1.1 Course context

Trauma is a significant public health issue in the UK, affecting millions of people in different ways, including psychological, physical, and emotional trauma.

We do not know how trauma will impact on people’s lives because everyone’s experience will be different. However, we do know that everyday social interactions can provide valuable support to those living with the effects of trauma.

That’s why people in many organisations are now looking at how to be ‘trauma-informed’ in how they think and how they relate to other people. They are rethinking, often in small ways, how we organise everyday systems in doctors’ surgeries, hospitals, early-years settings, and schools. Providing trauma-informed support in these ways, helps people recover, repair and heal so that they can live happy, healthy lives. Good trauma-informed practice aims to provide people with holistic support to thrive.

We know that everyone can make a positive difference to a child or young person who has experienced trauma, by fostering supportive relationships with them. The concept of ‘relationship-based practice’ or a ‘relationship-based approach’ captures this idea effectively. If you work with children and young people and build positive, trusting relationships, you are more likely to help them, and they will benefit more from your support.