Support around children who have experienced developmental trauma: Frontline Briefing (2023)
This briefing is for frontline practitioners, practice supervisors and social work managers. It:
- brings together knowledge and resources on working in a trauma-informed way with children who have experienced trauma and their parents or carers
- focuses on developmental trauma, which arises as a result of early and repeated traumatic experiences, such as abuse and neglect, within a child’s important relationships
- provides an overview of developmental trauma and outlines key approaches for working with children and their parents or carers
- signposts open access resources that practitioners and parents and carers can draw on.
The briefing focuses on younger children, but many of its messages are applicable across all age groups.
The term ‘developmental trauma’ is used throughout to reflect the layered impact of ongoing trauma on a developing child; the terms ‘complex trauma’ and ‘relational trauma’ are commonly used in this context also.
Trauma-informed practice cannot be implemented overnight; rather, it is a transformative process that can be viewed as a ‘journey’ rather than a ‘final destination’, where practitioners and organisations evolve and develop over time. Key to embedding trauma-informed care is understanding its theoretical basis. The expectation is not to provide therapy, but to create a safe and nurturing environment grounded in understanding children’s experiences and feelings.
Professional Standards
PQS:KSS - Relationships and effective direct work | Child development | Developing excellent practitioners | Promote and govern excellent practice | Shaping and influencing the practice system | Purposeful and effective social work | Emotionally intelligent practice supervision | Developing excellent practitioners | Lead and govern excellent practice
CQC - Caring | Responsive
PCF - Intervention and skills | Knowledge
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Working with trauma-experienced parents in children’s social care: Video Learning Resources
This learning programme has been developed to support children’s social care practitioners working with parents who have experienced complex and/or sustained trauma. The programme is made up of 11 film chapters – each exploring a different theme and designed to be worked through in order. As you work through each chapter you will learn more about how trauma affects the people you work with.
Trauma-informed approaches with young people: Frontline Briefing (2018)
An introduction to trauma research for practitioners working with young people whose experiences (either earlier in their childhood and/or presently) may lead to complex traumatic responses across the lifespan.
Trauma-informed practice with children, young people and their families (part 1)
Consider trauma-informed approaches to practice with children, young people and families in webinars and seminars, with practical knowledge and skills development for direct work.
Trauma-informed practice with children, young people and their families (part 2)
Consider trauma-informed approaches to practice with children, young people and families in webinars and seminars, with practical knowledge and skills development for direct work.
Trauma-informed responses in relationship-based practice
How does recognition of adolescents' past experience can play a critical role in supporting the safety, permanency and wellbeing of adolescents and young adults.
Developing trauma-informed practices in inner London schools - the iTIPS Pilot (2020)
During 2017-8, five Islington primary schools, the pupil referral unit (PRU), local authority and NHS, working in partnership, implemented a pilot aiming to embed trauma-informed practice in schools.