Trauma-informed approaches have become increasingly prominent within education policy and guidance, although the term is not always explicitly used.
Trauma-informed practice is the recognition and understanding that trauma – an event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by a person as harmful or life-threatening – can impact a person’s wellbeing. This can be mentally, physically, emotionally and socially.
Subsequently, teachers and other school staff should aim to create a culturally sensitive and safe service which avoids re-traumatisation: feeling again the thoughts, emotions and sensations they experienced.
Drawing on my teaching and research in trauma-informed education, I have worked with children, young people, schools and other children’s services to support mental health and wellbeing. In this article, I share some reflections that I have learned over the years.
School staff are not expected to be trauma experts. However, there is a growing expectation, as suggested through taught content in the national curriculum, that there should be a shared understanding of what trauma is and the impact it can have. From this, it is hoped that the approaches and practices they adopt to support children and young people are trauma-informed.
There is growing understanding and evidence that trauma can have a significant impact on children and young people’s learning and school experiences. This can include issues with focusing, relationships, attainment scores and behaviour. Experiences of trauma have also been linked to an increased risk of suspension and exclusion.
However, trauma-informed care should not just be an approach to interventions that take place through specific classes or workshops, but rather practised in everyday interaction and conversation.
How it works in schools
For schools, trauma-informed care is most evidently championed through a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing.
The principles of a whole-school approach are designed to incorporate all elements of school; staff, parents, carers and children and young people alike. It is envisioned that through a whole-school approach, supporting children and young people becomes everyone’s responsibility.
Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock
This can help reframe behaviour, attitudes and care from “what is wrong with this person” to “what does this person need?” – a popular saying in trauma-informed care.
If done well and fully, a whole-school approach is a great way to embed trauma-informed care in a school.
Leadership and management are central to a whole-school approach. Since 2017 schools have been encouraged to identify and train a designated senior lead for mental health. This member of staff has responsibility for ensuring the implementation and adoption of a whole-school approach.
Training is available for these roles and other members of staff. Trauma Informed UK, which offers whole staff training and advanced courses, is a good starting point.
While frameworks and guidance are important for structuring trauma-informed approaches, actual trauma-informed understanding and responses are often best produced and reinforced through small, regular positive interactions and practice.
Never underestimate the power of a trusted adult and the availability of a safe space and place. This trusted adult can often act as a protective buffer against the adverse effects of trauma.
A trusted adult can support a child or young person to feel a sense of belonging, foster empathy and compassion, and promote non-judgemental listening and support. All of these contribute positively to mental health and wellbeing.
Challenges and considerations
The “whole” in a whole-school approach must be taken literally. Trauma-informed approaches and responses must be genuinely written into policies and be actively adopted in school culture.
For example, strict zero-tolerance approaches to behaviour are not in line with the ethos of trauma-informed care and practice. It can encourage the interpretation of certain behaviour as defiance rather than distress.
Despite growing enthusiasm and training in trauma-informed approaches in schools, there is limited understanding and guidance on what this actually looks like in practice.
At the moment, a broad school-based consensus of trauma-informed care which can be implemented nationally feels out of reach. There is too much variation in school culture, individual school policy approaches and access to funding. No two schools are on an even playing field.
Most important is an understanding that a trauma-informed approach does not equal trauma-responsive. Trauma-informed is the knowing and understanding, whereas trauma-responsive goes beyond this.
Trauma-responsive is the action taken in response to the needs of a child or young person. For example, the type of decision made or providing suitable, adapted practices. Schools should be both trauma-informed and trauma-responsive.
Trauma-informed care should not be judged solely on the policies written or the number of staff trained, but on whether a school is experienced as a safe, trusting and compassionate place by the staff, parents, carers and children and young people.
Sarah Ward does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.