The Scottish Government is committed to working with partners to facilitate a trauma-informed and trauma-responsive workforce and services across Scotland to support anyone affected by psychological trauma. Since 2018, we have invested over £1.5 million in the National Trauma Training Programme, led by NHS Education for Scotland and informed by experts by experience. Our 2020-21 Programme for Government committed to extend the Programme for a further two years (to 2023).

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As we build back stronger we must ensure that our services are accessible and available to everyone. That no-one feels shamed in using them and that we develop trust that is meaningful and lasting. 

Our workforce is at the heart of making this happen and therefore COSLA and Scottish Local Government are committed to the National Trauma Training Programme Leadership Pledge. We will work together to make sure everyone is supported in the work that they do and that they themselves are well. Our aim is to make everyone feel personally valued for their work. In doing so we will set the foundation for wider change that puts trauma-informed practice in place, delivers services actively informed by people with lived experience, recognises the value and importance of relationships built on trust and responds in a preventative way to reduce further harm and remove the barriers to our services.

Police Scotland is committed to supporting our communities, especially those identified as being vulnerable and at risk. We do this in our daily working practices, liaising closely with national & local partners.  

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At NHS 24 we are delighted to share our commitment to our workforce and the people of Scotland. We will continue to embrace the value of Trauma Informed practice in our everyday behaviours. 

We are investing in a Trauma Informed workforce by working in partnership with NHS Education for Scotland. We will provide educational resources and a culture of learning through the value of shared experiences. 

We will enhance the resilience of our workforce through supervision, coaching and reflection. We will continue to provide a journey that is caring, compassionate and responsive, to support anyone affected by psychological trauma. 

Through active and meaningful engagement with people in Scotland who are affected by trauma, we will continue to provide them with opportunities to take part so that they can support us to develop, improve and promote the services, employment and volunteering opportunities that we offer. 

Social Work Scotland are absolutely committed of the leadership pledge for trauma informed practice. This has been agreed to by our Board Members, and we are adopting and embedding a trauma informed culture across our team, work to support members and our projects, as well as with partners.

The Scottish Violence Reduction Unit recognises the impact that Traumatic Events and Adverse Childhood Experiences play in perpetuating violence and abuse, limiting life choices and achieving positive outcomes for individuals within Communities and Society in general. We aim to educate and develop a Trauma Informed and responsive workplace with particular emphasis on staff wellbeing. We actively promote the National Health Service (NES) Trauma Skilled Practice Training with employees, close partners and a broad spectrum of Organisations, ranging from Police Scotland to the Scottish Prison Service and Professional Football Clubs.

This approach involves working collaboratively alongside those who have lived experience of trauma, recognising where people are affected and the importance of responding in ways to prevent further harm. We look to support recovery through intervention on offending behaviour, providing educational and vocational opportunities, addressing inequalities and improving life chances caused by trauma and adversity.

Social Security Scotland is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government.  We administer benefits on behalf of the Scottish Government.  These benefits will be introduced in stages...

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ADES pledge our support to being trauma informed and responsive. Nurturing relationships with skilled adults and collaborative leadership are crucial in ensuring the best possible trauma and adversity informed responses for all our children and young people. Staff in Scotland’s education settings are increasingly skilled in understanding and meeting the needs of children and young people who experience adversity and trauma. Practice is informed by the principles of the Getting it Right for Every Child national practice model and the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act (2014) including: ensuring the child’s voice and their views are central; building trusting relationships between children their families and education staff; offering the right support from the right people at the right time; strengths-based approaches and working together, doing with, not to. These principles complement the principles of Trauma Informed Care. ADES welcomes the opportunity to work collaboratively, building on our existing trauma informed and nurture led practice. 

Barnardo’s Scotland has made an organisational commitment to being a trauma-responsive organisation and we have been working hard over the last couple of years to ensure an understanding of trauma-informed practice underpins all of our work with children...

