Trauma Informed Practice

In 2017, the Scottish Government commissioned NHS Education for Scotland (NES) to establish a National Trauma Transformation Programme (NTTP) to support the development of a trauma informed and trauma responsive workforce and services across Scotland. The NTTP provides evidence-based trauma training resources which can help raise awareness, knowledge and confidence among the Scottish workforce, so people are equipped to embed trauma-informed practice throughout services. The programme also recognises the need for trauma related knowledge and skills across the whole workforce, not just for those with a remit to respond directly to the needs of those affected by trauma and promotes the message that “trauma is everybody’s business”.

You can find out more about the NTTP and available resources here: Homepage - National Trauma Transformation Programme. Some of the resources available through the programme can also be found in the links section of this page.

In June 2023, Inverclyde Council made a leadership pledge of support to become a trauma informed and responsive organisation.

Inverclyde Council’s Leadership Pledge of Support:

“Inverclyde Council recognises the widespread impact of psychological trauma on individuals and communities, and we believe it is a priority to ensure that everyone is offered the support and opportunities they need to achieve their fullest potential. We will strive towards a culture, workforce and services that are trauma informed and responsive, by embodying the trauma informed principles of collaboration, choice, empowerment, safety and trust in all that we do.

We will progress towards all members of our workforce being offered trauma informed training appropriate to their role, and aim to develop systems, services and environments that are designed with an understanding of trauma and its impact at their heart.

It is vital that, where relevant, all stages of our work are co-produced in an appropriate manner with people with lived experience of trauma, helping us to better understand how we can prevent further harm and remove barriers for people to access the support they need, when they need it.

We are aware that anyone can be affected by trauma, including people within our own workforce. We will aim to promote and strengthen the resources that are available to support staff wellbeing, helping to ensure all members of our workforce feel safe, supported and valued.”

Our Pledge of Support

CVS Inverclyde have also made a pledge of support, and were the first Third Sector Interface in Scotland to do so.

CVS Inverclyde’s work is underpinned by our values, which include collaboration, diversity, integrity and leadership. As the Third Sector Interface (TSI) for Inverclyde, we share our public sector partners’ ambitions for trauma-informed services and recognise the third sector’s contribution in offering holistic support.

We pledge that all staff members, including the local Community Link Worker team, have access to the trauma informed training that is relevant to their role. This will be supported and include opportunities for conversations and reflection on their learning to safeguard the wellbeing of our staff and to promote best practice across the third sector.

The message from the NTTP is that “trauma is everyone’s business”, but all of the workforce need to know and be able to do different things to provide trauma-informed practice, depending on their role in relation to people affected by trauma. The more contact we have, and the more we are required to respond to the impact of trauma, the more we need to understand and be able to adapt what we do accordingly.

Practice Types

The NTTP specifies four practice levels:

trauma informed, trauma skilled, trauma enhanced and trauma specialist.

The aspiration is that all workers across all service sectors will develop a trauma-informed level of understanding and skill. Workers who have regular contact with children or adults who may be affected by trauma (even if this is not known about) will likely require a trauma-skilled level of understanding and skill. Trauma-enhanced workers will have a specific remit to provide supports and / or interventions or have a job role that specifically brings them into contact with people known to be affected by trauma. And trauma specialists will have a remit for working with people who have complex difficulties linked to trauma.

If you are interested in accessing trauma informed training, a helpful first step is to determine which level of training may best fit your role. You can do this using the NTTP’s practice type checker or by referring to the NES Knowledge & Skills Framework and NES Trauma Training Plan (there is a helpful summary on Page 8 of the Training Plan).