Trauma

Trauma results from an event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by an individual as harmful or life threatening. While unique to the individual, generally the experience of trauma can cause lasting adverse effects, limiting the ability to function and achieve mental, physical, social, emotional or spiritual well-being. Resources in this category will help with trauma-informed practice - an approach to health and care interventions grounded in the understanding that trauma can impact an individual’s neurological, biological, psychological and social development.

ASPire 2023: Domestic abuse - overlaps and gaps (input 1) and Trauma-informed approach to Adult Support and Protection (input 2) (webinar)

This webinar looks at two specific areas. For the first two sections, Anne Hayne considers the overlaps and gaps in Adult Support and Protection and domestic abuse provision. In the final section, Frances Toland shares Renfrewshire's trauma-informed approach to ASP. There is also an accompanying briefing about the Renfrewshire approach.

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Mental health and trauma-informed practice: Companion document

This document supports all those in the workforce who are working with people affected by mental health difficulties. It aims to strengthen awareness and understanding of trauma-informed practice. The document provides context, key messages and practice-focused reflective questions to help people work in a trauma-informed way that recognises the nature, prevalence and impact of poor mental health and experiences of trauma.

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Alcohol and drug use and trauma-informed practice: Companion document

This document is designed to support all professionals working with people affected by alcohol/drug use and/or their families. It aims to strengthen awareness and understanding about trauma-informed practice. Each section provides guidance for how professionals supporting people affected by alcohol/drug use can do so in a trauma-informed way. It supports recognising the prevalence and impact of trauma for people, and the impact of trauma on people’s recovery journeys.

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Domestic abuse and trauma-informed practice: Companion document

This document supports all professionals working with women, children and young people affected by domestic abuse, and/or perpetrators. It aims to strengthen awareness and understanding about trauma-informed and domestic abuse-informed practice. Each section provides guidance for how professionals supporting women, children and young people affected by domestic abuse and/or perpetrators can do so in a trauma-informed way that recognises the nature, prevalence and impact of domestic abuse.

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Trauma responsive social work services partnership delivery group

Details, including terms of reference and minutes of past meetings, of the trauma responsive social work services partnership delivery group. The aim of the group is to implement the national trauma training programme for social work services. The group provides advice, informs, shares and progresses actions in its workplan. This will help to ensure Scotland’s social work services are trauma-informed, and improve outcomes for people affected by trauma.

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National Trauma Transformation Programme

A website providing access to evidence-based training, tools and guidance to support trauma-informed and responsive systems, organisations and workforces in Scotland. It aims to support everyone, in all sectors of the workforce, to know how to adapt the way they work to make a positive difference to anyone who has been impacted by psychological trauma and adversity.

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A roadmap for 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. It is based on evidence, learning and good practice from the Scottish context alongside existing relevant Scottish frameworks and guidance. It draws extensively on what people with lived experience of trauma have said would help improve access to support, reduce re-traumatisation, recognise resilience and support recovery.

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Trauma-informed practice: toolkit

Trauma-informed practice is grounded in and directed by a complete understanding of how trauma exposure affects a person's neurological, biological, psychological and social development. For trauma survivors, trauma-informed services can bring hope, empowerment and support that is not re-traumatising. Trauma-informed practice is informed by neuroscience, psychology and social science as well as attachment and trauma theories. This toolkit uses trauma-informed principles, identifying concrete examples of trauma-informed practice across a wide variety of settings.

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Significant case review / learning review - Margaret Fleming: presentation to CPC/ASP joint meeting (Inverclyde)

This presentation was delivered in April 2024 to a joint Child Protection / Adult Support and Protection meeting. It explains the significant case review / learning review of Margaret Fleming, who was murdered late 1999/early 2000. The review sought to learn from Margaret's life and explicitly adopts a human rights and trauma-informed approach. The learning disability community were included within the review.

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The ASPire Hub is a place for everyone working in Adult Support and Protection in Scotland to access and share resources. It is regularly updated and we welcome feedback and new additions!