Meet the team

Jim Simon, Chief Executive 

Jim joined the RJC as chief executive in April 2019, having been an RJC assessor since 2014. He is an experienced head teacher with 21 years’ service within education. Alongside this he has worked closely with youth offending services and the police force in developing restorative practices within educational and youth settings.

He is an experienced practitioner and trainer within restorative practices and has led the strategic development and implementation of these services within educational and youth settings. His academic studies have focused on education and his Master’s degree, specifically focused on equality and diversity, researching the impact of restorative practices on providing a fair and equitable service to those involved within the process.

Aisa Withey, Restorative Standards Officer

Aisa has been working within the field of Restorative Justice for 6 years and is an advanced level practitioner, with the last 3 years, being her role as Service coordinator then operational lead for Make Amends, the commissioned service in Devon and Cornwall.

Her background is working with young people who have emotional and behavioural challenges, and she has also volunteered for the youth justice service as a referral panel member for the last 8 years. She has an honours degree in Psychology and is currently working towards an MSc in Business and management with both undergraduate dissertation and Masters capstone projects focusing on Restorative Practice. Aisa also has a level 3 teaching and assessment qualification.

David Smith, Policy and Communications Officer

David Smith was Third Sector Adviser then Victims Adviser to the West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner and more recently the Mayor and Deputy Mayor (Policing and Crime).

He led on the development of West Yorkshire’s Restorative Justice Services and advised on the commissioning of the first ever West Yorkshire wide restorative justice service in 2017/18. He has considerable experience at national level, having represented West Yorkshire within the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, and advised the Victims Commissioner Dame Vera Baird on the impact of Covid on victims and survivors.

David has extensive experience of working in the voluntary sector and in local government. He has a lifelong commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion as an LGBT+ community activist; his first full time job was with the Anti-Apartheid Movement campaigning for the liberation of Southern Africa. He has a PhD in applied social sciences.