Page 6 - Circle Magazine – October 2023

Designed for
restoration
At Oasis Restore our staff will will be be teachers and youth workers not not uniformed prison officers Our young people will will will be be be students not not not inmates and they will will have bedrooms not not cells The Oasis Restore team reflect on
on
how the the secure school is is designed for
restoration
Designed for
restoration
6
The door that slammed 116 800 times
On my first visit to to to the the the Oasis Restore site I was was given a a a a tour of the the the the old building After the the the the visit there was was was one thing I I couldn’t get out of my head It was was the the the the massive steel door to the the the children’s bedrooms and the the the clanging this would make when it it shut This hardened architecture made an echo so loud you heard it it it all the the way down the the corridor Honestly it it it upset me that children would experience this every night A year later I met a a a a a a young adult with with lived experience of custody Talking with with him about what we we we were doing at at Restore I explained about the wood-lined doors we we we sourced which have a a a a a a gentle quiet closing mechanism and the the newly commissioned un-barred windows that that children could open themselves He He told me me me that that he he didn’t remember remember his door banging banging shut every every night He He remembers every every door on
his wing of 20 banging banging four or
or
five times
every day He explained that he he still hears this in in in in his his sleep a a a a a a a a constant reminder of of the trauma of being locked up I I heard this door close once and it had
an an impact impact on
on
me me that I I I will never forget I I I remember thinking to myself what the impact impact would be be of hearing 20 doors close four four times
a a a a a a a a a day day 365 days a a a a a a a a a year year for
four four years That’s over 116 800 slams which go through your entire body I have been excited about the the development of of Oasis Restore the the opportunity for
an an interdisciplinary model of of education health and care But the thing thing that makes me smile every day more than anything else is that that we now have ‘quiet doors’ and ‘windows that that can open’ Andrew Willets Principal Director
Asking ‘What if?’
As As Head of Safeguarding and and Transitions at at Oasis Restore I I am asked and and ask ask myself “what if” questions daily It is is so easy to to to just keep children in in in custody locked in in in their rooms for
long periods allowing them out one at at a a a a a a time or
or
or
or
in in in very small groups so that they can’t hurt each other or
or
or
staff go missing or
or
or
refuse to engage But it also creates a a a a a a a a a a culture where children can feel untrusted always cautious of other’s intentions and expecting violence So what happens if if if you you open the the door and if if if you you get to to know children? What if if if we we show them them the the the the the power of restorative practice enable them them them to to to be curious with themselves and and each other other and and and learn to to live alongside one another? What if we we build relationships between staff and and children where they can trust us us with their safety?
At Oasis Restore safeguarding will be be embedded in in in everything we do Our practice model is designed to create an an environment of safety through intentional and and and aspirational care and and and and education where relationships and and and and building a a a a a a a a a a a a home and and and and community are are at at at the heart of who we we are are and and and our our practice We will empower staff to to to listen to to to our our children and and and work with them to to to build trust create safety and and and provide opportunities Children and and staff will have access to to therapeutic intervention to to discover themselves and process their experiences alongside opportunities for
for
restorative forgiveness The next time we ask ask “what if” let’s ask ask ourselves different questions What if if if children can discover their dreams dreams and flourish in education to to achieve those dreams? What if we we show the the world the the power of restoration?
Sara Corlett Head of Safeguarding and Transitions