Social Work staff and representatives from Police Scotland, NHS, Housing and third sector gathered at Gartlea Community Centre in Airdrie for North Lanarkshire Council’s Justice Social Work Conference.
The theme of this year’s conference was ‘Supporting Change and Restoring Justice’, and the event was opened with keynote remarks from Ms Angela Constance MSP, the Scottish Government’s Minister for Justice and Home Affairs.
Guest chair Elizabeth Hay of Scotland Excel welcomed keynote speakers who shared their own lived experiences of rehabilitation, recovery and change.
Aidan Martin and Mark Deans co-founders of West Lothian charity ‘The Scheme’ facilitated a live interview with David Martindale, Manager of Livingston Football Club, who now volunteers his time to share his own rehabilitative story since serving a custodial sentence in 2006.
Jacob Dunne, Restorative Justice Advocate, delivered a powerful keynote presentation in the afternoon describing his own lived experience of Restorative Justice and the impact this had on his rehabilitation and how this approach can support others.
The conference was supported by a range of organisations who were invited to deliver practice workshops across the day including Community Justice Scotland, Social Work Scotland, Child and Young People Centre for Justice, Assist Domestic Abuse service and the Risk Management Authority.
Live music was provided throughout the day by the North Lanarkshire Recovery Community Band, St Aidan’s High School pupil Logan Blair St Margaret’s High School pupil Jennifer Ford.
Gerry Ranachan, Senior Education and Families Manager said: “This year’s conference provided our Justice Social Work service with some first-class opportunities for practical practice reflection, particularly through the meaningful, challenging and motivational contributions of those who spoke to us from their own lived experience of the justice system.
“The value and power of such lived experience was the centre piece of the conference and the learning shared will continue to influence and shape the approach the service takes to our ongoing work and relationships.
“I’d like to thank all our incredible speakers and contributors, I also want to acknowledge the efforts of Education and Families Manager, Brian Smedley and the conference organising team, and also to express my appreciation to every single Justice Social Work member of staff for their continued resilience, dedication and hard work”.