Discover how lasting connections shape the future and boost success in this lively in-person event.

What if connection was not simply something we turned to when things went wrong — but something we invested in before they did?

For strategic leaders, practitioners, and commissioners, The Power of Connection – The Long View explores how restorative relational practice can create lasting value across education, criminal justice, businesses, families and communities — and, crucially, across the relationships between them.

The people and communities we serve do not live in organisational silos. A child moves between home and school. A family interacts with education, housing and public services. A person may encounter the criminal justice system while also being part of a workplace and a community. Relationships connect all of these worlds.

This event explores how investing in trust, communication, emotional literacy and relational skills can support early intervention, prevention and healthier relationships, rather than relying solely on responses when things have already gone wrong.

Who is this event for?

This event is particularly relevant to:

· Education leaders and practitioners

· Criminal justice professionals

· Business and organisational leaders

· Family and community practitioners

· Strategic leaders and decision-makers

· Anyone working across organisational or sector boundaries

Whether you already use Restorative Approaches (RA) or are exploring what they could offer your organisation or community, this is an opportunity to step back and consider the bigger picture and the longer view.

What will we explore?

We will consider:

Connection as prevention — how relational approaches can help build the conditions for healthier relationships before difficulties escalate.

Value across sectors — why the same relational principles can have relevance in schools, workplaces, families, communities, and criminal justice settings.

Working beyond silos — what becomes possible when organisations recognise the relationships and systems that connect them.

The evidence and the opportunity — what we know about restorative relational practice, where it can contribute, and what this means for future investment.

The long view — how strengthening relationships today can contribute to stronger people, organisations, and communities tomorrow.

Guest Speakers Include

Eryl Powell - Aneurin Bevan Public Health Team

Nicola Bowden - Acting Head Teacher - Islwyn High School

Sophie Sanchez - Head Teacher - St Helen's RC Primary

Helen Sharkey - Head Teacher - Gwaelod Y Garth Primary

Prof Jonathan Hobson - University of Gloucestershire

Dr Sara Correia-Hopkins - Swansea University

Aisa Shearing - Restorative Justice Council

Local and national speakers from a range of sectors including education and criminal justice, will share inspiring yet realistic experiences, alongside practical tips for taking a restorative approach and embedding change. They will explore research insights into what works and what does not, with examples of what good quality looks like in practice.

Why attend?

Come and explore a different way of thinking about investment, prevention, and impact.

You will have the opportunity to connect with others, challenge assumptions, share perspectives, and consider what a stronger culture of connection could mean in your own setting.

Our aim is not to suggest that restorative practice solves everything. It is to ask a more fundamental question: What could change if we invested in connection before we needed to repair it?

The Power of Connection – The Long View invites us to think beyond immediate interventions and towards the relationships, communities and systems we want to strengthen — not only for today, but for future generations. We believe the relationships we strengthen today can shape the communities we leave for tomorrow.

About the organiser

We have been delivering Restorative Approaches (RA) for 12 years and are a centre of excellence, holding all of the Restorative Justice Council’s Quality Awards. Our passion for RA is rooted in independent evidence, and we believe these approaches can bring wide-ranging benefits across sectors. Working locally, nationally and internationally, we provide strategic support to commissioners, training and facilitation services, alongside Early Years training and leadership support sessions. As an approved Agored Centre, we offer RA qualifications, and our four-day RA course and Early Years course are CPD accredited. We are proud to work alongside our partners to deliver this conference.

If you require information regarding travel/parking or accessibility, please contact us on: contactus@restorativewales.org or telephone 02920 464950. Alternatively you can contact the hotel directly on 02920 785592

Refreshments will include vegetarian and gluten-free options; if you have other requirements, please let us know.

Description supplied by the event organiser.