Dr Belinda Hopkins

Director of Transforming Conflict

Dr Belinda Hopkins began her career working in mainstream secondary schools as a modern language teacher which she loved. She now teaches a new language – relational and restorative communication! Belinda pioneered the use of restorative practice as a whole-school approach across the UK in the early 2000’s, at a time when ‘RJ’ as a process was being offered to schools mainly as a response to serious ‘wrongdoing’. Her book ‘Just Schools’ (JKP 2004) was the first to be written about this systemic ‘culture-change’ approach. 

She has also written about restorative practice in social care (Just Care JKP 2009) and in classrooms (The Restorative Classroom Optimus 2014). Belinda still designs and runs training courses and now, having qualified as a coach and a Master NLP practitioner, also supports practitioners in the field with supervision, mentoring and coaching.

She is currently on the Board of the RJ charity Why Me? and a member of the European Forum for Restorative Justice (SEFRJ) Schools Working Group. She chairs the EFRJ Training Committee and the Trainers’ Network.

Much of Belinda’s work these days is with partners and colleagues across Europe, notably Catalonia in Spain, Belgium, Estonia, Georgia and Slovenia.

Caroline Newton

Regional Director and Lead Trainer

Caroline Newton has spent her career working as a qualified social worker and Restorative Justice Trainer and practitioner. She has worked for over 30 years in various aspects of youth work, residential child care, education, social work and youth justice

She spent 18 months working as a full time Restorative Justice Coordinator in a large South East London secondary school before becoming the Restorative Approaches Coordinator for the London borough of Lewisham for 6 years, before leaving in 2010. In this role she was responsible for training and supported staff and young people across Lewisham, in a variety of settings, to use restorative approaches as well as facilitating various restorative meetings and circles.

Caroline has worked for Transforming Conflict since 2006, delivering Restorative Approaches training and support to staff within educational settings, Youth Offending Services, care homes, foster carers, Community Safety, Youth Service, Social Services, Community Housing, Hostels and other organisations/teams working with young people and adults who want to use restorative approaches. She has delivered training both within the UK and internationally.

Caroline is an experienced Restorative Approaches practitioner and has worked within youth justice and other youth/educational settings, using her restorative practice and experience to engage more effectively with young people and their families, victims and local communities.

Caroline is currently Lead Trainer with Transforming Conflict and also volunteers at a local primary school using circles and restorative approaches. An extra string to her bow is part-time work at the Houses of Parliament as a Visitor Assistant and tour guide, where she has used her restorative skills on more than one occasion.