About the Practitioner
Maurizio is a Restorative Practitioner who brings an educational prospective to addressing behaviour, resolving conflict, building relationships and repairing damage to relationships. Maurizio views restorative interventions as a pro-social approach for enhancing learning opportunities and helping to create empathic understanding of other.
For more than 20 years he has been advocating for Restorative Practices in schools alongside other Australian practitioners. This is because Restorative Practices compliments Trauma-informed care, Positive Behaviour learning, Choice Theory and Positive Psychology programs.
As a teacher and educational consultant, Maurizio recognises how Restorative Practices are a perfect fit with the Government's Australian Student Wellbeing Framework, and Beyond Blue's, Be You Mental Health Framework.
There are educational benefits for incorporating Restorative language and philosophy in our educational system. In particular, when there is a need to address behaviour, conflict, bullying and harm. A Restorative response focuses on repair, learning, building resilience and collaborative problem solving.
A truly Restorative approach does not contribute to further trauma and it is not about seeking retribution. But rather it seeks to nurture an understanding, a learning of how behaviour/actions hurt, and how that harm can be repaired in a merciful and compassionate manner. Restorative interventions are about reparation and breaking down the barriers of blame and guilt and exploring opportunities for learning and building self esteem, self image and self efficacy skills.
Maurizio commenced his teaching career in 1980, believing that being respectful, and maintaining the dignity of others, achieved better results than that of a punitive approach.
In 2000, he attended a Marist Brother conference entitled 'Schools as Just Places'. While he had been practicing the principles of Restorative Practice without naming it, he began using the term, and the tools associated with it, in 2003. He subsequently presented a workshop at a Restorative Practice international conference in Vancouver in 2004. The workshop was developed to teach Restorative skills and language with Junior and High School students leaders. The Canadian experience inspired the development and evolution of a variety of education Restorative workshops for students, parents, teachers and leadership.
Restorative Practice provided a relational and practical framework to allow educators, at all levels, to acquire skills of positive conversations and conflict resolution. The most important aspect of Restorative conversations, is that the power is shared 'with', rather than the power being held 'over', allowing for an equitable way to resolve issues and encourage collaboration.
Maurizio has worked in Education for more than 30 years. He has a Masters Degree in Education, a Graduate Diploma in Counselling and a Certificate in Conflict Resolution. He has played a significant role in introducing and growing Restorative Practice in schools around Australia while working with a Catholic Not for Profit Organisation.
Maurizio see himself first and foremost as an educator and believes his teaching experience helps him to implement Restorative Practice processes in schools. Maurizio has worked as a Director/Manager of two alternative school pathway programs for young people aged from 12 to 18. He has held the position of CEO for Not for Profit Youth and Family counselling and Refugee program, however, his passion is working with young people with mental health and other related issues as well as marginalised groups within our community.
Maurizio is currently working as a Student Wellbeing Education Officer providing support to young people and their families while working with teachers and schools to explore positive solutions.
Restorative practice provides practical language based strategies to address a variety of relational issues. It is aligned with Trauma Informed Care, Strength Based Approach, Positive Psychology, SPBL, and Choice Theory.
A major part of my work is facilitating Restorative Learning in the Home for Parents, Restorative Leadership Workshops for Primary and Secondary Student Leaders, Restorative Circles and Reflective Question strategies for educators, plus Restorative Conflict resolution skills for Leaderships teams.
Organisation
Owner, Facilitator, Trainer, Mentor and Consultant
- Community base
- School
- Advocacy
- Education
- Child and Family support services
- Coaching
- Training
- Consulting
- Community Development/Education
- Consultancy
- Counselling
- Criminal Justice
- Culture change
- Facilitation
- Family group conferencing
- Group based relationship education
- Leadership development
- Peer support services
- Policy development
- Reflective practice
- Restorative Circles
- Restorative Conferencing
- Restorative Practice meetings
- Rights of people with disabilities
- School - K-12
- Team Building
- Training
- Workplace Conferencing
- Youth justice