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The importance of being alive to the needs of all our service users lies at the heart of the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service ethos.  We understand people coming into our buildings to give evidence or to serve as jurors often do so with a degree of nervousness.  Our ambition is to make that process as comfortable as possible.   

We continue to train our staff in being trauma aware and our Court Officers,  Macers and Clerks will do all they can to support anyone engaged in the criminal justice or tribunals system.  We value our staff too, consequently we are developing a number of training and support opportunities for our people.  This will both increase their knowledge in relation to trauma but also provide access for any member of our team who may, for any reason, need to access support. 

We understand that in all we do and all we provide it is essential we are best placed to support everyone who comes into contact with our Service.  We will continue to learn and develop our practices and processes as we continue on our shared journey.  

The Rape Crisis movement in Scotland is committed to working towards a Scotland which understands the importance and power of being trauma informed.  For survivors of sexual violence having their experiences and responses understood and being met by people and systems which take trauma into account is vital. Building a workforce, organisations, systems and culture which are compassionate, empowering and which value the safety, voices and needs of survivors after trauma  is a driver for us, and we are committed to working in partnership with survivors and partners to make this happen.

At Who Cares? Scotland our staff and volunteers hold meaningful and transformative relationships with people, some of whom have experienced trauma. Some of our staff and volunteers, as with the rest of the general population, will also have had their own experiences of trauma. Who Cares? Scotland is committed to developing a Trauma Informed culture. We will continue work in partnership with those with lived experience and with professionals to develop our approach and practice across the full range of our activity.

Relationships are central to this approach and we will support staff to develop relationships that offer collaboration, choice, empowerment, safety and trust. We will work with staff to support their wellbeing, personal and professional development at all times. We will regularly measure the impact of our approach. We will involve those with lived experience of trauma in our continuous improvement.

At Community Justice Scotland we’re aware of the widespread impact of trauma on individuals. We believe it’s a priority to take action to improve outcomes for people involved with the justice system and to promote trauma informed leadership in community justice.  Our Learning and Development Leads and Caledonian practitioners incorporate the NES Knowledge and Skills Framework into learning products to ensure the workforce applies new skills in a way which recognises and responds appropriately to trauma.  In developing policy and research, we engage with people with lived experience to inform and influence our work to support national change. We support and promote wellbeing for our colleagues through our HR policies and practices.

Our Second Chancers campaign promotes the voices of those with lived experience of justice, highlighting their messages of trauma, resilience, relationships and recovery.  Learning from these messages will help promote an improved justice system for people who have experienced trauma.

NHS Education for Scotland (NES) as the education, training and workforce development Board for those who work in and with NHS Scotland, pledges to:

• Continue to lead on delivering high quality, evidence-based education, training and implementation supports to meet the Scottish Government’s ambition of a trauma-informed and responsive workforce in Scotland.
• Integrate the knowledge and skills for trauma-informed and responsive practice wherever relevant in future training and educational resources.
• Continue to ensure that we value the voices of lived experience . 
• Ensure workforce wellbeing continues to be central to our work.
• Continue to monitor the impact of our education and training to support improvement.

The Improvement Service (IS) is the 'go-to' organisation for local government improvement in Scotland. We aim to help councils and their partners to improve the health, quality of life and opportunities of all people in the geographic area, through community leadership, strong local governance and the delivery of high quality, efficient local services.  

All of the IS’s work is under-pinned by our values of Equality and Diversity; Leadership and Collaboration; Innovation and Creativity; Wellbeing and Growth and Accountability and...

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As one of Scotland’s largest children’s charities, Action for Children believe it is our responsibility and honour to sign up to and support the National Trauma Training Programme Leadership Pledge. 

