A. Service overview and contact details
Focus of restorative justice (RJ) and restorative practice (RP) activities
Treo Port Láirge is a community-based organisation in Waterford, core-funded by the Department of Justice through the Probation Service. Its main aim is to reduce criminal activity among the people in its target group of 16 to 23-year-olds by providing educational, social and vocational support while challenging offending attitudes and behaviour. Restorative practices are one of four core approaches it uses in its work.
Year of commencement (RJ/RP elements)
2000
Service details
Treo Port Láirge CLG
Lacken Road Business Park
Waterford
Website: http://www.treoportlairge.ie/index.html
Email: admin@treoportlairge.ie
Tel: 051 379 740
Head of service
Ken Sauvage
CEO
Email: ceo@treoportlairge.ie
Tel: 087 225 0938
Staffing structure
Treo employs 19 full-time and part-time staff, all of whom use restorative approaches in their work, with no single member of staff dedicated exclusively to restorative practice.
Staff training in RJ/RP
The CEO and a number of staff trained in RP with the International Institute for Restorative Practice (IIRP) and then with the Childhood Development Initiative (CDI). The CEO and other staff are accredited trainers and have trained other staff. Many staff are accredited RP facilitators.
Use of volunteers
In 2019, Treo had three volunteers working with its Treo project in Waterford City and one volunteer working with its Local Training Initiative.
Volunteer training in RJ/RP
All volunteers are given an RP induction.
Main source(s) of funding
The Department of Justice provides core funding via the Probation Service. Treo’s Special Rehabilitation Community Employment project is funded by the Department of Social Protection. Its Local Training Initiative is funded by Waterford and Wexford Education and Training Board, while its Renew Social Enterprises project was part funded by Pobal.
Annual budget
Circa €800,000 in 2020.
Nature of funding
Annual application for funding.
Organisational status
Company Limited by Guarantee and Registered Charity.
Target client group
The Treo project works with people aged from 16 years with criminal convictions, the Local Training Initiative (LTI) works with young people aged 16 to 23, and the Special Rehabilitative Community Employment Scheme works with stabilised drug users aged 18-35. Renew Social Enterprises employs people with criminal convictions aged from 18 years.
Nature of offences
Not applicable
Source of referrals
Agency/self-referrals
Geographic area of activity
Waterford City and Dungarvan with participants from all over the county
B. Nature of RJ/RP service
RJ/RP services provided
- Restorative practices
- Waterford Restorative Practice Network (WRPN)
Main process elements and short description of each model
Restorative Practices: Treo staff apply four evidence-based approaches across all of its services and interventions, one of which is restorative practices (the other three are Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused Approaches, and the Outcome Star Tool). Treo supports each person to understand how their behaviour has affected people, to take responsibility for this and to work with those they have harmed (where appropriate) to repair the harm and restore their relationship (if suitable). A list of the RP tools used here includes: Restorative Conversations, Restorative Questions, Check in Circles, Issue or Problem-Solving Circles and Restorative Conferences.
Waterford Restorative Practice Network (WRPN): WRPN is based at Treo’s city premises. It includes representatives of statutory, community and voluntary agencies. It has a pool of experienced RP practitioners and trainers who promote RP within these agencies and externally with multi-agency training and development.
Activity levels
In 2019, Treo in Waterford worked with 83 individuals across a range of programmes and supported 39 families. 77 people participated in courses with Renew Social Enterprises, 63 of whom successfully completed the course. All 77 also completed Manual Handling courses. The Local Training Initiative worked with 28 individuals in 2019 while the Special Rehabilitative CE Scheme worked with 22 participants (15 male and 7 female) during the year.
Community participation
Not applicable
Offence breakdown
Not applicable
Offender age and gender breakdown
Not applicable
Outcomes
Not applicable
C. Sources of further information
Website
Reports
- Annual Report 2019
- Strategic Plan 2018-2020
- Strategic Plan 2021-2023