In July and September 2024, Anne-Marie and Liz from the Development Team delivered an Introduction to Building Trauma Responsive Communities workshop to attendees from eleven different organisations who work with children, young people and/or adults that have been impacted by trauma. These organisations deliver a wide range of different services and activities including arts, volunteering, alternative education provision, counselling and mental health support, from a range of venues including museums, shopping centres and in outdoor spaces. 

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The introduction workshop focused on developing attendees’ understanding of trauma and its impact; protective factors that can mitigate the impact of trauma; and what is meant by trauma responsive approaches. Attendees were able to devise an Action Plan to take back to their organisations for discussion with other senior staff and trustees, based on the Six Key Principles of Trauma Responsive Approaches.

Participants from these workshops were invited to attend a full day training course in November 2024. Attendees were able to consider in more detail the impact of trauma on their beneficiaries and how this might create challenges in how they engage with support. We looked in more detail at Scotland’s Trauma Responsive Toolkit as a model of good practice including the 10 Implementation Domains, which include governance and leadership; policy; and the physical environment. Attendees were able to assess their organisation's strengths and weaknesses against these Domains and then pick a priority area for their organisation to work on. They were able to develop their Action Plan from the first session to address their priority area. When asked about the difference that the training had made, the feedback showed that attendees valued the time to reflect on applying the principles to their own workplaces.

"Given me an action plan of how to go about bringing this to leadership and what 
benefits it would have across the organisation."

"Motivation to implement important changes even if they’re unpopular to people at first."

"Prioritising the main domain to work on for our charity- this has really provided focus and clarity for how to drive the charity forward with being trauma responsive."

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Designing and delivering this training has improved my practice as a trainer. Our Working Together to Safeguard Children and Adult Safeguarding Basic Awareness courses both contain subject matter that is hard to hear and uncomfortable to think about. As a trainer, I’ve become more aware of the need to create and hold a psychological safe space for attendees to discuss these issues in, particularly because the VCSE workforce can experience vicarious trauma through their work supporting children, young people, families and adults experiencing trauma. 

Organisations that completed both sessions were subsequently invited to apply for seed funding to support the implementation of their Action Plan. Eight small grants of up to £2,000 were awarded for a range of activities, from physical enhancements to community venues to help them feel warmer and welcoming to service users, to reflexive practice sessions and further specialist training for staff and volunteers. 

Organisations in Salford can access ongoing support with their practice from the Trauma Responsive Team: Trauma Responsive Salford | Partners in Salford

A range of free online training and resources are also available for organisations interested in learning more.

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