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Health and social care charity Quarriers is committed to trauma-conscious practice. Our aspiration is that all staff have understanding of trauma, and we recognise and value the contribution of people with lived experience. There are current members of staff who initially came to Quarriers for support and now bring invaluable insight to their roles.  

www.quarriers.org.uk

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Sight Scotland recognises people who have been traumatised through experiencing visual impairment can be helped to overcome this experience, not only with the right mental health support, but also through the right specialist support. This can be specialist support for visually impaired young people in education, inclusive workplaces or rehabilitation for people who have experienced sight loss.

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Includem is a Scottish charity supporting children, young people and their families, who are facing difficult challenges in their lives. Our trust-based, inclusive model of support is centred on the needs of each young person. We help young people make positive life choices and empower them to transform their lives, creating better outcomes for young people, families and their communities.   

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Our Mission is:  To work alongside adults affected by childhood sexual abuse in the Scottish Borders.  To provide safe support and understanding so that people can heal and flourish. 

Our Safe Oaks Project is based in a Children 1st trauma recovery service in Selkirk where all staff are friendly, welcoming and understand the effects of abuse and trauma. We offer 1:1 Peer Support, Counselling and a Facilitated Peer Support Group. 

Our support is free and confidential, and your safety is our priority. For further information please see our website.   

www.survivorsunite.org.uk

As a new and growing organisation led and driven by those with Lived Experience of psychological trauma, we recognise the central importance of relationships that offer CHOICE, COLLABORATION, EMPOWERMENT, TRUST & SAFETY as part of a trauma informed approach in all of our work.  We understand the significance of authentic and meaningful relationships not only within our own practices and with those who we serve, but also with our collaborators, partners and the professionals that we train.  We commit to practicing through a trauma informed approach in all that we do - and to supporting those who have experienced trauma, those who currently work in the sector and those who are just embarking on this journey.  We will do this through our learning, development and training services with the constant primary focus of seeing Lived Experience recognised and valued for the contribution it can and does bring to us realising a trauma informed and responsive Scotland for all.

@ResilienceLear1 (Twitter)

www.resiliencelearningpartnership.co.uk

Staf is Scotland’s member organisation for all those involved in the lives of young people leaving care, with over 70 members in the public, third and private sectors... 

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Our Charity offers workshops and support to Parents, Foster Carers and Adopters living with children that have experienced trauma from abuse and neglect, generational patterns of behaviour and the experience of suffering with ASD, PDA, ADHD and other issues that cause the anxiety and overwhelming stress which create problematic challenging behaviours.

Our presenter has lived experience applying the trauma lens and using these therapeutic techniques and can evidence the changes that this approach can make to the whole family.  Parents learn the importance of managing their own triggers and trauma response in these overwhelming moments with their children and the power of calm connection and the importance of feeling safe in strong relationships.

We will demonstrate our commitment by further adopting and embedding a trauma informed culture across the workforce, and local communities, in collaboration with our partners.

We will ensure our workforce are fully supported through the delivery of trauma informed care and practice across all services.

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Child Protection Committees Scotland will use our position as a national grouping of professionals who work together to improve the protection of children in Scotland to promote a clear understanding of what a trauma informed and responsive service looks like for children at risk of neglect or abuse.  We will provide opportunities for our members to share examples of good practice so that we can learn from each other and improve how we work with those who need our support.

LinkLiving is a health and wellbeing charity that supports people affected by trauma and disadvantage and as such a trauma-informed approach is central to all that we do.  Our support staff and leaders within the organisation are trained in trauma-informed practice. We value the contribution of people with lived experience in the design, delivery and development of our services and involve people in all aspects – from recruitment through to involvement in the ongoing evaluation of the services they receive, ensuring that their views contribute to positive changes.  We recognise that many of our staff may have lived experience of trauma themselves and understand the importance of supporting their wellbeing, providing a range of resources which are accessible 24/7.  We are committed to continuing to support other professionals and the wider community to understand the value of a trauma-informed approach through the provision of regular training opportunities. 

https://www.linkliving.org.uk/

In order to further support our values of safe, caring and respectful we pledge to listen and learn from the voice of our patients, staff and citizens to embed a trauma informed approach across all aspects of our organisation.

