Expansion of restorative pilot across England and Wales
A national pilot exploring how restorative approaches can be delivered effectively for children across England and Wales is being expanded thanks to the agreement of multi-year funding.
The project will deliver a shared practice model of restorative justice across 10 youth justice services (YJSs). The pilot is being led by Restorative Justice for All (RJ4All), supported by the Youth Justice Board (YJB), and backed by multi-year funding from the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF).
The model supports youth justice practitioners to consistently deliver restorative approaches with children aged 10 to 17. It sets out 10 practical steps covering the full process, from referral through to follow‑up, and supports both direct and indirect approaches. It is grounded in the Child First evidence base, centred on victims, and allows flexibility to reflect local needs.
The extension will build on learning from the 2025 co‑design model, when RJ4All worked with frontline practitioners across 10 YJSs and a dedicated Restorative Justice Practitioners Board. This work, which included insights from 15 children with lived experience, informed the creation of the Shared Practice Model for implementing restorative justice in youth justice settings
The model is now moving into its Delivery and Evaluation phase, testing further across 10 YJSs in Cambridgeshire, Cardiff, Buckinghamshire, the Isle of Wight, Lambeth, Leeds, Northamptonshire, Salford, West Mercia and Southwark.
The YJB provided strategic sponsorship and endorsed the model, bringing national leadership, practice expertise and quality assurance to its development. It supported recruitment and engagement across YJSs to facilitate strong partnership working and sector‑facing activity.
Kate Langley, Director of Operations South at the YJB, said:
Restorative approaches play a powerful role in reducing reoffending when delivered well. This pilot will help strengthen the evidence on what works to deliver high-quality restorative justice across the youth justice system.
The Youth Justice Board’s role is to support local services to improve practice, and this work will provide valuable insight into how restorative approaches can be delivered consistently and effectively for children, victims and communities.
Professor Theo Gavrielides, Founder and Director of RJ4All, said:
For too long, restorative justice in the youth justice system has operated without the kind of rigorous evidence base it deserves. This pilot is an opportunity to change that. By developing a shared practice model with practitioners on the ground and testing it properly, we can begin to build the evidence that policymakers, victims, and young people themselves need. We are grateful to the Youth Endowment Fund and the Youth Justice Board for entrusting RJ4All and all participating Youth Justice Services with this important work.
Restorative justice has been a statutory part of the system since 1998, yet limited high-quality evidence has been available on what works for children, victims and communities. This programme is designed to change that.
Coram will independently evaluate the programme through a randomised control trial, providing one of the most robust assessments to date of restorative justice in youth justice settings.
The model is grounded in the Child First evidence base and sets minimum expectations for delivery while allowing services to respond to local context.
Training and implementation will be tailored to each service, with ongoing oversight to ensure consistency and quality throughout the pilot.
An online conference later this year will bring together practitioners, policymakers and academics to share early learning and support wider system adoption. Further details will be announced in due course.
Notes for editors
About Youth Justice Board
The YJB is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Ministry of Justice and is responsible for oversight of the entire youth justice system in England and Wales. Its vision is for a youth justice system that sees children as children, treats them fairly and helps them to build on their strengths so they can make a constructive contribution to society.
For more information: www.gov.uk/yjb
About Restorative Justice for All International Institute (RJ4All)
RJ4All is a charitable international institute with a mission to address power abuse, conflict, and poverty through the use of restorative justice values and practices. We do this through a combination of restorative justice projects delivered both internationally and locally at the RJ4All Rotherhithe Community Centre in London. We advance community cohesion, equality, human rights, and redistribute power by supporting civil society and delivering social justice and poverty relief projects, educational programmes and high-quality volunteering opportunities for marginalised groups.
For more information: https://rj4all.org/
Or view Theo Gavrielides
About the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF)
The YEF is as an independent charitable trust, established in March 2019 by Impetus. The charity’s mission is to prevent children and young people becoming involved in violence. It does this by finding out what works and building a movement to put this knowledge into practice.
For more information: https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/
About Coram
Coram is the UK’s oldest children’s charity, established in 1739. The organisation draws on its long-standing experience and evidence to identify effective approaches for supporting children and young people. Coram works in collaboration with government bodies, local authorities, professionals, and families to inform and improve policies, practices, and systems that affect young lives.
For more information: https://www.coram.org.uk/