Principles and Practice of Restorative Just Culture

Newcastle Business School, Northumbria University and Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust are proud to present our programmes on the principles and practices of Restorative Just Culture.

Just cultures that are restorative as opposed to retributive are becoming increasingly recognised for their contribution in dealing with adverse events and significant incidents, managing employee relations, developing high performing teams, and enabling the delivery of safe and continuous care.

It is estimated that over 6,000 workers are currently suspended in the public sector and at a cost upwards of £50 million. This can be as a result of workplace stress, bullying or harassment that are dealt with in retributive rather than restorative ways which sadly can result in people ending their own lives or suffering long term health and well-being issues. Restorative Just Culture practices recognise the important role played by dealing with adverse events and incidents by asking, who is hurt; what do they need; and whose obligation is it to meet those needs? The success of restorative responses hinges on getting the community involved in collaboratively resolving those questions and arriving at a solution that is respectful to all parties, such as, patients, families, caregivers, organisational representatives, regulators and legal and union representatives. It considers accountability in a forward-looking (rather than punitive, backwards-looking) manner, asking who needs to do what now, given their role and the expectations that come with it.

No matter which programme you choose to study on, you will learn the theory behind the approach of Restorative Just Culture and how to implement this in your organisation and the wider context. The benefits of this approach include improved relationship management across your organisation, improved staff survey results, reduced grievance and disciplinary cases and increased motivation, which lead to higher levels of safe and continuous care. A range of techniques, approaches, and the theory underpinning them will be reviewed, and the connection to their application to practice will be explored.