‘Trauma is everyone’s business’

Keeping Trauma in Mind is a professional learning programme developed by Education Scotland.  Its intention is to help create a trauma informed and responsive education workforce that is capable of recognising where people affected by trauma and adversity and to be able to respond in ways that prevent further harm and support recovery.

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The Keeping Trauma in Mind programme is aligned with National Trauma Transformation Programme (NTTP) national trauma training framework levels of knowledge, skills and understanding at skilled level. The National Trauma Transformation Programme (NTTP) was formed in partnership with the Scottish Government with the ambition  of  a trauma informed and responsive workforce.

Background

Scotland has paved the way in creating a vision of a trauma informed and responsive workforce and services that can recognise where people are affected by trauma and adversity, and that respond in ways that prevent further harm, support recovery, address inequalities and improve life chances.

In 2017, Education Scotland worked alongside NHS Education for Scotland colleagues to develop a bespoke professional learning package to support education practitioners. The Compassionate Connected Community (CCC) enquiry based Professional Learning programme was devised as a two day train the trainer model, with Educational Psychologists trained to implement local delivery.

In 2020, the CCC Professional Learning programme was adapted during the period of Covid-19 to allow for virtual delivery as well as update the programme in line with NTTP. It challenges current behaviours in how practitioners respond to children and young people and offers approaches and practical suggestions as to how to respond to trauma.

Included in this programme

The Keeping Trauma in Mind programme has up to six, two hour sessions which can be delivered face to face or virtually.

Trauma : prevalence, impact and signs

This session explores the different types of trauma, how to recognise the signs in children and young people. It outlines how experiences can impact on brain development and the stress response system. The session will encourage practitioners to respond to the hidden need rather than the behaviour.

Responding to trauma

This session deepens understanding of trauma and explores trauma outlining trauma informed approaches in educational practice and when practitioners should consider specialist supports. It explores the importance of social and emotional skills development.

Self regulation

This session will develop practitioner knowledge and understanding of self regulation. It outlines the importance of self regulation and co - regulation in trauma informed practice. It will explore how trauma can impact on development and provide practical educational approaches to supporting self regulation development.

Attachment and attunement

This session provides an overview the awareness of how attachment links to attunement​ and an understanding of the attunement principles. It provides practical understanding of how being attuned can be a key means of supporting children and young people who have experienced adversity and trauma.

Traumatic bereavement

This sessions explores what is meant by traumatic grief and the role education practitioners have in supporting children and young people who have experienced traumatic bereavement, with practical supports.

Staff wellbeing

This session highlights the importance of staff wellbeing and the impact supporting children and young people who have faced adversity or trauma can have on staff. It outlines strategies and frameworks to support both staff wellbeing and wellbeing within an education community.

Who can deliver Keeping Trauma in Mind?

Education Scotland is committed to delivering Keeping Trauma in Mind virtually twice a year for any practitioner working with children and young people in schools or settings.

For information regarding upcoming national delivery, please check the Education Scotland events page or contact the Inclusion, Wellbeing and Equalities team. 

In addition, if a local authority is looking for more bespoke delivery to align with local priorities, please contact us on the same email and one of the team will get back to you.

A number of local authorities now have trainers who deliver Keeping Trauma in Mind locally. In some areas, the Health based ‘trauma champion’ can also support delivery, where capacity allows.

Unfortunately, there is no capacity to deliver to individual schools, however, you may be interested in self- directed learning.

Access to training materials

If you have been trained to deliver Compassionate Connected Communities or Keeping Trauma in Mind, we have a closed group on Glow where training materials can be accessed.

Workforce wellbeing

Organisations taking a proactive approach to protecting staff wellbeing is central to having a trauma-informed workforce. In addition, staff themselves should have capacity and resources to keep their own reserves topped up.

Taking care of myself includes a number of resources for staff to manage their own wellbeing and mental health.

The Cycle of Wellbeing has been developed in collaboration with key partners across the education system. The aim is to ensure that staff across the education system feel supported, and to ensure they are able to meet the needs of our learners across the system.

Whole school and community approaches

Creating Trauma-Informed and Responsive Change: Guidance for Organisations, Systems and Workforces in Scotland - This roadmap has been designed to help services and organisations identify and reflect on progress, strengths and opportunities for embedding a trauma-informed and responsive approach across policy and practice.

Improvement questions

Schools and early years settings should ask themselves the following questions when looking at these approaches.

1. ​To what extent do we have a shared understanding of what is included in a nurturing, trauma informed approach and how these link with the wider policy context in Scotland?

2. How well do we use our understanding of these approaches to develop practice that ensures that we have an inclusive, supportive and flexible learning environment that meets the needs of all learners but particularly those who have experienced early adversity and trauma?

3. To what extent do we ensure that any approach we take is linked to wider school priorities and involves the wider school community?