Simon Community Scotland supports people who have experienced trauma – past and present. In our world, relationships of warmth and humanity come first. We build relationships that communicate worth and potential so clearly, that people come to see this in themselves. We have integrated the resources of NHS Education Scotland and other leading trauma experts into our induction and ongoing development for all employees and volunteers. Our Psychological Informed Environments (PIE) and trauma training are accredited by Caledonian University. All this shapes the support we offer every day and how we design our services. By embedding trauma-informed and harm reduction approaches, we are getting really skilled at strengthening protective factors and also responding quickly at moments of crisis to avoid future harm. It is through building meaningful relationships that people get the support they need to recover. Every life matters. www.simonscotland.org

Shetland Islands Council has implemented an Emotional Wellbeing and Resilience project which aims to support children and young people to identify and address the impact of ACEs, trauma and stress on themselves, their children, their future children and the people around them.

We are committed to, and have started, the roll out of the trauma informed practice training across our organisation and across the Shetland Partnership in order to move towards a trauma informed, nurturing community. Shetland Islands Council is involved in a number of projects to ensure our services are actively informed by people with lived experience of trauma- such as Voices for Equity, Voices for Change and the Home and Belonging project for care experienced children and young people. The Council has a strong focus on staff wellbeing in its Workforce Strategy and a has a strong Values and Behaviours framework which aims to build compassion, kindness and support.

Seamab is a charity that cares for and educates children who may have experienced significant trauma and who have complex needs requiring specialised support. We support children and young people aged five and upwards from all across Scotland.  

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We work across the spectrum of prevention to reduce violence and support people with associated social issues. Our understanding of the impact of trauma underpins our work.

Our programmes Navigator, Youth Navigator and Pathfinder support people whose experience of trauma has brought them to hospital or into contact with the police. Our approach to support is informed by stakeholders and by our workforce many of whom are experts by experience; their combined expertise is invaluable in shaping our work.

We develop and care for our workforce through training and by paying attention to their wellbeing. We promote the NES Trauma Training across the organisation to ensure our workforce is trauma informed and responsive. Our staff receive regular supervision support and counselling to help them process vicarious trauma as well as their own trauma. We believe we can’t care for others unless we also care for ourselves. Our school programmes and domestic abuse training are trauma informed recognising that we train people with experience of the issues we discuss. We evaluate our work and gather stories along the way that provide context and meaning to the statistics we report.

www.mav.scot

Break the Silence are a charitable organisation providing professional counselling support to survivors of rape and sexual abuse aged 13+, of all genders, across East and North Ayrshire.  All support is designed to help survivors work through their trauma, move forward and to improve their social wellbeing and psychological health, enabling and supporting them to enjoy an attainable standard of living, health and family life.  We recognise the important learnings which can be gained from those with lived experience and work in collaboration with our client-led advisory group.  All members of our team now undertake the NES Developing Your Trauma Skilled Practice training module on Turas as part of their induction, and we promote this training through our website to partner organisations.  Working with those who have experienced complex trauma, staff wellbeing is a high priority and clinical staff have access to support through both peer support and supervision.

https://www.breakthesilence.org.uk/

South Ayrshire ADP, with the support of our partners, are undertaking the journey towards embedding trauma-informed practice across our workforce and the services that we deliver.

To achieve this, we have developed a strategic group to influence and support our partners in delivering trauma-informed practice, and we are committed to listening to, and valuing, voices of lived experience to guide us.

We are also supporting our partners to develop the required skills and knowledge to best respond to individuals affected by trauma through training, and promoting trauma-informed leadership through our actions and commitments, and the culture we strive for within our services. A key part of this is our consideration of the wellbeing of our workforce, in addition to the individuals we serve.

