RJ Working a partner on Yep! deliver their Restorative Engagement Programme which is  designed to support young people who are at risk of disengaging from education.

Often, for the young people they work with, engaging as part of a group can feel impossible, and the initial reaction can be challenging.

On this occasion they were asked to work with a group of young people at a college in Cornwall who were stuck in conflict with one another. This conflict was affecting their own learning, as well as disrupting the learning of their peers, and damaging their relationships with their teachers. And it was jeopardising their chances of keeping their place at college.

At the beginning of the programme they were met with stony faces and a general sense of mistrust, and it took patience and perseverance to get the group engaging.

Through the programme they explored together the concepts of respect, responsibility, and relationships, which are all central to Restorative Practice.

By the end, the group were able to use the restorative skills shared with them to listen deeply to each other and to share honestly what they needed from their college and each other as well as what they were prepared to take responsibility for themselves.

At the end of the programme they supported the group to feedback their learning to their teachers, and the teachers reported that they were doing much better in college.

A Careers Advisor reported that one of the group had proudly presented their certificate from the Restorative Engagement Programme at a careers advice session.