Workshops & Training

For upcoming events and workshops please see our Events listings. At present, we do not have any training courses available to the public.

Please contact us if you are interested in training for your team or community group and we can explore training options with you.

Upcoming workshops

Challenging Power Dynamics in Restorative Justice (CPD workshop)

Tuesday 7 October 2025
2-4 pm (BST)
Online

A 2 hour CPD training event for practitioners exploring how power dynamics are present in restorative justice processes and ways to understand and address these dynamics.

We will learn about power and power imbalances, explore how power operates in restorative work, examine the challenges this presents, and think about practical ways to navigate and address power dynamics in restorative justice processes. 

The workshop will cover:

• How to identify the (sometimes hidden) roots of conflict

• What is power? How does power operate in restorative justice?

• Types of power and power imbalances

• Challenges which are associated with different types of power imbalances, such as marginalized identity and victim/offender role

• Levels of analysis and intervention which can be used to navigate power dynamics in restorative work

• How to design Restorative Systems to make agreements and policies for addressing conflicts

• Addressing power during the preparation stage of restorative processes

• The role of the facilitator in addressing power during dialogue facilitation

• Characteristics of effective agreements in restorative processes

The event will be facilitated by Dr Mikhail Lyubansky (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign), an experienced teaching Associate Professor of Psychology with expertise in restorative justice, ethnic conflict, psychotherapy, and positive psychology. Much of his work has focused on developing structures for restorative conflict engagement through consultation, trainings/workshops, and the facilitation of high-stakes conflicts.

This event has been CPD approved by the Restorative Justice Council. Attendees who participate in the full 2 hours of the workshop will receive a certificate for 2 CPD hours.

Creating 'a place to go to': using art and design in restorative justice (CPD workshop)

Wednesday 26 November 2025
10:00am - 12:30pm (GMT)
Online

This practical 2.5 hour CPD workshop will provide an exploratory space in which practitioners can learn and practice a variety of creative exercises to be integrated into their own restorative practice.

Practitioners will be invited to participate in and learn creative exercises with the intention that these can later be introduced into restorative processes with clients. The creative exercises will be interspersed with brief visual presentations which will contain the theory and research behind using art and design based approaches within restorative practice. In particular, participants will learn how creative approaches have the potential to enhance dialogues as well as healing.

You don’t need to have any prior experience or knowledge of art and design or of using art materials in order to take part - just enthusiasm and curiosity! 

The workshop will be facilitated by Dr Clair Aldington, a freelance researcher, practitioner and co-founder and Director-Practitioner of Space2face restorative practices and arts charity in Shetland, Scotland. Clair has over 20 years of experience in working in the field of restorative practices, with a focus on using art and design in restorative processes. She has pioneered the use of art and design as an intrinsic part of restorative processes and has authored several academic articles and book chapters on her practice and research.

This event has been CPD approved by the Restorative Justice Council. Attendees who participate in the full 2.5 hours of the workshop will receive a certificate for 2.5 CPD hours.

To, not, for or with?: how a restorative approach might inform safeguarding practice (CPD workshop)

Wednesday 10 December 2025
10:00 am 12:30 pm
Online

This practical 2.5 hour workshop shares best practice in a restorative approach to the handling of a safeguarding disclosure.

When a child or adult discloses a safeguarding concern, a golden opportunity can easily be missed if the response is insensitive. We will co-design the best approach to handling safeguarding disclosures, drawing on restorative tools and practice using real life scenarios. We will consider how best to speak about confidentiality and reflect on culturally sensitive practice in a safeguarding context. The format of the workshop will be very interactive and involve circle discussions, breakout room group work, and opportunities for skills practice.

Learning aims and objectives:

• Sharing best practice in responding to safeguarding disclosures restoratively including what not to do.

• An opportunity to practice restorative skills in situations when safeguarding issues arise.

• Consideration and skills practice on how to explain about confidentiality with a child or adult in the context of safeguarding.

• Reflecting on cultural considerations in safeguarding, including culturally sensitive practice.

The workshop will be facilitated by Colette Morgan and Pete Wallis, both highly experienced restorative practitioners and trainers in both child and adult contexts, with specialties in youth justice. Colette has also been one of the trainers for Oxfordshire Children Safeguarding Board for several years.

This event has been CPD approved by the Restorative Justice Council. Attendees who participate in the full 2.5 hours of the workshop will receive a certificate for 2.5 CPD hours.

Previous Workshops and training held at The Mint House

Restorative justice and unconscious biases (CPD Workshop)

Tuesday 25 February 2025
10:00 am - 12:00 pm (GMT)
Online

A 2-hour CPD training event designed to help practitioners consider the underlying heuristic biases which may impact restorative work.

