Restorative follow-up after incidents

After an incident, the child may need time, food, space, first aid, privacy or emotional recovery before any meaningful reflection. Restorative follow-up should take place once the child is calm enough to think, not during immediate shame, humiliation or fear.

Restorative practice does not remove responsibility. It helps the child see the impact of their actions, repair relationships where possible and return to daily life without escalating punishment or further damaging trust.

Follow-up should consider the needs of anyone harmed, including other children. Staff should avoid making a child apologise in public or forcing them to revisit the incident before they can engage safely.

What restorative follow-up can include

• Calm timing: not too early and not so late that the incident becomes vague.
• Clear naming of impact: who was affected and how.
• Repair steps: apology, replacement, clean-up, safer re-entry or peer repair where appropriate.
• Learning for next time: identify the trigger and better options.
• Respect for dignity: reflection should not become a public shaming exercise.

Restorative follow-up works best when it protects dignity and accountability at the same time.