RJC CPD Symposium - July 2026

UNIQUE INDENTIFICATION NUMER: RJC13072026

REGISTRATION CLOSES: 6th July 2026

As a part of our Connect CPD initiative, we are pleased to announce our upcoming Annual Restorative Practice CPD Symposium from 13^th July to 17^th July 2026. Join us ONLINE for 12 hours of CPD spread over 5 days. Our symposium will cover a diverse range of topics relevant to those involved in restorative work across a variety of settings.

Can't make all of the sessions? We will be recording all sessions to be available for those registered, 1 week after the final session.

Over 5 days, you will have the opportunity to participate in 6 CPD sessions (12hrs).

• Delivering Restorative Justice in a secure children’s home – changing the script (and practice!). “An intervention to take children out of shame and into responsibility”
• AI and the Future of Restorative Justice
• Expanding Your Restorative Toolkit               
• Sankofa Circles: Embodiment, Memory, and Collective Healing in Restorative Justice
• The case for repair
• Assaults on Emergency Workers: Accountability through Youth Justice and Restorative Practice

We are delighted to introduce a fantastic group of guest speakers from different sectors in the restorative field who will be sharing their wealth of knowledge and expertise in these sessions.

What did our previous delegates have to say?

PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME

Monday 13^th July 2026

Delivering Restorative Justice in a secure children’s home – changing the script (and practice!). “An intervention to take children out of shame and into responsibility”

Time: 10am – 12pm 

Platform: MS Teams

Delivered by: Paula Lee & Shirl Tanner, Sussex Pathways

This workshop brings together experienced restorative justice practitioners to analyse, refine, and co‑create the next generation of restorative practice within secure children’s homes. The focus is not on basic skill acquisition but on strategic development, practice wisdom, and policy influence

Monday 13^th July 2026

AI and the Future of Restorative Justice

Time: 1pm - 3pm

Platform: MS Teams

Delivered by: Darren Edwards, Connektivity

In this session we will introduce the fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence and explore its growing economic impact across public and third-sector services. Focusing specifically on the restorative justice landscape, Darren will examine how AI is likely to influence funding models, operational efficiency, and evidencing impact.

The session will also highlight practical ways AI can support restorative justice organisations — from reducing administrative burden to enhancing data insight — while addressing key ethical considerations, including bias, transparency, safeguarding, and responsible use. This presentation offers a balanced, practical perspective on how AI can augment practice without compromising the relational integrity at the heart of restorative justice.

Tuesday 14^th July 2025

Expanding Your Restorative Toolkit

Time: 1pm - 3pm

Platform: MS Teams

Delivered by: Emma Goddard            

Drawing from training and practice across different conflict resolution approaches, this session looks at tools and models that can enrich your existing RJ work. Drawing on approaches such as motivational interviewing, positions–interests–needs theory, and understanding frames of reference, we’ll look at supporting skills that strengthen restorative conversations. 

This session is designed for practitioners who want to broaden their toolkit, refine their impact, and continue growing in their restorative practice.

Wednesday 15^th July 2026

Sankofa Circles: Embodiment, Memory, and Collective Healing in Restorative Justice

Time: 2pm – 4pm (International Speaker)

Platform: MS Teams

Delivered by: LaToya Fernandez, Beyond Circles

Sankofa Circles invite restorative practitioners to return to ancestral ways of knowing that centre relationship, embodiment, collective memory, and dignity. This highly interactive session blends restorative dialogue, storytelling, and embodied practices to explore how decolonial approaches can strengthen truth-telling, harm repair, and community healing. Participants will leave with concrete practices and reflective insights for integrating culturally grounded methods into restorative work across systems and communities.  

Thursday 16^th July 2026

The Case For Repair

Time: 1pm - 3pm

Platform: MS Teams

Delivered by: Leah Brown, Wayfinders Group

Restorative practitioners understand that harm doesn't end when a process closes. This session makes the case for repair as a discipline in organisational and institutional contexts: what it requires, what it costs when it doesn't happen, and how restorative practitioners can position themselves as the professionals’ organisations need in the aftermath. Drawing on real case patterns and the WayFinders® Method, participants will leave with practical tools and language for making repair happen inside institutions that don't yet know they need it.

