trauma-informed practice training for asphaleia care service manager

Early this year, one of asphaleia’s Service Manager’s undertook a Level 4 Trauma-Informed Practice training course.

what is trauma-informed practice?

The UK Government website gives the following working definition to this essential approach; Trauma-Informed practice is an approach to health and care interventions which is grounded in the understanding that trauma exposure can impact an individual’s neurological, biological, psychological and social development.

It acknowledges the need to see beyond an individual’s presenting behaviours and to ask, ‘What does this person need?’ rather than ‘What is wrong with this person?’. It also seeks to avoid re-traumatisation which is the re-experiencing of thoughts, feelings or sensations experienced at the time of a traumatic event or circumstance in a person’s past.

The purpose of trauma-informed practice is not to treat trauma-related difficulties, which is the role of trauma-specialist services and practitioners. Instead, it seeks to address the barriers that people affected by trauma can experience when accessing health and care services.

the training course

The trauma-informed practice course was delivered by a psychologist in a group setting and covered five units, including; child development, brain development and attachment trauma, complex behaviour, resilience and self-care, and trauma-informed leadership.

Our service manager said, ‘It helped going back to the beginning of child brain development and understanding how early experience impacts the young people that we work with, and how they are long-term impacts. The idea is that you’re not looking at the behaviour, you’re looking at the reasons for it.

‘I have been able to use the skills I have learnt from the course immediately. I have shared my learning with staff on a staff development day in addition to discussing individual cases with staff and what is happening for that young person.’

The training also equipped them to deliver trauma-informed supervision. Staff can experience second-hand trauma, and so it’s important we are supporting staff as much as we are supporting young people.

‘I know this will benefit our team as we discuss engagement approaches with our young people, who need both care and boundaries.’