Outcomes Based Accountability (OBA) is a planning and performance management methodology which is action and outcome focused. It is particularly helpful to partnership working and is a way of achieving accountability which recognises that changing outcomes for a complex and diverse city such as ours is difficult and cannot be the responsibility of one single organisation.

OBA provides tools and techniques to help partnerships to develop effective and ongoing processes to monitor achievement and to revise/improve the plans as appropriate. It can only be successful through effective partnership working.

In Leeds OBA is currently being rolled out and implemented across the Children's Trust Arrangements and their feedback is that it is both useful and effective in helping to tackle difficult issues.

OBA Workshops

Information will be posted on to this page with a view to providing members information about workshop, activities and initiatives that are being planned in each of the localities.

Each cluster of schools plan their own workshops that focus on one of the cities three key areas:

• Looked After Children,
• Attendance
• NEET (not in education, employment or training)

Each cluster will be aiming  to "Turn the Curve" for their chosen theme.

Restorative Practice is a problem solving approach and is characterised by being fair and inclusive, demonstrating values of empathy, respect, honesty, acceptance of responsibility and mutual accountability.

The main goals of Restorative Practice are:

• Resolve conflict through building and repairing;
• Empowerment of individuals, groups and communities through inclusion and giving a voice to those who have been harmed;
• Shared responsibility, the approach builds on the knowledge, skills and resources in both formal helping agencies and services and informal family and community network to work together, and;
• Outcome and solution focused - Restorative Practice looks forward and aims to focus on outcomes and solutions.

Restorative Practice has brought some excellent outcomes for children and for those who have been harmed as a result of their actions, both children and adults. A restorative approach reaches beyond the punishment or protection of traditional systems and serves to include and re-empower those who have been harmed by others whilst helping the harm causers to accept personal responsibility.

In Leeds Restorative Practice is currently being rolled out and implemented across the Children's Trust Arrangements and their feedback is that it is both useful and effective in helping to tackle difficult issues.

Information will be posted on this page to provide members with information about workshops, activities and initiatives that are being planned in each of the localities.

For an overview of the planned Outcomes Based Accountabilities and Restorative Practice workshops contact Young Lives Leeds Co-ordinator Jeannette Morris-Boam, email jeannette.morris-boam@val.org.uk