Restorative Practices in Action: Tallaght West - A Case Study

This article aims to share learning about the use of Restorative Practices in an Irish community setting. It will begin by offering a definition of Restorative Practices and an outline of relevant research in this area. It will go on to describe the origins and content of the Restorative Practices Programme implemented by the Childhood Development Initiative in Tallaght West since 2010; and to share some of the findings of the independent evaluation carried out by the Child and Family Research Centre at the National University of Ireland, Galway, between 2011 and 2012. A case study of how restorative practices have assisted in resolving conflict in a community setting is then presented. The article concludes with some of the main learning by stakeholders to the Tallaght West Restorative Practices Programme and an outline of plans for the immediate future