What is restorative approaches

Restorative approaches (sometimes referred to as restorative practice) is a way of being, providing the foundation to build, maintain and repair relationships when harm has been caused.

It should be used: 

• Proactively to build healthy relationships and prevent challenging behaviour and conflicts
• Reactively to address conflict or wrongdoing

Restorative approaches creates a culture of high challenge and high support. It aims to work with people rather than doing things to or for them.

Given this focus of relationships, restorative approaches has broad applications across a range of agencies working with people.

It works best when adopted as a whole system approach, with managers and leaders modelling behaviours in their everyday work. 

Restorative approaches videos

Watch our YouTube video to see colleagues and partners talking about what restorative practice means for them (opens new window)

Watch partners and colleagues taking on YouTube about what restorative approaches might look like in practice.