Introduction:
In healthcare settings, suicide-related incidents are often met with retributive approaches, focusing on blame, punishment and rule violations. This punitive culture exacerbates stigma, drives risk-averse behaviours, and hinders meaningful systemic change. Restorative approaches offer a compassionate alternative by prioritising moral engagement, emotional healing, reintegration, and organisational learning. It shifts accountability from blame to forward-looking improvements, fostering trust, resilience, and compassionate care.
This symposium introduces participants to the principles of a restorative just and learning culture (RJLC), which fosters psychological safety, offering practical examples from within healthcare settings that cultivate a safe and learning culture. In this symposium presentations will address:
A framework for shifting healthcare culture from a blame orientation to one focused on healing, learning and improvement.
Implementation of a RJLC matrix has facilitated ‘sense-making’ among staff, leadership and consumers, clarifying the concept’s multifaceted nature and bridging the gap between principle and practice. It supports balanced attention to all stakeholders’ needs. Its utility and adaptability have seen the framework being well supported by stakeholders and has led to its adoption in a number of jurisdictions.
Leadership, Governance, and Policy in Creating a Restorative Just and Learning Culture
Establishing a restorative just culture in healthcare relies heavily on strong leadership, robust governance, and clear policy frameworks. Governance structures ensure that restorative practices are embedded into systems, inter-personal and team communication, and processes that support leaders in modelling and all staff in engaging in restorative practices. A restorative just and learning culture policy is a clear statement from the governing board of its priority and strong commitment to safety and well-being for patients/clients and staff. It also reinforces the organisation’s commitment to the principles of learning and improvement.
One healthcare organisation’s approach to introducing RJLC.
The “Listen Care, Learn & Heal” approach rebranded RJLC principles and established “Listen Huddles,” voluntary spaces for staff to share experiences, focusing on healing and resilience. Participation is open to all staff, fostering inclusivity and mutual respect. Listen huddles are initiated in response to any adverse event that may affect the wellbeing of staff. Real-world experiences often diverge from planned policies, underscoring the importance of system changes informed by the expertise of field professionals.
Conclusion
Cultural change is essential to achieve better suicide-related care. Supporting healthcare workers emotionally and professionally enhances their ability to deliver compassionate care and effectively engage persons presenting to the health service and their support network.