Who We Are - Restorative Gloucestershire

Hub Team

Rebecca Richardson

Restorative Justice Manager and Practitioner

I joined the team as Service Manager in September 2020 initially on a 12 month secondment, and the post was made permanent the following year.

Over the last 25 years I has worked in a wide range of voluntary sector services catering for a wide range of community needs in relation to: crime, abuse, homelessness, offending, mental ill-health, disabilities, and those often marginalized members of minoritised groups. Advocacy has been central to my career, working ‘with’ people rather than acting ‘for’ them, with an emphasis on enablement, and amplifying hidden voices.

I spent many years working in the field of Domestic abuse, including 10 years doing direct survivor work in a Women’s Refuge, followed by 7 years working for the charity Victim Support, 3 of which specialising in Hate Crime. My Hate Crime work included: co-authoring the Gloucestershire Hate Crime Strategy 2016-2021; a wealth of partnership work; setting up a county Strategic Hate Crime Partnership Group and a Education Sub-Group; working with the OPCC to extend the support offered to those affected by hate; working with Leicester University to develop an evidence based training resource for the county; and delivering Hate Crime awareness workshops to over 750 professionals.

Prior to joining the RG team I was Gloucestershire Constabulary lead for Children First youth diversion scheme, furthering its progress through development of a partnership delivery plan, a range of policies and procedures, broadening the scheme’s partner membership, co-ordinating and chairing the joint decision-making panel and working group, and promoting victim inclusion.

I have a wealth of experience and knowledge in partnership working, safeguarding, risk management, safe practice, project development, team leadership, volunteer management, equality and diversity, and after undertaking the RJ Level 2 facilitator training in 2019, I continue to develop my Restorative Justice Practice.

When I’m not working I spend time with my small family, including our furriest member Billie (a Cavapoo), mostly being a teenage taxi service, hill walking, eating good food, drinking herbal tea (I have a mug permanently attached to my left hand), and reading as much as I can manage before I nod off.

Working in the Restorative Gloucestershire team is an absolute delight. To be working in a team that embodies a restorative culture is nourishing, and with such committed and passionate colleagues and volunteers to work alongside, who are making a huge difference to so many people’s lives, occupying this role is nothing short of a privilege.

Jude Perez

Volunteer Manager and Practitioner

I joined Restorative Gloucestershire RG as a volunteer Restorative Practitioner in 2016 gaining a paid role as Case coordinator in 2017 and in June 2022 became Volunteer Manager and Practitioner.

I became interested in Restorative Justice RJ and the school to prison pipeline during and after having gone through the lived experience of a family member going through the criminal justice system, as both an offender (harmer) and victim (harmed) of serious crimes and the impact of the ripple effect of what happened I have worked on a broad range of complex and sensitive cases including homicide, harmful sexual behaviour, domestic abuse, serious injury by dangerous driving, arson. I have also dealt with mediating neighbourhood anti-social behaviour, community and family conflict cases.

I have continued my development since my initial training in 2016, completed BTEC level 3 and 4 in restorative justice, attending restorative approaches courses on Domestic Abuse, Sexually Harmful Behaviour, Complex and Sensitive Cases, Community Mediation and Action Learning Facilitation. I am the Restorative Gloucestershire’s Women and Domestic Abuse lead representing RG at multi-agency forums such as ‘Female Offender Deliver Group’ and ‘Youth Out of Court Disposal (OOCD) Scrutiny Panel’.

I bring previous experience and knowledge as an Adult Education Lecturer, within Local Government as an elected Borough and Parish Councillor, the Voluntary and Community Sector, working with the community to take over the running of their local library and Youth Provision along with training in Asset Based Community Development.

I am passionate about everything restorative, enjoys working with other practitioners and the transformative effect the restorative approach has on changing people’s lives.

Julie

Restorative Justice Hub Administrator

Hello! I joined the Restorative Justice team in April 2023, after coming from a local police station as a customer adviser.

My working life has always been customer focused, with a large part working in local government.

I have been a volunteer for Victim Support, where I did additional training in homicide and young children, I loved doing this work for 5 years as a volunteer. Since joining the Restorative Justice team I have now trained as a RJ Practitioner.

I live in the beautiful Forest of Dean with my husband and dog called Bea, I have 2 daughters and 4 grandchildren, so have wide experience of family life good and bad!

Kerry Baker

Restorative Justice Practice Facilitator

I started working with Restorative Gloucestershire as a volunteer in 2019 and gained my paid role as the full time Restorative Facilitator in June 2022. I have also been a Home Start volunteer and understand the importance of supporting families who need a little extra support and how a volunteer can offer this. This has naturally led me to be the Children and Young People Lead for the team of which I am passionate to promote.

My personal experiences in Special Educational Needs inspired me to become interested in Restorative Justice/Practice, which lead to a career change from engineering. I am passionate about the positive impact that Restorative Justice has had on the people that we work with.

I continued my development since my initial training by attending restorative approaches courses on Domestic Abuse, Sexually Harmful Behaviour, Sensitive and Complex Cases and Community Mediation. This continued personal development has supported me in facilitating a wide range of cases, including neighbourhood disputes, harmful sexual behaviour and complex and sensitive.

Anneliese Vickers

Restorative Justice Case Co-ordinator and Practitioner

Anneliese became a volunteer with Restorative Gloucestershire in 2018 and is extremely passionate about restorative practice. She volunteered as a restorative facilitator whilst studying for a BSc in Psychology and Criminology at The University of Gloucestershire. She graduated in 2021 and continued her voluntary role until she undertook her paid role as Restorative Justice Case Co-ordinator in September 2022.

Anneliese has witnessed first-hand the positive impact that can be had on people’s lives and feels honoured to be a part of the service that provides restorative intervention. She has had the privilege of working on a range of different cases, such as neighbourhood mediation, criminal damage and complex and sensitive cases. She enjoys working alongside the wonderful team at Restorative Gloucestershire, who are incredibly helpful, supportive and inspiring.

Sergeant Jenn Crickett

Restorative Justice Police Sergeant and Practitioner

I am the Restorative Gloucestershire Police Sergeant. I have been a police officer for 22 years in a variety of roles within Gloucestershire and also Police Scotland. I transferred back to Gloucestershire Police in 2014 after 10 years in Police Scotland. Since returning I have been a neighbourhood officer at Barton Street and then spent most of the next four years as a Custody Sergeant.

Whilst on alternative duties in 2018 when I was expecting my second child, I worked on a project that looked at alternative means of disposal for crime and developed an interest in Restorative Justice.

I returned to my role as a custody sergeant in the summer of 2019 and was then delighted to see the position of Restorative Gloucestershire Sergeant become available later that year. I successfully applied for the role and joined the Restorative Gloucestershire Team in November 2019. Part of my role is to promote the work of RG within the Constabulary and provide training to officers and police staff and encourage the use of RG within their work and communities. I also represent RG at multi agency forums such as Children’s First and the Out Of Court Scrutiny Panel.

Jenny trained as a facilitator in January 2020 and enjoys working with the many volunteers and colleagues within RG.

Images taken by Ruth Davey of Look Again Mindful Photography

Our Volunteers

We have so many wonderful Volunteers here at Restorative Gloucestershire who have received full training in facilitation and mediation techniques to help people through the restorative process