Restorative Engagement Program—Frequently Asked Questions
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What is the Restorative Engagement Program?
What is a Restorative Engagement conference?
What does a conference process involve?
What do I do if I am interested in the Restorative Engagement Program?
What happens if I proceed into the Restorative Engagement Program?
What is the role of the Facilitator?
What is the role of my support person?
What is the role of the senior Defence representative?
If I worked/am working in Defence as Australian Public Service (APS) employee can I
participate?
Will my privacy be protected?
How was the Restorative Engagement Program developed?
How long will I have to wait before my conference to takes place?
Q: What is the Restorative Engagement Program?
A: The Restorative Engagement Program (the Program) provides an opportunity for complainants
registered with the Taskforce who have made plausible, in scope allegations of abuse to participate
in a process that allows their personal account of abuse to be heard, acknowledged and responded
to by Defence.
The Taskforce has established the Program as a means of addressing directly the harm caused by
these instances of abuse on complainants and the implications of the abuse on complainants’ lives.
The conference is a private facilitated meeting where a complainant has an opportunity to tell a
senior Defence representative their personal story of abuse (to the extent they wish) and the
impacts of this on their life. It is a forum where the ongoing implications of abuse for complainants
are acknowledged, and where Defence has accepted it has a responsibility and obligation to
respond.
If a referral of a complainant is made to the Program then an appropriate Defence representative is
nominated, and a Taskforce-accredited Facilitator is engaged to help all parties prepare to meet in a
Restorative Engagement conference.
Through their participation in the Program, Defence representatives gain a greater insight into the
profound impacts of abuse and develop their understanding of the cultural and systemic failures
that may have enabled the abuse, or mismanagement by Defence of a report about the abuse.
The Taskforce believes the Program will enable a broader level of insight into the impact of abuse on
complainants and make a significant contribution to the achieving cultural change in Defence.
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Q: What is a Restorative Engagement conference?
A: The Restorative Engagement Program offers an avenue for you to meet with a senior Defence
representative to have your personal account of abuse heard, acknowledged and responded to by
Defence through a process of restorative conferencing. The Restorative Engagement conference is
designed to provide a safe and respectful place for you to talk with the Defence representative in a
private facilitated meeting.
If you participate in the Program, a Taskforce-accredited Facilitator will help you prepare for and
facilitate the conference. You can bring a support person with you to the conference, such as a
family member or friend.
Q: What does a conference process involve?
A: The Restorative Engagement conference process involves the following main steps:
 a pre-conference preparation meeting at which you and your support person will meet with
the Facilitator to discuss your motivation for taking part, your expectations around meeting
with the Defence representative, what you would like to tell the Defence representative
about your personal story of abuse and the impact and implications of this abuse, and to
identify any particular issues you may want to raise;
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a pre-conference meeting between the Facilitator and the Defence representative so the
Facilitator can prepare them for any particular issues, sensitivities or needs you may have,
and address any queries the Defence representative might have;
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the Restorative Engagement Conference will be attended by you, your support person, and
the Defence representative;
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the conference will be convened by the Facilitator; and
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post-conference follow-up calls to you from the Facilitator and your Case Coordinator.
Participation in the Program is voluntary. If at any stage you feel unable to continue participating,
you can withdraw from the Program without consequence and/or elect to postpone your
conference to a later date. Should you have these concerns please speak with your Case Coordinator
as soon as possible and at any stage of the conference process.
If you have not already done so, you may find it beneficial to access counselling available through
the Taskforce to support you before and after participation in the Restorative Engagement Program.
Speak with your Case Coordinator about support services that may assist you.
If you are feeling distressed and require urgent assistance, please call one of the 24-hour support
services listed on the counselling page of this website.
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Q: What do I do if I am interested in the Restorative Engagement Program?
A: If you would like to participate in the Restorative Engagement Program you should discuss this
with your Case Coordinator. Your Case Coordinator will provide an explanation of the Program to
you and discuss with you your needs and motivations and whether you are ready to participate in a
conference. Your Case Coordinator will then discuss with you:
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what you would like to achieve out of the process;
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your preferences about an appropriate Defence representative (e.g. Service, gender);
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who you might choose as a support person through the process (who can attend the
conference with you if you wish). This may be your partner, a family member or friend; and
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how your personal information will be managed in the Program.
The Program is guided by the key principle of do no further harm, and your suitability and readiness
to participate in the Program will be assessed throughout your involvement with the Program, on an
ongoing basis, to ensure it is beneficial and safe.
Q: What happens if I proceed into the Restorative Engagement Program?
A: When your matter proceeds into the Program, you will be allocated a Facilitator for your
conference process. The Facilitator will meet with you to help you prepare for meeting with the
Defence representative (in the complainant pre-conference meeting). The Facilitator will also help
the Defence representative prepare for your conference (in the Defence representative preconference meeting).
You will also be told how your personal information will be managed in the Program and what in
scope matters you would like to raise with the Defence representative taking part in your
conference.
If required, travel and/or accommodation arrangements for you and your support person to attend
the conference will be managed by your Case Coordinator. The Taskforce will cover these costs and
other eligible expenses.
