Restorative Approaches Family
Engagement Project (RAFEP)
This project is based within Tros Gynnal Plant and is funded and commissioned by the
Welsh Government Children and Families Delivery Grant for three years.
The aim of this Wales-wide project is to help identify and increase the engagement of
‘seldom-heard’ families through the use of Restorative Approaches and is currently in
its second year of delivery. To date the project has worked across 16 local authorities
in Wales, training over 150 third sector practitioners working directly with families,
parents, children and young people.
We primarily engage with third sector organisations who’s staff offer direct support
to families, parents or carers with children aged 0 – 25 years, and children or young
people themselves and who could be identified as being a part of a seldom heard
group. We offer a programme of training and development for practitioners in the
use of Restorative Approaches in Family Engagement, which we term Restorative
Engagement.
What does RAFEP offer?
 Free Restorative Approaches training for up to 16 third sector practitioners
across a Local Authority from a range of third sector organisations.
 Restorative Awareness Raising. RAFEP staff can deliver presentations,
workshops or attend meetings to support increased understanding and
awareness of the project and Restorative Engagement.
 Restorative parenting sessions. This training looks at empowering parents to
more effectively deal with conflict, increase family communication and
strengthen positive relationships through a Restorative Approach. (Further
information attached)
 Developing and supporting a multi-agency Restorative network, including oneto-one support sessions and peer forums, aiming to encourage best practice
and sustainability.
 A local authority specific toolkit of resources and training, highlighting the
effectiveness and methods of engaging ‘seldom-heard’ families through
Restorative Engagement.
Background
Tros Gynnal Plant was commissioned by Welsh Government through the Children and
Families Delivery Grant to facilitate the development of a sustainable Restorative
Approaches Family Engagement model across Wales. Based within Tros Gynnal Plant,
the Restorative Approaches Family Engagement Project (RAFEP) has initially been
funded for three years to promote and support the use of Restorative Approaches, as
a method of engagement with Seldom heard Families, by training practitioners and
parents, and then supporting to embed their restorative skills.
Restorative Approach…?
Restorative Approaches (RA) is an empowerment mind-set and values base for
working with people, rather than to, or for them, wherever possible. To be
‘restorative’ means to believe that decisions are best made, and conflicts resolved, by
all those most directly affected by them. Its overarching aim is the building up,
maintaining and where necessary repairing relationships.
Restorative Approaches offers an overarching framework, mind-set of language for
consistent multi-agency work and collaboration so that a child and their family/carer
and agencies working with them can experience a consistent way for working and
consistent values. This approach dovetails with the Social Services and Well-Being
introduced in April 2016.
What’s next…?
In year one of the project, the team’s focus of its work was carried out in South East
Wales, training over 50 practitioners in Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda Cynon Taff,
Newport and Monmouthshire. The practitioners trained came from a range of 3rd
sector organisations which included Drugaid Cymru, Barnardo’s, SAFER Merthyr,
Action for Children, SNAP Cymru, Women’s Aid and Homestart.
Having established itself in South East Wales the project has expanded and we now
having trained nearly 150 third sector practitioners across Wales, the next steps for
the RAFEP project are to continue to train and support families across the whole of
Wales covering North, Mid, West and South Regions. The aim is not only to train and
support families across Wales, but to actively contribute to existing forums and
steering groups in order to support and promote the use of Restorative Approaches
amongst families.
If you would like any additional information in regard to the project or to meet for
an informal discussion please contact:
Vicky Jones – RAFEP Development Practitioner (mid-Wales) – 07961 398532
[email protected]