Representatives from Victim Support’s Restorative Justice and Mediation Hub in Cheshire have attended an award ceremony at the Restorative Justice Council, where the Hub was presented with the Restorative Justice Quality Mark.

The event on 18 November coincides with Restorative Justice Week, a campaign aimed at raising awareness of the practice and its benefits for victims.

The Restorative Justice and Mediation Hub has been funded by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire since September 2014. The Hub is run by Victim Support in partnership with Cheshire Constabulary, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, youth offending teams and the National Probation Service.

Services that achieve the Restorative Services Quality Mark must be assessed against standards set out by the Restorative Justice Council to ensure quality and the safety of participants throughout the restorative process.

Julie Blaylock, Restorative Justice and Mediation Hub Manager at Victim Support, said: “We’re delighted that our service has been awarded with the Restorative Services Quality Mark.

“Our dedicated team and partners work hard to ensure that we are delivering an effective restorative justice service for victims of crime in Cheshire.”

Chief Constable Simon Byrne said: “The Restorative Justice Council has recently assessed our approach to restorative justice and we’re pleased to say that we have all been awarded the kite-mark.

“Staff from all the agencies involved worked hard to achieve this and can be proud that, thanks to their dedication, we are empowering victims to meet their offenders in a way that they are comfortable with.”

PCC John Dwyer said: “I would like to thank all those who have worked so hard in achieving this. The accreditation and quality mark just goes to show what can be accomplished through working together towards a single goal – better outcomes for victims.”