Executive Summary:
Restorative Justice (RJ) is a communication process.
It gives victims the chance to communicate with their offenders to explain the true impact of their crime.
RJ empowers victims by giving them a voice and holds offenders to account for what they have done.
It also helps offenders to take responsibility for their actions and make amends. RJ can exist as a standalone crime resolution. However, in most instances, it is delivered in addition to other criminal justice outcomes, including custodial sentences.
As per DRF 2022-0007531, in 2021, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland (OPCC) entered into a co-commissioning arrangement with Probation Service North East. This was to enhance the level of RJ funding locally. A competitive tendering exercise was conducted in 2021.
Safer Communities was successful with its application. It was awarded the contract to deliver the service from 1st April 2022 to 31st March 2025. The contract includes an option to extend for a further twelve-month period which would continue delivery to 31st March 2026.
In the summer of 2024, the OPCC commenced a review of all commissioned services — including Restorative Cleveland.
This process involved completing an Equality Impact Assessment, along with a comprehensive review of service delivery which included — but was not limited to:
- Alignment of delivery against specification and contract terms and conditions
- Review of performance and effectiveness
- Horizon scanning
- Options appraisal
The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) and Senior Management Team considered the review.
It was agreed that Safer Communities was delivering a high-quality RJ service. It also supports the OPCC with delivering on a Police and Crime Plan priority to provide high quality support for victims of crime.
Using the 12-month extension would both support the OPCC with conducting a new competitive tendering exercise to secure future provision, and support Cleveland Police with providing victim focused interventions — primarily in the out-of-court-resolution arena at a time were all police forces are being encouraged to expand their use.
Decision 2024/25 – 0015: Restorative justice (application, 143kB)