Organisation: 
Relationships Australia South Australia
Focus: 
Restorative Practice

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About this Profile

Profile admin:
Deborah Lockwood's picture
Deborah Lockwood

Profile source: An interview on behalf of the NED Foundation.

Interviewee: Deborah Lockwood
Interviewee role:
  • Executive Manager Children's Services

About the Organisation

Field of Interest: 

Restorative Practice principles are used across  RASA services working with individuals and families with complex needs. Team meetings also use restorative practices. This restorative framework is also applied when working with external agencies and organisations. Team meetings also use restorative practices.

In particular, RASA, working in conjunction with the Department of Child Protection (DCP), with our Ngartuitya Family Group Conferencing (FGC) service, provides the opportunity for families to come together to develop a plan to keep their children safe.

Recent evaluation of our services show that the RASA family Group Conferencing (FGC) model, supports families to make their own decisions to keep children safe in 88% of all families referred from DCP. The number of children who have participated with their families in a  Ngartuitya Family Group Conference  is 300 and growing.

Motivation: 

RASA were aware of the shocking statistics relating to the removal of children into care' particularly in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait communities. This coincided with a visit to South Australia by Nigel Richardson, the Director of Children's Services, City of Leeds (UK). RASA researched the innovative work Nigel was undertaking and, based on the success of that work, worked to adopt the model.

Brings to the Discussion: 

The majority of staff in child and family services have undergone both internal and external Restorative Practice training.

Staff who are multi-lingual are well versed in the sensitivities related to those from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Additional Information: 

Relationships Australia South Australia, is committed to using Restorative Practice (RP) and provide both internal and external RP training to staff as part of their induction process.

They have a practice manager for family lead decision making to ensure that best practice is maintained in the area of Restorative Practice.

Organisational Structure: 
  • Not for profit
Jurisdiction: 
  • Community based
  • Family Court
  • Federal Court
  • School
  • Victims of crimes
Services Offered: 
  • Advocacy
  • ATSI health and well being
  • Child and Family support services
  • Coaching
  • Community based mental health services
  • Community Development/Education 
  • Consultancy
  • Corrections and prisons
  • Counselling
  • Elder Abuse
  • Facilitation
  • Family Dispute Mediation
  • Family Dispute Resolution
  • Family group conferencing
  • Family violence advocacy
  • Gendered violence
  • Group based relationship education
  • Leadership development
  • Management Training
  • Peer support services
  • Policy development
  • Program development
  • Reflective practice
  • Research
  • Responding to child sexual abuse
  • Responding to sexual assault/harm
  • Restorative Circles
  • Restorative Conferencing
  • Restorative Practice meetings
  • Rights of older people
  • Rights of people with disabilities
  • Rights of those experiencing mental ill health
  • Support groups
  • Team Building
  • Training
  • Violence risk assessment
  • Violence risk management
  • Workplace assessment
  • Workplace Conferencing
  • Workplace investigations
  • Workplace Training

Organisation Location and Reach

Location: 
Hindmarsh , SA, 5007
Area Covered: 
State -SA

Organisation Internet Presence