Friday 17^th July 2026

Assaults on Emergency Workers: Accountability through Youth Justice and Restorative Practice

Time: 10am- 12pm

Platform: MS Teams

Delivered by: Natasha Broomhead, Dorset Combined Youth Justice Service

This session explores how restorative approaches can be applied within Youth Justice Services in response to assaults on emergency workers, and how to progress restorative pathways when a police officer chooses not to engage or does not provide a response.

The session will look at how we respond to (balance) the impact on the police officers/emergency workers with clear accountability while recognising developmental needs and a child first approach. It will examine when restorative interventions are appropriate, how they sit alongside the formal outcome and how they support meaningful consequences, to hear the victim’s voice and to reduce reoffending.

 The focus will be on clear standards, partnership working and maintaining a strong stance on violence against police officers/emergency workers.  

Please keep checking this page for further updates

ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS

Paula Lee  

Paula Lee is the COO at Sussex Pathways a charity that supports prisoners across Sussex and as part of the Sussex Restorative Justice partnership delivers and champions RJ.  Prior to her joining Sussex Pathways she was a teacher for 33 years of which her final 16 years were spent teaching in Pupil Referral Units where she was introduced to RJ in an educational setting.  She has particular interest in finding ways to develop restorative mindsets in challenging young people and in supporting all non-neurotypical people to access RJ.

Shirl Tanner

Shirl Tanner, CEO of Sussex Pathways and RJ trained trainer and Facilitator.

I have been delivering Restorative Justice (RJ) across Sussex for the past 11 years, and it remains a genuine passion of mine. Stepping into RJ training and facilitation allows me to set aside my CEO responsibilities and fully immerse myself in the restorative process, which I find deeply meaningful and rewarding.

I have been part of Sussex Pathways for 17 years, during which time I have had the privilege of leading an exceptional team of dedicated staff and volunteers. Together, we work to support individuals, strengthen communities, and champion the values at the heart of Restorative Justice.

Darren Edwards

Darren Edwards is a technology leader with over 30 years of experience in the IT industry, helping organisations transform their business processes and unlock the value of their data. He is CEO of Connektivity Ltd, providers of the restorative justice case management platform myRJ, and has led the development of technology solutions that support practitioners, commissioners, and stakeholders in delivering measurable, evidence-based outcomes.

More recently, Darren has been advising organisations on the responsible adoption of Artificial Intelligence. He works with leadership teams to assess AI readiness, measure the operational and strategic impact of AI initiatives, and implement governance frameworks that ensure AI is used ethically, safely, and to genuine organisational benefit. His approach combines practical implementation with clear measurement of return on investment, risk mitigation, and service improvement.

Emma Goddard

Emma Goddard has spent 16 years working in restorative practice, mediation, and conflict coaching. Much of this time has been spent within the criminal justice system, working across policing, prisons, and probation to facilitate dialogue between those harmed and those responsible.

Having previously led the Essex Restorative and Mediation Service, Emma has extensive experience in managing both criminal justice cases and community-based conflicts. Her approach focuses on the practical applications of facilitation and coaching to help people navigate difficult conversations and find ways forward.

Today, she continues to support the sector by sharing the lessons learned from over a decade of frontline practice and service leadership

LaToya Fernandez

LaToya Fernandez is a nationally recognized restorative justice practitioner, facilitator, and scholar with over 15 years of experience supporting healing, accountability, and conflict transformation across education, community, and justice settings. She is the creator of Sankofa Circles, a culturally rooted restorative model integrating African diasporic traditions, embodiment practices, and restorative inquiry. LaToya’s work centers dignity, truth-telling, and relational repair, with a particular focus on racial healing and decolonizing restorative practice. She is currently completing graduate studies in restorative justice and peacebuilding and works nationally and internationally as a facilitator, trainer, and consultant.  

