Report on Pioneer Meeting
On 17 May 2019 Philip Brown and Thomas Murtagh met Meena Ralhr, Service Manager for the Non-Crime section of the West Midlands RJ Hub and Shayne Saysell, criminology undergraduate at the University of Birmingham and student volunteer for West-Midlands Police who has been nominated as Restorative Justice Ambassador
West Midlands RJ Hub
The Hub is based at Handsworth police station. It has a staff of 5 police officers. They assess cases and can either
- Manage the case themselves if it requires their ongoing support
- Refer the case to Remedi West Midlands if it involves a crime
- Refer non-crime cases to Pioneer Group
Funding
The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner covers the cost of RJ for criminal cases but the non-crime RJ is not fully funded and therefore requires funding by the referer.
Referral Fee
There are two options for paying the referral fee:
Option 1 = £5,000 for 25 cases to be referred over a 12 month period
Option 2 = £225 per referral at any one time – Pay Per Case.
Note these fees are equivalent to 35% of the actual cost of processing a typical case.
What are typical non-crime cases?
Anti-social behaviour, community cohesion.
Who currently refers non-crime cases?
Normally it is the police, schools, housing associations. So far 9 housing providers have signed up to pay for up to 25 referrals. Any other institution can do the same.
Who else might be able to pay the fee?
Employers might cover the cost from a staff welfare fund. Doctors could refer cases and then the NHS would pay. Individuals can also refer cases to the referral point rjinbox@west-midlands.pnn.police.uk or via the website www.rjwestmidlands.co.uk but they would have to pay the referral fee.
Mobilisation Plan
Meena has a mobilisation plan to gradually introduce the non-crime service. She would like there to be a dedicated single point of contact to coordinate RJ in each area, probably a police officer.
RJ Facilitators
They had 120 people applying to be RJ facilitators. They recruit via West Midlands Police Recruitment Team
RJ Ambassadors
These can be the same people as Facilitators or different people. They are all volunteers.
Website
The website www.rjwestmidlands.co.uk is in process of being updated. Note that the website does not currently mention the fee.
Links with universities
Jayne McCracken is a Resourcing Manager for West Midlands Police handling recruitment campaigns, leading on apprenticeships, student placements and work experience projects. As a result she has extensive contact with universities.
RJ Quality Mark
They have achieved Restorative Justice Council Service Quality Mark. More information at
https://restorativejustice.org.uk/restorative-service-quality-mark
RJ Conference in November
The Hub is planning to run a Regional Conference in Birmingham during RJ Week (17-24 November).
Promotion in Coventry
Meena recommends forming a plan to promote RJ within the city. She recommends trying to get financial support from the City Council. She suggested calling a meeting between Mike O’Hara (Coventry Police Commander), Abdul Khan and Kevin Maton.
Contact Information
Meena Ralhr
Service Manager for the Non-Crime section of the West Midlands RJ Hub
meena.ralhr@pioneergroup.org.uk
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