Homelessness and Supported Housing
We have completed a pilot project exploring the use of restorative practice in supported housing for people who were previously homeless. We also responded to partners’ requests for further training in restorative practice. This project was funded through the Rough Sleeping and Homelessness Initiatives – Oxford City Council Grant Scheme 2025-26.
The project brought together 37 participants from 11 different organisations across Oxford for training on restorative and reflective practice. We were able to contribute to strengthening relationships within the Oxford Homelessness Alliance and to facilitate new networking and collaboration opportunities for those working in the homelessness sector. This included a structured reflective practice on the challenges of the alliance, the particular needs of alliance members, and practical ways to overcome these challenges. The reflective practice model of the training allowed busy practitioners to think about “stuck areas” within their service provision and with particular clients.
Participants reflected that they valued learning new communication techniques and were moved by the sharing of space between providers and service users. Everyone had the opportunity to:
Have a restorative conversation
Facilitate a circle
Practice active listening
Connect the 5 restorative themes to their work
Incorporate restorative self-care elements into their work week (eg. debriefs)
Practice having clients take ownership of their own solutions rather than giving advice or problem-solving for clients
Learning from this project has been shared with the South East Homelessness Forum and in a forthcoming book chapter (more information to come).
As highlighted by our independent evaluator, this is challenging terrain, but one where we believe restorative practice can make a real difference.