Move On is committed to work at Trauma-Informed and Skilled Levels. Using NHS Education for Scotland resources, including online modules, reflective workshops and training plan, we have started this process. We are developing our approach collaboratively with the staff team, volunteers, young people and adults we support and who we work alongside. To foster an organisation-wide baseline knowledge about this approach, we have incorporated information into inductions, policies and procedures, paperwork and training. On-going tailored training and activities are being created and delivered through co-production with people with lived experience. We use the Trauma-Informed lens to consider everyone's experience at Move On at all levels and we will continue to reflect this in the design, development, improvement and delivery of services. We recognise that relationships are key and we use regular feedback from the people who use our services to help us highlight good practice and improve things for everyone. 

Glasgow City Council was chosen as one of three National Training pilot sites for Level 1 ‘Informed’ & 2 ‘Skilled’ (Psychological) Trauma Training. The successful bid to the National Steering Group for Trauma proposed targeted delivery of Level 1 & 2 Trauma Training to staff working within Adult Services and to services where there is a high prevalence Trauma experienced by the service user population.

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South Lanarkshire Council is working with its partners and its workforce to put trauma informed practice and responses at the forefront of our work.  There is already significant commitment from local leaders to recognising the impact of trauma upon individuals and ensuring our systems and structures are designed to promote access, encourage collaboration, and build trust with all our citizens. We have begun to build momentum through the role of the South Lanarkshire Champion and ensuring trauma informed practice is embedded in Community Planning, HSCP services, workforce development and service improvement activity.  Additionally, the effects of trauma experienced from the pandemic will manifest in our interactions in the future and we need to be able to respond with compassion.  We will ensure the National Trauma Training Programme for Scotland is a priority in our learning and development programme in recognition of the need to highlight that trauma is everyone’s business.

The Edinburgh Child Protection Committee supports the leadership pledge in a number of ways, such as ensuring all staff who work to protect children are suitably trained in the impact of trauma upon parents, carers and children. We believe that being trauma informed is central to supporting positive change, and work across disciplines to provide constructive challenge and continuous improvement in this area. In addition, we value the lived experiences of those who use our services; we continually seek to improve the ways we gather views and adapt our services through a trauma informed lens. We work closely with our partners across adult services in taking a lifespan approach in recognition of the importance of transitions.

Ypeople is a charity that helps people make positive changes in their lives across Scotland.

We understand that we all have unique journeys through life. We respect this and we adapt what we do to meet people’s needs, whatever they might be.

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Fife Chief Officer Public Safety Group will use our position as the oversight body for Fife Child and Adult Protection Committees, the MAPPA Strategic Oversight Group and the Violence against Women Partnership to promote a clear understanding of what a trauma informed and responsive service looks like for children and adults at risk of harm.  We will provide opportunities for the membership of these key strategic groupings to promote the principles of trauma informed leadership and share examples of good practice so that we can learn from each other and improve how we work with those who need our support. 

The SCSN has long understood how trauma impacts on many areas of community safety policy.

We recently held a screening of the film: ‘The Wisdom of Trauma: with Dr Gabor Mate’ for our members and stakeholders to discuss these themes and how our sector can work together to be more trauma informed. This formed the centrepiece of our second ‘trauma’ themed newsletter over the past two years.

We’ve worked with partners, including the Improvement Service, to raise awareness of trauma informed practice training, webinars and events – and will continue to do so. We’re committed to informing, influencing, championing and engaging on trauma in Scotland.

We strongly believe that our commitment to trauma informed practice starts with us – and that’s why we’ve implemented changes to how we work – including being early adopters of a four day working week, introducing staff wellbeing days and truly putting our people before process.

Richmond’s Hope strives to deliver trauma-responsive support to everyone who uses the service. We ensure that all staff complete the TURAS training provided by NES, and that the values and standards practiced throughout the organisation align with those of the National Trauma Training Framework (NTTF).

Interactions with service users are delivered in a trauma-informed way from when they first contact the service to make a referral, until the last time we interact with them. We understand the impact that trauma can have on children and young people, their families, and their futures, and endeavour to ensure that each situation is met in an empathetic and compassionate manner. We treat each situation individually and are aware of the importance of meeting each person where they are and going at their pace.

