About this Profile
Profile source: An interview on behalf of the NED Foundation.
- Academic - researcher
- Facilitator
About the Organisation
Initially Sally worked in courts supporting vulnerable and intimidated witnesses. Court environments can be intimidating, court processes are often adversarial, and witnesses can find their accounts are sometimes doubted or minimised, resulting in re-traumatisation and secondary victimisation.
Sally's interest developed from seeing the positive effect created from supporting witnesses through their experience of the criminal justice process. Witnesses often felt they were in powerless positions, whereas a restorative approach gave them more of a voice and agency within a structured system that frequently worked to exclude them.
Additionally, through Sally's research for her PhD, which focused on the relationships between 'masters and servants' in British domestic service, Sally found that those in domestic service often have a marginalised or silenced voice. An interest developed in bringing marginalised voices to light.
Sally had always had an interest in social justice and the reparation of harm, but did not have the opportunity to explore this when she was younger due to other constraints.
Then, as a young woman working in offices in 80's Britain, within a hierarchical male-dominated culture, Sally often felt that she was routinely silenced by people in more powerful positions. This had a limiting impact on her by stymying her personal growth.
It was only later, when one or two people were prepared to advocate for her and she saw the transformation it made in her own life, that she decided to change course and choose a career path that was more closely aligned with her personal values. From this evolved an interest in restorative practices.
Sally's work with the witness service supporting vulnerable and intimidated witnesses, and also for the UK charity Catch22 working with very vulnerable victims of crime, has meant she has had much experience in restorative practices.
In each of her roles it was essential to take a trauma-informed, victim centred approach and to actively listen to people.
During her role at Catch22 she also received Restorative Practice training.
She believes that by entering into a dialogue with people that places an emphasis on empathy and understanding, an environment can be fostered in which healing can take place and solutions can be found.
- University
- University
- Victims of crimes
- Consultancy
- Education - University
- Facilitation
- Policy development
- Research
- Youth justice