Becoming a volunteer
You will receive full training and, once you have experience in this area of Restorative Justice, you will be invited to attend a further two-day training course, where the outcome will be that you become a Volunteer Restorative Justice Practitioner.
You will then be able to work directly with those that have been harmed by crime or conflict and those responsible for causing that harm. Our aim is to enable communication to take place and allow everyone affected by an incident to play a part in trying to repair harm and find a positive way forward. This may be through facilitation of a face-to-face restorative conference, an indirect process managed by a practitioner or meeting with someone to hear their views and thoughts about what has happened.
Involvement in sensitive and complex case work, where the offence/incident or harm caused is more serious, is often something practitioners aim for. Once a Volunteer Practitioner has gained sufficient experience, they can be offered specialist training, in order to co-facilitate these cases with another more experienced practitioner.
Volunteer Practitioners will also have the opportunity to work in partnership with, and alongside, professionals within the Criminal Justice System and their local communities.
Work Location
This role involves telephone meetings and can involve you visiting people in their own homes, at community venues or communicating using virtual platforms (e.g. Teams and Zoom); all locations and participants will be risk assessed. There may also be a requirement for you to visit people who are in prison. All visits are conducted with a colleague. You will be provided with a dedicated mobile phone for use when case-holding.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
You will be allocated cases using the local case management system (E-Cins) and will be responsible for updating records on the system, in line with local guidance.
You will contact people who have been harmed and arrange/participate in meetings with them at their home, by phone call or in the community or via virtual platforms.
You will risk assess and report any concerns or highlighted risks to your case supervisor ie Service Delivery Manager or Lead Restorative Justice Practitioner.
You will undertake joint appointments with a co-facilitator and, where appropriate, prepare participants for a restorative process which may be an indirect process or a face-to-face conference.
You will communicate with any other agencies or supporters that may be involved in the restorative process.
You will make arrangements for (and co-facilitate) any restorative process, including logistics, paperwork and recording.
There may be other opportunities to be involved in other events, such as one-off community events on behalf of Restorative Solutions or assist in the delivery of briefings to other partner agencies
You may also have the opportunity to deliver local restorative courses, such as the Hate Crime Awareness Course.
You will have the ability to work on your own initiative, organise and prioritise your workload, keep to all deadlines set and have good time management.
Time Commitment
We require a time commitment from you of an average of eight hours per month, to include casework, team meetings, case supervision, etc. However, the minimum contribution sought will be subject to the needs of the local service, your circumstances and the need to maintain skills.
Every case is unique and so it is not possible to give an estimated number of hours per case. However, a standard case would have a minimum of between two to five meetings and, in addition, any administration required to update the records on the local case management system.
Many cases will involve far more work and others may not proceed beyond the initial meeting/telephone call. The number of cases available for you to work is dependent on the number of referrals that the service receives.
Appointments with participants are flexible, to meet their needs and, as such, they can be during the day, in the evenings or at weekends.
Other events such as one-off community events may last a few hours or all day, depending on the event. Local projects could be one-off sessions, weekly sessions or a set number of sessions, over a certain time period, although this is dependent upon what is running in your local area.
You will also be expected to attend group supervision sessions and individual one-to-one supervision. This is to ensure that your case work is in line with safe and best practice, as directed by the Restorative Justice Council’s Restorative Practice Guidance 2020.
Essential Requirements / Qualifications
You will be subject to vetting by Dorset Police. Previous convictions do not necessarily exclude people from applying for this role, each case will be assessed on an individual basis by the police.
A full driving licence and use of a car is desirable due to the amount of travelling involved.
Two references will be required as part of the application process.
You must have the ability to read and write to a good standard of English, as you will be required to create emails, complete forms and update case logs and understand and respond to instructions/guidance from your case supervisor.
You must have the use of the internet, your own email address (not shared) and computer or device, as you will need to access the local case management system remotely and be able to update records, receive and respond to e mails and take part in virtual meetings.
A basic knowledge of IT skills is required and training will be given on local case management systems.
Support
You will be supported by the Lead Restorative Justice Practitioner or Service Delivery Manager, who will undertake regular one-to-one and group supervision meetings with you.
Expenses
You will be reimbursed for any reasonable expenses whilst undertaking this role. This may include travel costs in relation to using your own vehicle or public transport, parking and any specific items you require, in order to complete your set task(s).
Expenses are payable in accordance with Restorative Solutions’ policies and prior agreement with the Service Delivery Manager.
Line Manager
Service Delivery Manager
Age Requirement
You must be over 18 years old to apply for this role.
