Meet the Team
Belinda Hopkins |
Belinda is... Read more |
Caroline Newton |
Caroline is currently one of Transforming Conflict’s Regional Directors and Lead Trainers. A qualified social worker, Caroline has over 25 years experience in the fields of residential care, youth work, youth justice and education. She became interested in Restorative Justice whilst working in a Youth Offending Team and then became the first ever secondary school-based Restorative Approaches Co-ordinator. She was subsequently appointed Restorative Approaches Co-ordinator. For all schools in the London Borough of Lewisham. She currently works part time as a victim liaison worker within her local youth offending service. She co-founded, and... Read more |
Phil Bence |
Phil is currently one of Transforming Conflict’s Regional Directors and Lead Trainers. Having begun his restorative journey within Stockport YOS, he developed his learning and practice moving in to educational settings. He recently co-ordinated Warwickshire’s Family group Conferencing Service, informing his practice with restorative principles. He now works freelance as a trainer, specialising in educational settings and supporting those working with troubled families. |
Sue Lee |
Sue is retired infant school Head Teacher with experience in both infant and primary schools. |
Laris Buckner-Fisher |
Laris works as a freelance coach and trainer having retired from work as a manager in Haringey's Youth Offending Service where she was also instrumental in training teachers, YOS workers and other professionals in the Restorative Approach. She has years of experience of working in variety of settings with children and young people. |
Ian Gough |
Ian has a background working in a Youth Offending Team and has recently been very involved developing peer mediation schemes in schools. His experience as a scout leader makes him an ideal person to work in a lively and engaging way with young people. |
Tom Mellor |
Tom currently works as the Restorative Approaches Coordinator for Cambridgeshire Youth Offending Service and as a freelancer for Transforming Conflict. As a practitioner and trainer Tom facilitates courses in restorative approaches for staff in the YOS and residential care sector. Tom's background is in group work and theatre working for 5 years for Geese Theatre Company using mask, drama and active methods to explore issues around offending behaviour. He has also regularly facilitated on the Community Sex Offender Treatment programme (CSOG) and the community domestive violence programme (IDAP). |
Gordon Murray |
Gordon is a qualified and registered social worker with over 22 years experience working in the Criminal, Youth Justice and Children's Looked After sector, as practitioner and manager. He is experienced in working in both statutory and voluntary organisations. He includes restorative approaches in his practice and management style and has been delivering training in Restorative Approaches across the UK for over 7 years. Gordon currently works as an independent trainer and consultant and is a member of the Restorative Justive Council. |
James Easton |
James is a qualified social worker with many years experience working in a wide variety of social care settings with young people and their families. He was responsible for developing restorative justice interventions within the Youth Offending Service in Bedfordshire, and also growing the understanding and implementation of restorative approaches across the county. Most recently he set up and ran a successful youth crime family intervention project, which involved much mediation and repairing harm. James also brings to the training environment his experience as a performer and story teller. |
Dave Ayres |
Dave is a Registered Manger in a Residential Children’s Home with over 15 years of experience within the residential sector that includes 6 years in the Secure Sector. |
Gordon Richardson |
Gordon is a registered social worker with an MSc Applied Social Studies (Oxford University). He has 28 years experience with young people, and 11 as a Restorative Justice practitioner. He spent 18 months with Thames Valley Police HQ RJ Consultancy and is currently lead manager for RJ in Oxfordshire YOT. Before joining this team, Gordon co-wrote two RJ courses: one for residential settings and one for Thames Valley Police. |
| Sue Fraser |
Sue Fraser works in a residential school for boys with emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD) and has particular responsibility for supporting the development of a whole school restorative approach. She is on our specialist team advising on using inclusive restorative practices with non-neuro-typical people and those with EBD and/or learning difficulties
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Belinda Hopkins is the Director of Transforming Conflict. She pioneered the application of restorative principles in school settings in the UK in the late 1990's and created the first training course in restorative skills developed specifically for teachers.