Leah Brown

Leah Brown FRSA is founder of The WayFinders Group, a specialist consultancy that unearths risk, quantifies human damage, and repairs for organisational resilience. A qualified solicitor, accredited mediator, and faculty member of the Society of Mediators, Leah spent the early part of her career at Freshfields and Simpson Thacher before recognising that the biggest risks in complex situations were not legal but relational. She now works with boards, leadership teams, and institutions across public, private, and third sectors using the WayFinders® Method: a legally-informed, metrics-led approach anchored in restorative principles and measured through the Organisational Repair Index™. She is the Chair of Address The Harm, the co-author of the white paper From harm to healing: rebuilding trust in Britain's publicly funded institutions, a TEDx speaker on workplace repair. Her books REPAIR: a practical guide to putting things right and REPAIR: discovering splendour through brokenness in the ruins (Isaiah 61) are both on submission. 

Natasha Broomhead

Natasha is an Advanced Restorative Justice Officer with Dorset Combined Youth Justice Service. She specialises in the use of restorative practice within complex and sensitive cases, including assaults on emergency workers. Working closely with police and multi-agency partners, she supports the delivery of responses that balance firm accountability within the principles of Youth Justice.

Natasha brings practical experience of managing cases where officer engagement may be limited. She is committed to developing defensible, proportionate, and effective restorative pathways.

Natasha began her career in the armed forces at 16, developing a strong foundation in discipline, service, and respect for uniform. She later moved into Probation at 21 working directly with individuals in the criminal justice system and gaining extensive experience in risk management and rehabilitation. Natasha went on to join Youth Justice 8 years ago and now works closely with victims, facilitating restorative processes that balance accountability, safety, and meaningful repair.

DATES & TIMES

13^th  – 17^th  July 2026

Morning sessions will run between 10am and 12pm

Afternoon sessions will run between 1pm and 3pm or 2pm till 4pm for International Speakers.

Please see individual sessions above for session timings

LOCATION

All session will be hosted via MS Teams

Recordings of all sessions will be available for registered participants to view online for up to 3 months, available 1 week after the last session

EVENT FEES

*Includes a 1yr free membership (link to claim this will be sent following payment)

PLEASE NOTE THERE IS NO OPTION TO REGISTER FOR INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS

IMPORTANT: If you are a Registered Practitioner and/or RJC Member, you will need to be logged into your account to receive the discount associated with your membership/accreditation. The discount will show immediately so if you cannot see this or need help logging into your account, please contact us at enquiries@restorativejustice.org.uk

BOOKING TERMS & CONDITIONS

The following Terms and Conditions apply to this event:

• Payment of the registration fee must be made prior to the event commencing. Where payment has not been received, the RJC reserves the right to cancel your registration
• You must hold the required membership to receive the discount offered. If we are unable to verify your membership against the discount received at booking, additional payment may be required to secure your place
• Registration to participate in individual CPD sessions is not available for this event
• Weekly passes cannot be split between delegates
• Access to session recordings will be provided for a period of 3 months
• Access to session recordings will be granted to the email address used to register for this event within 1 week of the last session
• CPD Attendance Certificates will only be provided to delegates with confirmed attendance and/or confirmed engagement with session recordings

The RJC reserves the right to amend the content of the provisional programme for this event. All changes made to the programme will be communicated to registered delegates prior to the event start date

REFUND POLICY

In the event that you need to cancel your event registration you can either:

1) Transfer your registration to another person within 14 days of the event start

In the event that a higher fee becomes payable, the RJC will invoice this amount to the new delegate

2) Request a refund

The RJC will process this request in line with our refund schedule outlined below: 

Refunds will only be made to the account from which the payment was received

CONTACT INFORMATION

Contact Name | Aisa Shearing

Email | Aisa.shearing@restorativejustice.org.uk

_{This is an approved Connect CPD event. You can confirm the status of this event HERE.}