Victim Support awarded Restorative Service Quality Mark by the Restorative Justice Council

12 February 2018

Independent charity Victim Support has been awarded the Restorative Service Quality Mark (RSQM) by the Restorative Justice Council (RJC) in recognition of its high quality delivery of restorative justice projects.

The award recognises the work of Victim Support nationally with special acknowledgment of Victim Support services in West Mercia, Warwickshire, Merseyside and Sussex which currently run dedicated restorative justice projects.

Restorative justice brings victims and perpetrators together to give victims the chance to have their say and to get answers to any questions they may have. This process also gives offenders the opportunity to look at their behaviour and the impact it has had on the victim’s life. It can be instrumental in helping victims move beyond the crime and begin to rebuild their lives.

Barbara Oakley, Restorative Justice Lead for Victim Support, said: “Victim Support is an independent national charity offering practical and emotional support to victims of all crimes. Part of a victim’s journey to cope and recover is being able to find closure. This often involves understanding issues from the offender’s perspective, which is where restorative justice plays such an important part in the work we do.”

The RSQM is a badge of quality that guarantees that a service provides safe, high quality restorative practice which meets the Restorative Service Standards, set by the RJC. Oakley continued: “Applying for the RSQM has been a team effort involving several different counties. We all feel really proud that we have been able to work alongside each other to provide good quality consistent restorative justice services across our whole organisation.”

Chris Straker, interim chief executive at the Restorative Justice Council said: “Congratulations to all the teams involved at Victim Support on achieving the RSQM. This demonstrates their commitment to delivering safe and effective restorative justice services.”