If you choose to have your matter referred for criminal investigation to the Taskforce’s Crime Group
the conference process may be put on hold pending advice from the Crime Group and police. You
may decide, on advice provided by police, not to take part in both processes at the same time.
Q: What is the role of the Facilitator?
A: The Facilitator represents the Taskforce throughout the conference process, safeguards your
interests during the conference and looks after the welfare of all participants during the conference
process.
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During your conference the Facilitator will convene the process so you feel supported and
empowered to tell your experience.
The Facilitator also makes an ongoing assessment of the readiness and suitability of all participants
in the conference process.
More than 40 Taskforce-accredited Facilitators around Australia will convene Restorative
Engagement conference processes.
Q: What is the role of my support person?
A: Most complainants find it helpful to have someone they know and trust by their side as they
participate in the Program. It can be very reassuring to have a support person such as your partner, a
friend, family member or colleague with you during your pre-conference meeting with the Facilitator
and then in the conference itself. While the support person has a limited speaking role in the
conference, they will be given the opportunity to contribute if appropriate. Having a support person
means you can discuss your experience in the Program with someone with whom you have an
ongoing personal relationship.
If you elect to bring a support person that you know in a professional capacity (e.g. your
psychologist), their role in the conference process is to provide you with support and therefore the
will not be able to act in a professional capacity. As such, the Taskforce would cover usual expenses
relating to the conference (e.g. travel and accommodation), but will not pay for their services in a
professional capacity.
Q: What is the role of the senior Defence representative?
A: The role of the senior Defence representative in the Restorative Engagement conference process
is to hear, acknowledge and respond to your personal account of abuse.
Allegations of harm that have been determined by the Taskforce as plausible and which will
generally be the focus of the conference dialogue, will not be disputed by the Defence
representative.
The participation of senior Defence representatives also enables a better understanding within
Defence of the systemic cultural issues that have enabled abuse to occur.
Defence representatives participating in the Restorative Engagement Program must be of an 0-6
rank or above. For Army this is the rank of Colonel or above; Navy it is Captain or above; and for Air
Force it is Group Captain or above. In addition, the three most senior non-commissioned officer
ranks have been prepared: the Regimental Sergeant Major of the Army, the Warrant Officer of the
Air Force and the Warrant Officer of the Navy.
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Q: If I worked/am working in Defence as Australian Public Service (APS) employee can I
participate?
A: Yes, you can participate if you are currently or formerly worked in Defence as an APS employee.
There are a number of Defence representatives from the APS participating in the Program from the
APS SES 1 level and above.
Q: Will my privacy be protected?
A: Prior to a Restorative Engagement conference process, all participants will provide written
consent about the parameters of participation and how personal information will be managed
throughout the process. The Facilitator will consult you about this at the pre-conference meeting.
For participation in a conference process, your personal account of abuse will be provided to the
nominated Defence representative, so they are prepared and can respond appropriately to you in a
conference. The account is not to be reproduced, and is returned to the Taskforce at the conclusion
of the conference. Should you have any concerns relating to your information being shared with
Defence, please speak with your Case Coordinator.
Q: How was the Restorative Engagement Program developed?
A: In evaluating what appropriate responses may be established for complainants, the DLA Piper
Review into allegations of sexual and other forms of abuse in Defence states that ‘a significant
number of the persons who contacted the Review indicated that their primary wish is for Defence to
acknowledge that abuse had occurred and to express regret for that action’.
The Program was developed with the understanding that the alleged abuse occurred within a
particular workplace culture, which the DLA Piper Review observed had, in the main, failed to ‘call to
account and/or rehabilitate the perpetrators of abuse.’
The Restorative Engagement Program is an innovative Program developed to respond to the needs
of complainants to have their story of abuse heard and responded to by Defence. The Taskforce
Defence Abuse Restorative Engagement Program is informed by a number of existing practices in
mediation and restorative justice practice.
Q: How long will I have to wait before my conference to takes place?
A: Implementing the Restorative Engagement Program across Australia involves the coordination of
a substantial number of people. It has been very important to ensure that a sufficient number of
senior Defence representatives have been properly trained for participation in the Program, as well
as selecting and training highly qualified and appropriately skilled Facilitators to conduct conferences
under the Program. In addition we have needed to put appropriate mechanisms in place to manage
the complex logistical arrangements and procedures necessary to ensure the Program will be
delivered in a way that best meets complainants’ needs.
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To date, several hundred complainants have expressed an interest in participating in the Program.
Whilst we have dedicated significant Taskforce resources to ensuring the Program is delivered in a
timely, safe and supportive way, it will inevitably take some time to provide every complainant who
is suitable for participation with the opportunity to participate in a conference. For some this may
mean waiting a number of months.
For further information on the Restorative Engagement Program and how to register your interest,
please contact your Taskforce Case Coordinator.
Hotline: 1800 424 991
Email: DART@ag.gov.au
Mail: Defence Abuse Response Taskforce
PO Box 6010
KINGSTON ACT 2604
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