The beginning of the journey towards becoming trauma-responsive has been enlightening, and we are passionate about continuing it.

At Home-Start Renfrewshire and Inverclyde we firmly believe that early intervention and non-judgemental support is key to breaking cycles of adversity and promote positive outcomes. Many of the families we support who are preparing for, or in the early years of, parenting young children have experienced trauma, and we are determined to equip our staff, volunteers and families with the tools and understanding necessary to support through a trauma-informed approach.

We commit to enhancing our knowledge and expertise in trauma-informed care, within the context of early intervention and family support. We recognise that trauma can impact every aspect of family life, from parent-child relationships to overall well-being, and we are working towards further integrating trauma-informed approaches into our service delivery and organisational culture.

Through this commitment, we aim to ensure that all our staff and volunteers possess the skills and knowledge to recognise and respond to trauma, creating a safe and supportive environment for families who need us. We will implement evidence-based strategies and best practices, working collaboratively with families to increase resilience and improve outcomes.

By embracing the Scottish National Trauma Training Programme, Home-Start Renfrewshire and Inverclyde will continue to be a beacon of early intervention and support, championing trauma-informed care as an integral component of our mission to empower families of young children and promote well-being.

We encourage a culture of kindness and openness; allowing clients and staff to feel supported in sharing their experiences. We value the contribution of lived experience, and recognise where people are affected by trauma, as well as their distinctive strengths and values. We display fearless leadership while modelling the values of our organisation in everyday behaviours. We strive to promote positive messaging, installing our passion into staff and communicating our ongoing commitment to a trauma informed response. Our willingness for collaboration enables frank discussion around workplace concerns. Leaders engage with staff to build understanding, provide reassurance; and where additional learning and development is identified, this is implemented within a supportive culture. We ensure that training on trauma is consistent, alongside a focus being placed on staff wellbeing. An open-door policy of support for our team is utilised, allowing colleagues opportunities for reflection and support. Client feedback is routinely monitored to allow us to improve the quality of our service, influence change and obtain a deeper understanding of the complexities of trauma.

Inverclyde Council recognises the widespread impact of psychological trauma on individuals and communities, and we believe it is a priority to ensure that everyone is offered the support and opportunities they need to achieve their fullest potential. We will strive towards a culture, workforce and services that are trauma informed and responsive, by embodying the trauma informed principles of collaboration, choice, empowerment, safety and trust in all that we do.

We will progress towards all members of our workforce being offered trauma informed training appropriate to their role, and aim to develop systems, services and environments that are designed with an understanding of trauma and its impact at their heart.

It is vital that, where relevant, all stages of our work are co-produced in an appropriate manner with people with lived experience of trauma, helping us to better understand how we can prevent further harm and remove barriers for people to access the support they need, when they need it.

We are aware that anyone can be affected by trauma, including people within our own workforce. We will aim to promote and strengthen the resources that are available to support staff wellbeing, helping to ensure all members of our workforce feel safe, supported and valued.

Orkney Integration Joint Board, NHS Orkney and Orkney Islands Council are committed to the leadership pledge for trauma informed practice. This has been agreed by all Board and Elected Members and we are fully committed to adopting and embedding a trauma informed culture across the workforce, our services and local communities, in collaboration with our partners.

Orkney Integration Joint Board, NHS Orkney and Orkney Islands Council are committed to the leadership pledge for trauma informed practice. This has been agreed by all Board and Elected Members and we are fully committed to adopting and embedding a trauma informed culture across the workforce, our services and local communities, in collaboration with our partners.

Orkney Integration Joint Board, NHS Orkney and Orkney Islands Council are committed to the leadership pledge for trauma informed practice. This has been agreed by all Board and Elected Members and we are fully committed to adopting and embedding a trauma informed culture across the workforce, our services and local communities, in collaboration with our partners.

