Restorative Justice/Practice

Reference: 25-26135

Date response sent: 10/07/2025

Details of enquiry

1. NHS Sexual Safety in Healthcare Charter

a. Has your Trust signed up to the NHS England Sexual Safety in Healthcare Charter(2023)?

b. If yes:

i. Please confirm the date of adoption

ii. Provide any internal implementation plans, policy updates, or cultural change programmes associated with the Charter

c. Does your Trust interpret the Charter’s emphasis on person-centred and trauma-informed approaches as including or supporting the use of restorative practices?

2. Restorative Practices in Complaint Resolution

a. Does your Trust use dialogue-based or restorative approaches in patient complaints more generally (e.g., apology meetings, mediation, facilitated dialogue)?

b. If yes, please describe the approach and provide any supporting documents.

3. Use of Restorative Justice or Restorative Practice

a. Has your Trust ever used restorative justice or restorative practices in the context of:

i. Sexual harassment, assault, or misconduct involving staff or patients?

ii. Patient complaints involving interpersonal harm or conflict?

b. If yes to either, please provide:

i. A brief description of the approach used

ii. Any relevant policies, procedures, or internal guidance

iii. Any staff training materials relating to restorative practice

iv. Any available summary evaluations or outcome reports without any identifying details included.

Response sent

1. NHS Sexual Safety in Healthcare Charter

a. Has your Trust signed up to the NHS England Sexual Safety in Healthcare Charter(2023)?

Yes

b. If yes:

i. Please confirm the date of adoption

We do not hold the exact date that the Trust adopted the Charter, but can confirm that the NHSE website https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/sexual-safety-in-healthcare-organisational-charter/ confirms that all NHS Trusts have signed up to it.

ii. Provide any internal implementation plans, policy updates, or cultural change programmes associated with the Charter

A policy and a procedure on this is being drafted, but is not yet ready for signoff and publication.

c. Does your Trust interpret the Charter’s emphasis on person-centred and trauma-informed approaches as including or supporting the use of restorative practices?

Yes

2. Restorative Practices in Complaint Resolution

a. Does your Trust use dialogue-based or restorative approaches in patient complaints more generally (e.g., apology meetings, mediation, facilitated dialogue)?

Yes, the Trust Complaints approach is to try to resolve all complaints through an informal process and local resolution  (meetings, discussions) at the earliest opportunity.

b. If yes, please describe the approach and provide any supporting documents.

This is explained in The Trust’s Complaints Management Policy, as attached.

3. Use of Restorative Justice or Restorative Practice

a. Has your Trust ever used restorative justice or restorative practices in the context of:

i. Sexual harassment, assault, or misconduct involving staff or patients?

The Trust has recently used restorative practices in the form of written apologies from perpetrators of sexual misconduct with both patients and staff.

ii. Patient complaints involving interpersonal harm or conflict?

Not formally but have held meetings for both parties to mediate.

b. If yes to either, please provide:

i. A brief description of the approach used

ii. Any relevant policies, procedures, or internal guidance

iii. Any staff training materials relating to restorative practice

iv. Any available summary evaluations or outcome reports without any identifying details included.

This is all as above