This event has RJC CPD Approval.

To err is human… We are delighted to offer a 2-hour CPD workshop exploring unconscious heuristic biases which have potential to impact restorative processes. In this reflective and interactive space, we will explore how these unconscious processes influence our decision-making processes and what we can do to mitigate their impacts.

We will:

• Help practitioners understand why heuristic biases exist.

• Share how heuristic biases influence our decision-making processes.

• Consider together how heuristic biases may impact on restorative processes, including safety and non-discriminatory practice.

• Explore ways to mitigate the impact of heuristic biases on restorative work.

For more details see: Restorative justice and unconscious biases (CPD workshop)

Sharing tools to support restorative conversations

Restorative Practice in Student Settings: An Introduction (for University Staff)

Course aims:

• Understand the principles and values of restorative practice, the philosophy and mindset that underpin the approach and how restorative practice differs from other ways of addressing harm and conflict.

• Understand restorative language, themes and processes.

• Introduce and practice restorative skills.

• Reflect on how restorative practice can help address key challenges in student life, for example by supporting respectful dialogue, addressing everyday conflicts in student housing or addressing issues such as racism, cancel culture and rape culture.

• Reflect on the relationship between restorative practice and existing disciplinary procedures and the opportunities and challenges of integrating restorative practice with existing mechanisms.

The course will be delivered over Zoom from 9:30am-3:30pm, including 60 minutes break time and 30 minutes’ offline study.

Managing Conflict Differently: A Restorative Approach to disputes in student life

This FREE two-hour interactive online workshop for university students (delivered over Zoom) will introduce the principles and values of restorative practice and look at what these can mean in managing conflicts in student settings and in creating safe spaces where individuals can speak openly and learn from the personal experiences of others. The workshop will be of particular interest to students with peer support or leadership roles, including roles in equalities and/or student welfare and wellbeing.

Workshop aims:

• Understand the principles of restorative practice and how restorative practice differs from traditional ways of addressing harm and conflict.

• Introduce restorative language and values and explore how these might support us to build connections with others.

• Reflect on how restorative practice is relevant to student life, its role in supporting respectful dialogue and addressing conflicts in student settings.

• Consider next steps – where do we go from here?

Living, Working & Playing with our Teenagers: A Restorative Approach

This one day workshop will explore the particular challenges, joys, and dynamics of working and living in a restorative way with young people in their teens. The values, language, and principles of restorative approaches contribute to building and maintaining positive and mutually respectful relationships. They offer more effective approaches to discipline and boundary setting. At a time when teenagers are going through so many changes our interactions with them are critical to the development of their identities and interests and potentially highly rewarding to our relationships with them. 

Led by Katherine Stoessel who has worked in the field of restorative practice for over 20 years in the UK, the USA, West Africa, the Balkans and Eastern Europe and she is a regular facilitator and trainer for the Thames Valley Restorative Justice Service. She is privileged to work with these powerful and meaningful processes and they underpin her deep commitment to restorative approaches and the profound difference they can make to people's lives.

Workshop cost is £50 per person, (some bursaries are also available) - for further information email RP@minthhouseoxford.co.uk

Introduction to Restorative Practice

This workshop increases understanding of conflict and wrongdoing from a restorative perspective and explores the principles and values underpinning a restorative approach.

Designed for professionals in the legal field, case referral managers, supervisors of restorative practitioners, and anyone supporting or working alongside restorative practitioners.

At the end of the day you will:

• Understand the difference regarding discipline and punishment between traditional practices and restorative approaches

• Understand the principles and values underpinning the theory and practice of restorative approaches

• Have built awareness of the importance of restorative language

• Have explored how restorative practice can be applied in their area of work

• Have an increased understanding of how to manage and support restorative practitioners

Led by Katherine Stoessel who has worked in the field of restorative practice for over 20 years in the UK, the USA, West Africa, the Balkans and Eastern Europe and she is a regular facilitator and trainer for the Thames Valley Restorative Justice Service. She is privileged to work with these powerful and meaningful processes and they underpin her deep commitment to restorative approaches and the profound difference they can make to people's lives.

Lunch-time talk: ‘Building Respectful Families: A Restorative Approach to Child on Parent Violence’

Colette Morgan works for SAFE! as the Child on Parent Violence Project Development Manager. Sadly, Child-on-Parent violence is on the rise and this fascinating talk will show us how SAFE! tackles this problem and works with families to cultivate respectful family relationships, for the benefit of all society.

We will even provide you with a free sandwich and a cuppa.