Monklands Women’s Aid’s Integrated Responsive Service offers trauma informed person centred services to women, children and young people. We work in a trauma informed way and operate in a psychologically informed environment. We nurture a culture of acceptance and mutual respect. We recognise each person as their own best authority on their own experience. We work to provide an environment whereby they can empower themselves. We recognise their strengths and resilience and that they know what their desired outcome is. Equally, we recognise the strengths and experience, both professional and personal, of our team. Core to our philosophy is listening and learning from those with lived experience.  We embrace a shared vision whereby we are committed to promoting positive messaging and for continual influence and dialogue and positive change, with the lens on a collaborative community response to serving those who are enduring or have endured trauma. 

The Green Team is committed to developing a trauma informed practice across the organisation with a workforce who are confident in understanding how to respond and support those experiencing trauma. We will work towards the recognition of trauma and adverse childhood experiences at every level and acknowledge the lifelong impact these experiences can have on physical and mental health and the ability to access opportunities. We will value people for the strengths they bring and build on existing resilience to support recovery through protective factors such as developing supportive and trusting relationships. We believe that key factors to overcoming trauma are found in community, collaboration, making choices, exercising control and feeling safe and empowered. Those involved in the Green Team, Trustees, staff, volunteers and partners, will role model the values of trauma informed practice in their leadership and behaviour.

The Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice is honoured to sign up to the National Trauma Training Programme Pledge. We understand the effects that childhood adversity and traumatic experiences can have on children, increasing the likelihood that they may come into conflict with the law. Children and young people are at the heart of our activity as we work to ensure the rights of all children are respected and upheld. We actively seek the views of and collaborate with children and young people who come into conflict with the law and aim to embed their engagement and participation at the centre of the work we do. We are committed to working with colleagues and partners to promote and support trauma-informed and responsive practice, policy and service design. We are proud of our progress to date but recognise there is so much more to be done.    

Since 2018 Kibble has committed to respond to children who have experienced trauma and adversity. We have completed international research and developed a model of therapeutic trauma-informed care. Our model requires that;   

• staff complete training and skills development in trauma and therapeutic skills 
• staff receive trauma-informed supervision and can access reflective support from trained in-house counsellors 
• each child's care is supported by integrated services including in-house psychologists and therapists  
• the  whole team works from the same shared-understanding of each individual child 
• that our work is evaluated including the degree that it is trauma-informed. 

We have rolled this out across many of our services, with remaining sites planned for 2021. We see this journey as essential and one that must take time to ensure it is meaningful and authentic. We have achieved a lot and remain ambitious about what more can be done for young people.  

Families Outside is the only national charity in Scotland working solely on behalf of children and families affected by imprisonment. With imprisonment of a household member as one of the 10 Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) proven to increase risk of future poor health and wellbeing, our staff have daily contact with people experiencing trauma (the impact of this adversity) as well as a five times greater risk of exposure to other ACEs. Our work provides direct support to improve outcomes for families; trains key professionals on the impact of the trauma of a family member’s imprisonment; and develops policy and practice. Our staff are immersed in this practice, with first-hand experience informing our work at every level. This includes peer support; creation of resources for other families; direct public engagement (with support) via the media and our Parliamentary Cross-Party Group; input to consultations; and membership of our Board.   

Who Dares Cares was founded in 2016 by 2 ex soldiers severely impacted by Trauma. It's aim is to support others suffering from PTSD through Peer support, shared experience, Awareness and Training, signposting to grounding and coping strategies, Wellness and Wellbeing sessions, referral and recovery pathways, welfare checks and Emergency Intervention. We provide a year round walking program, participation in a range of small group leisure activities and volunteering opportunities, with the majority of our volunteers having life experiences of Mental Health or addiction issues or in supporting someone who has lived with these issues. Our pledge is:

"The Board of Who Dares Cares are delighted to partner with the NHS and their Trauma Informed Services Initiative. As a Charity started by PTSD sufferers in support of PTSD sufferers with help from PTSD sufferers we already share and are committed to your core values. We are looking forward to incorporating Trauma Informed Ways of Working and Practice into all of our roles and activities, and doing our part in creating a National Support Community that displays a consistent approach to support delivery through a standardised training regime and resource facility."

