Z Learning Hub - Understanding Trauma and Trauma Informed Practice

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. 

Where trauma has a long-lasting negative impact on a person, they may benefit from a specific trauma intervention. However, all those that have experienced trauma benefit from services and professionals that are trauma aware to support their healing process. This helps to avoid re-traumatisation and provides early, universal help and is something we can all be part of, just by being curious and compassionate.

We can’t tell who has experienced trauma so our practice should consider this as a potential experience for all people using and delivering services.

Sessions will include:

The session will include what trauma is and the prevalence of this amongst the general population. It encourages the worker to think about how trauma impacts the people they work with and how they can adjust the lens they use to understand behaviour to better understand and meet the needs of the children, adults and families they work with. We will explore what trauma informed practice is and why we should approach all our work with this in mind.

Course Objectives

• Define trauma.
• Support professionals to be more curious about behaviour and how a trauma informed lens can aid this
• To help professionals consider the psychological impact of trauma on themselves, colleagues, the children, adults and families they work with
• Explore the key principles of trauma informed practice.

The Facilitator: Emma Frusciante – Trauma Informed Community of Practice Lead, Children’s Services 

Emma is Trauma Focused Practice Lead and manager of the Trauma Hub; a team who embed trauma informed practice through staff consultations, training, reflective spaces and direct work with families in Hertfordshire County Council Children’s Services. Emma also works alongside Deborah Sheppard and partners across Hertfordshire on the facilitation of the All Age, All Partner Trauma Strategy and is leading on developing a whole system Community of Practice.

Emma is a social worker by profession, qualifying in 2009 and spending much of her career in Adoption and Fostering Teams. Emma completed a Masters in Psychological Therapies with Children, Young People and their families at Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust in 2014. Emma has also trained in DDP (Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy), NVR (Non-Violence Resistance) and TLSW (Therapeutic Life Story Work).

This is a virtual training course and delegates will be sent an invitation via Microsoft Teams to join the event. Please note that your email address may be visible to other delegates on the Microsoft Teams  invite.