Agenda item

Rob Harmer, Service Manager, Future for Families and Julie O’Connor, Restorative Relational Practice coordinator, Future for Families will provide a presentation on the Relational Practice Service.

The Chair welcomed by the Rob Hamer, Futures for Families Service Manager and Julie O’Connor Restorative Relational Practice Coordinator to the meeting, to introduce the relational practice service, which is another arm of future for families.

It’s an adaptation from the Restorative academy, which has been created in North Yorkshire and colleagues from North Yorkshire are being extremely supportive to Middlesbrough during this set up. North Yorkshire have been very successful with this approach and Middlesbrough are delighted that this will be introduced.

The Relational Practice Service (RPS) is a part of Futures for Families and offers job opportunities for care experienced and service connected young people aged 18 years plus, to allow them to use their past experiences to help other young people.

The Relational Practice Workers offer support and guidance to young people who are otherwise struggling to engage with other services. The workers form a trusted relationship with the young person, as a peer mentor, who they can express their thoughts, wishes and feelings to. The young people go on to achieve qualifications and job roles e.g. within North Yorkshire, a number of young people are now working within children’s social work and another has gone onto University.

The missions and values of RPS were as follows:

u  To develop resilience and empathy in young people and young adults through engaging with their personal experiences and those of others;

u  To offer young people an opportunity to be Relational Practice advocates post training to support young people in a range of settings;

u  To offer continued self-development for young people and young adults in effective communication;

u  To offer training, work experience and career development opportunities to those employed within the service;

u  The Relational Practice Workers engage with young people where other agencies have not been successful, and will act as a voice for the young person, encouraging reflection on their own current experience

How does this fit with future for families?

u  Relational Practice Workers will be supported by the Restorative Relational Practice Coordinator within Futures for Families.

u  When employed these workers will be trained in a variety of qualifications - Mandatory Council and restorative / Relational / trauma informed approach

u  The role will deliver Restorative Relational Practice support, complete mentoring work, and offer Asdan awards if appropriate.

u  Gaining this experience will enable the Restorative Workers to apply for vacant roles within resource and residential teams.

u  Currently looking at young people 18 years, however the service may look at younger as Middlesbrough do have a number of NEETS.

Interventions provided by RRP are as follows:

u  Conflict resolution interventions led by young people and young adults supervised by the Relational Practice Service offering a variety of services

u  Supporting young people with tenancy disputes (supporting Housing meetings)

u  Group and circle work in Residential (supporting Residential meetings)

u  Supporting relationship repair with those around a young person

u  Supporting young people with issues of bullying

u  Supporting young people in Schools

u  Offering training and support to professionals

u  Offering training to other young people and adults

The Board members were very impressed with the RRP and the Manager advised that those care experienced young people already undertaking apprenticeships with the Council, would be able to undertake RRP as a separate role. This would top up their money which they already receive through their apprenticeship.

AGREED- That the information be noted.