases and in doing so, this will enable you to become the first point of contact for victims and offenders going through the RJ process. Your line manager will be an RJ Coordinator, covering your respective area and all cases are fully risk assessed prior to allocation. You will always be supported and work as part of a wider panel of RJ Community Volunteers.
RJ is supported by the Restorative Justice Council (RJC), an independent third sector membership body for the field of restorative practice. The RJC’s role is to set and champion clear standards for restorative practice.
The six principles of restorative practice are:
- Restoration – the primary aim of restorative practice is to address participants needs and not cause further harm. The focus of any process must be on promoting restorative practice that is helpful, explores relationships and builds resilience.
- Voluntarism – participation in restorative practice is voluntary and based on open, informed and ongoing choice and consent. Everyone has the right to withdraw at any point.
- Impartiality – restorative practitioners must remain impartial and ensure their restorative practice is respectful, non-discriminatory and unbiased towards all participants. Practitioners must be able to recognise potential conflicts of interest which could affect their impartiality.
- Safety – processes and practice aim to ensure the safety of all participants and create a safe space for the expression of feelings and views which must result in no further harm being caused.
- Accessibility – restorative practice must be respectful and inclusive of any diversity needs such as mental health conditions, disability, cultural, religious, race, gender or sexual identity.
- Empowerment – restorative practice must support individuals to feel more confident in making their own informed choices to find solutions and ways forward which best meet their needs.
Volunteering has many benefits, from both a career and a personal perspective. It can be the start of helping you onto a new path or change of direction. However, it’s also a great opportunity to learn new things, meet new people, develop your own personal skills and be part of another community of like-minded people. Every benefit is personal to each volunteer!
The role is rewarding and offers flexibility, with scope to explore and further your knowledge across other areas of business managed by the team.
‘’I love volunteering for Lancashire Constabulary, you’re looked after and made to feel valued. It’s a role where you can make a difference and have a positive impact on the lives of victims of crime and the wider community.” RJ Volunteer
If you are interested and would like to apply, please visit:
https://lancsvp.org.uk/opportunities/eastandsouthrestorativejustice/