We are proud to share that Welcare has joined the Restorative Justice Council.

This milestone reflects the importance of listening, responsibility and repairing harm in children’s care. It is also an opportunity to explain what restorative justice means for the relationships at the heart of a children’s home.

Relationships shape everyday life in a children’s home. They influence whether a young person feels comfortable asking for help, sharing a worry or admitting that something has gone wrong. When conflict happens, the way adults respond matters.

A child needs clear boundaries. They also need adults who remain curious about their experience and give them a fair opportunity to explain it. Someone who has been hurt needs their experience taken seriously, with support that reflects what they need.

Joining the Restorative Justice Council connects Welcare with a body that promotes quality restorative practice. Its principles place relationships, voluntary engagement, safety and accountability at the centre of responding to harm.

The Council publishes guidance to support careful, ethical practice across different settings. That provides a useful reference point for understanding what a restorative approach involves and the responsibilities that come with it.

What is restorative justice?

Restorative justice is an approach that enables people harmed by crime or conflict, and those responsible for that harm, to communicate about what happened and its impact. With appropriate preparation and support, they can consider what might help put things right.

The person affected has space to describe their experience and ask questions. The person responsible has an opportunity to recognise the consequences of their actions and take responsibility. Any agreement needs to reflect the circumstances and the people involved.

Restorative practice is the wider approach. It includes everyday ways of building relationships, listening and preventing conflict, as well as responding when harm has occurred. In a children’s home, this makes the topic relevant well beyond formal meetings or the criminal justice system.

The questions are straightforward: What happened? Who was affected? What do they need now? What could help repair the harm?

The answers require patience. An apology may be part of the process, but saying sorry does not automatically resolve someone else’s hurt. A meaningful response may involve an agreed practical action, a change in behaviour or space for the person affected.

Participation must be voluntary. Nobody should be pressured to meet, forgive or accept an apology. A supported exchange of messages may sometimes be more appropriate than a meeting, and participants can choose to stop.

Why Welcare’s Restorative Justice Council Membership Matters

Welcare is proud to be a member of the Restorative Justice Council (RJC). For us, this is an important milestone and one we want to celebrate. Our membership connects Welcare with an organisation that promotes quality restorative practice and places relationships, voluntary engagement, safety and accountability at the heart of responding to harm.

The Restorative Justice Council provides guidance that supports careful and ethical restorative practice across different settings. That makes RJC membership particularly meaningful to Welcare because these principles closely reflect the way we want children and young people to experience care: being listened to, treated fairly and supported to understand the impact of what has happened.

Restorative justice is not simply about resolving a disagreement or asking someone to apologise. It creates space to consider who has been affected, what they need and what could help repair harm. Restorative practice takes those same principles into everyday relationships, helping adults respond to conflict in a way that combines clear boundaries with curiosity, responsibility and respect.

Being a member of the Restorative Justice Council gives Welcare a valuable point of reference as we continue developing our approach. It supports ongoing reflection on how restorative principles can be applied safely, thoughtfully and consistently within children’s care, while recognising that every child, incident and relationship is different.

We are pleased to display our Restorative Justice Council membership with pride. It represents our continuing commitment to relationship-based care, responsible practice and learning from recognised guidance in restorative justice. Membership is distinct from practitioner accreditation or registration, but it is an important step in strengthening the values and standards that guide our work.

Why restorative practice matters in children’s care

Children arrive in care with different experiences, strengths and needs. Some have experienced trauma, loss or repeated changes in the adults around them. These experiences can affect how safe relationships feel and how a child responds when emotions run high.

Understanding that background helps adults choose a thoughtful response. Boundaries still matter, and the impact on anyone harmed still needs attention. The task is to hold both responsibilities together: supporting the child and addressing what happened.

Timing is part of that work. A child who is overwhelmed may struggle to listen, explain themselves or consider another person’s perspective. Asking for a detailed conversation immediately can add pressure. A quieter space, reassurance and time may help them become ready to talk.

Communication also needs to suit the child. Some may need shorter questions, visual support, breaks or help from a trusted adult. Silence should not automatically be treated as unwillingness, and fluent speech should not be mistaken for full understanding.

Restorative practice also belongs in ordinary moments: agreeing how shared spaces are used, listening when a child raises a concern and returning to a disagreement once everyone is ready. Adults can model responsibility by acknowledging their own mistakes and following through on what they promise.

England’s national protocol on reducing unnecessary criminalisation of children in care provides an important wider context. Responses to incidents should be proportionate and informed by children’s needs, with agencies working together. Safeguarding concerns and serious risks must still receive the appropriate response.

Making amends in everyday life

Consider a hypothetical example. During a disagreement, a young person sweeps a shared game onto the floor. Another child feels upset and no longer wants to join in.

The immediate priority is safety and helping everyone settle. Later, an adult could speak with each child separately, listen to their account and explore whether a supported conversation would be helpful. Neither child should have to take part to satisfy an adult’s wish to resolve the incident quickly.

If both are willing, the conversation could explore how the disagreement affected them. An agreed response might include collecting the game pieces, checking for damage and deciding how to ask for a break next time. The child who was upset might also ask for some space.

The follow-up matters. Did the agreed action happen? Does the child affected feel listened to? Is further support needed? Repair is something people experience through actions over time.

For Welcare, this milestone is a chance to keep attention on those everyday responsibilities. Children deserve care that listens carefully, responds fairly and helps them learn how to take responsibility while remaining valued and supported.

Related resources

1. The Window of Tolerance: Helping Children Stay Calm and Regulated  Explains emotional overwhelm and ways carers can support a return to calm. Relevant to choosing the right time for a restorative conversation.
2. PACE: The Therapeutic Parenting Model Introduces playfulness, acceptance, curiosity and empathy. Useful background for understanding feelings while keeping clear boundaries around behaviour.
3. Adverse Childhood Experiences: What They Are and Why They Matter Explores childhood adversity and its possible effects on trust, relationships and behaviour, while explaining why early experiences do not determine a child’s future.
4. Restorative Justice Council: What is restorative justice? Defines restorative justice and the wider field of restorative practice. Supports the article’s explanation of communication, responsibility and repairing harm.
5. GOV.UK: National protocol on reducing criminalisation of looked-after children Department for Education guidance for England on coordinated work to reduce unnecessary criminal justice involvement for children in care and care leavers.
6. Crown Prosecution Service: Out of Court Resolutions Official prosecution guidance with a restorative justice section covering suitability, safeguards and its place within criminal justice decisions.