The purpose of this resource is to provide insights, guidance and advice for public sector service providers and commissioners who are looking to adopt gender-sensitive trauma-informed approaches in their own organisations.
This resource is organised into three sections:
- Introduces the concept of trauma, including its causes, its impact (especially on women), its prevalence, and the role services can play in both perpetuating and preventing it. This section will be helpful to anyone looking for an overview of the theoretical background to trauma-informed care.
- Discusses the concept of trauma-informed care in more detail. It covers the four essential aspects of trauma-informed care identified by our research – listening, understanding, responding and checking – considering what each of these looks like in practice. It also anticipates some of the challenges services might face on their journey to becoming trauma-informed. This section will be helpful to anyone who is interested in, or who is working towards, adopting trauma-informed care in their own organisation.
- Lists some organisations in the UK with expertise in different areas that came to our attention in the course of the research as having an interest in trauma-informed approaches. Section three also provides links to resources that may act as a useful starting point for services aiming to become trauma-informed. This section will be helpful to services that are interested in sharing ideas and gaining further information from organisations working in their sector.
A-Z Topic: Trauma
Trauma is when we experience or witness a very distressing event. It can have long-lasting effects on our mental and physical health.
A-Z Topic: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition you may develop after experiencing a traumatic or life-threatening event.