We are delighted to announce that our RJ Schools Responders Project has won The Howard League Award in the Policing and Children category of this year’s The Howard League | Community Awards. The prestigious awards are presented annually by the Howard League for Penal Reform to people and organisations whose innovative work helps to make communities safer. The organisation is the oldest penal reform charity in the UK, established in 1866 and named after John Howard, one of the first prison reformers.
The aim of the School Responders Project is to provide a fast response to a school where an offence has taken place that is serious enough for the offending young person to be at risk of exclusion or arrest. An experienced restorative justice practitioner will promptly attend and speak to all parties involved, with a view to seeking a restorative resolution such as a conference between the parties involved, in most cases, within 24 hours of the incident. How It Works
The objectives are to; stop the unnecessary criminalisation of children, reduce the need for police intervention, reduce school exclusions, discourage children from being drawn in through social media, create a positive outcome for young people through a restorative approach and nurture a more harmonious environment within schools.
If you are interested to learn more, including how your school could take advantage of this service please email rjschools@tvrjs.org.uk and one of the RJ team will contact you in due course.
