Product reviews for Restorative Practice at Work

Restorative Practice at Work, written by Lesley Parkinson is an easy-to-read paperback book on an important but perhaps less well-known area of work practice. Having not been familiar with this concept, I read the book twice with much interest. It is divided into two main parts- background and six restorative practice habits. These are presented in ten easy-to-read chapters over 150 pages.

I found the six habits fascinating. I particularly liked Chapter 7 on engaging brains and behaviour and the relevance of amygdala (basal ganglia) hijack. This is one of the most common reasons for colleagues shouting out at others, where our primitive brains 'hijack' higher brain functions.  The remaining chapters cover the other 5 habits proposed. All chapters were easy to read and follow.

In summary, this is a really useful book to help colleagues understand more about behaviour, how we interact with others and what we can do to make professional work and relationships better. It overlaps with many of the human factor’s concepts taught in healthcare to improve both patient safety and teamwork. I thoroughly recommend this book to staff across healthcare, particularly those involved in complex teams and decision-making. It has certainly changed and improved my own practice, and I am sure it will do the same for everyone who reads it. Bravo!