The RJC’s AGM and annual conference took place on Tuesday 21 November in Angel. Over 80 delegates, members and RJC staff came together to connect, collaborate and celebrate achievements in the field of restorative practice.

A video message from Justice Minister Dr Phillip Lee highlighted the government’s commitment to making restorative justice more widely available to the victims of crime and upcoming plans to engage with Police and Crime Commissioners.

The Restore:London service is a restorative justice service for London. It is funded by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) and is being driven by a consortium of organisations led by Catch22 and including Restorative Solutions, Khulisa and IARS.

The service operates with a Service Delivery Manager overseeing a group of 5 RJ Lead Practitioners/coordinators in a hub and spoke set up based in North, East, South East, South West and West London.

International Restorative Justice Week (19-26 November) starts today, marking the start of an exciting period for the restorative practice field.

To mark the week, the RJC will be launching a series of three new films which showcase young people’s experiences of participating in restorative processes. We’ll also be highlighting examples of great restorative practice at our AGM on Tuesday 21 November at Lift Islington in London – please follow us on Twitter for the latest news. 

The RJC is pleased to announce that Wales Community Rehabilitation Company is the latest organisation to be awarded the Restorative Service Quality Mark (RSQM).

Chris Straker, the RJC’s interim chief executive, said:

“Wales Community Rehabilitation Company has demonstrated through completing the RSQM that it is providing the highest standards in restorative practice, and I would like to congratulate the whole team on this achievement.” 

The RJC is pleased to announce that Enfield Youth Offending Unit has been awarded the Restorative Services Quality Mark (RSQM).

The RSQM is a badge of quality that guarantees that a service provides safe, high quality restorative practice which meets the six Restorative Service Standards. Enfield Youth Offending Unit joins other RSQM awardees – in sectors ranging from criminal justice through education to care – delivering high quality restorative processes.

Janet Evans, restorative justice, victims and group work senior practitioner, Enfield Youth Offending Unit, said:

Voting is now open in the 2017 election for the RJC’s board of trustees. The board is the RJC's governing body and plays a vital role in guiding our work. The elections are our members’ chance to have a say in who carries out these important roles.

The RJC board is made up of a maximum of seven membership trustees elected from and by the membership and six council trustees appointed for their specialist skills and experience.

This year’s International Restorative Justice Week takes place from 19-26 November. To help members show their support, the RJC has produced posters for use at events or to promote restorative justice in their workplaces. There are a series of five posters, four of which feature some of the great people who have shared their stories with us to help promote restorative justice. All of these can be previewed below.

The posters are available in either A4 or A3 size and we’re offering free delivery to all members in England and Wales.

The RJC is pleased to announce that Newcastle Youth Offending Team has been awarded the Restorative Service Quality Mark (RSQM).

Chris Straker, the RJC’s interim chief executive, said:

“I would like to offer my congratulations to Newcastle Youth Offending team for successfully completing the RSQM. This is an achievement that demonstrates their commitment to providing the safest and most effective restorative practice.”