about our approach
Restorative Practices refer to a collection of processes for building, maintaining, and repairing relationships in various institutional settings. These practices develop social and communication skills and enable conflicts to be resolved in a way that promotes mutual understanding, accountability, and restored mana for all involved.
Our work rests on key restorative values.
RELATIONSHIP
We put people first, recognising that our relationships are precious taonga.
RESPONSIBILITY
We believe that each person is responsible for the impacts of their own behaviour, and has responsibility for remedying those impacts.
RESPECT
We prioritise respect for the mana and essential human dignity of everyone we encounter: our clients, our colleagues, our partners, and our communities.
REPAIR
A restorative approach seeks to repair harm (and prevent it) above all else, rather to punish or adjudicate.
Throughout our work and relationships with our clients and each other, we are committed to upholding the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We are guided by the restorative values - relationship, responsibility, respect, and repair - that shape our kaupapa. As an organisation we acknowledge the ongoing journey necessary to deepen our knowledge and response to the history, impacts, and importance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We commit to doing what’s required to better understand and respond to the historical and current racism and colonisation in Aotearoa. This includes naming and addressing our own biases and privilege through critical reflection, understanding our own whakapapa as well as our ongoing learning of Te Tiriti, te reo Māori and tikanga Māori.
We operate in alignment with the principles and practices of the Organisational Ombudsman Model promoted by the International Ombudsman Association (IOA), while also remaining grounded in the theory and values of Restorative Justice.
We are based in Aotearoa New Zealand, and work internationally, meeting virtually for initial conversations.