Edinburgh Community Yoga offers subsidised and free trauma informed programmes within Edinburgh City Centre and the Lothians. We commit to the pledge by choosing to centre the voices of people affected by trauma in the work we do.  Our team is represented by survivors and our trauma-informed approach is written into all our policies and procedures. We prioritise understanding the people behind behaviours and work towards equity of opportunity by working in a person-centred way to offer our services in ways that are both enriching and empowering for our service users and organisational team. We recognise the importance of understanding the neuroscience behind the negative effects of trauma. We work to educate our students, team, partner organisations, and the wider community on the importance of emotional regulation tools in combating these effects. Our robust monitoring and evaluation reporting demonstrates the positive impact we have for people living with the effects of trauma. 

As a child care provider we are totally committed to Trauma Informed practices and principles to help recovery and support both those we look after and those who look after our very precious young people.

Existing Progress

Our planning to support this is intrinsic to add to our current progress and model of Relaxed Kids, to work in partnership with young people to aid recovery. To claim young people and keep relationships as the focus of such.

Policy Change and Direction

To ensure that Trauma Informed care is at the heart and centre of our daily practice, that it is further shaped by ongoing training and policy direction.

Workforce Development 

That we continue to engage our workforce at all levels to integrate the resources and put training into practice - That the National Trauma toolkit is part of continuous development for all to strengthen their relationships and engagement in Nurturing our Children and Young People.

We are committed at Motherwell women’s aid as a staff team to sign up to the national Trauma pledge, our service is built on listening to women Children and young  people who use our services and this informs  changes to our service delivery. Our workforce have  completed training through the national training programme to develop our trauma skills.

Our teams work in trauma informed ways and understand complex trauma and the impacts this has on victims. We understand the need to individualise strengths of victims and survivors and supporting them through to recovery.

We also recognise as a professional  staff team it is  important for us to feel supported and safe in our work and how important self-care is when supporting victims /survivors of trauma.

We pledge to work with partners and stakeholders to put trauma-informed and responsive practice in place across our workforce and services.

We will deliver services that, wherever possible, are actively informed by young people with lived experience of trauma.

We will recognise the central importance of relationships that offer collaboration, choice, empowerment, safety and trust as part of a trauma-informed approach.

We will respond in ways that prevent further harm, and that reduce barriers so that people affected by trauma have equal access to the services they need, when they need it, to support their own journey of recovery.

We will deliver trauma training to our staff, trustees and volunteers as soon as their start their involvement with Bridges Project.

Together for Childhood Govan brings families and local partners together to prevent child abuse and neglect, making our communities safer places for children. We are engaged in embedding and promoting a trauma-informed approach to working with everyone which recognises Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and is responsive to the role that trauma has played in many people’s lives.

We see people’s actions and responses to adverse and traumatic events as attempts to survive and make meaning in their lives.  Relationships matter and every contact with someone who has experienced adversity and trauma can be an opportunity for healing. 

Our approach adheres to six key principles:

1. Safety: In any interaction, people should feel physically and psychologically safe.

2. Trustworthiness and Transparency: Decisions and actions are conducted with transparency with the goal of building and maintaining trust in relationships.

3. Peer Support: Peer support is key to helping establish safety and hope, build trust, and enhancing collaborations to promote recovery and healing.

4. Collaboration and Mutuality: Recognising the importance of partnerships and the meaningful sharing of decision making.

5. Empowerment, Voice and Choice: A belief in the resilience and ability of individuals, organisations and communities to heal and promote recovery from trauma.

6. Cultural, Historical, and Gender Issues: Actively working towards moving past stereotypes and biases, being responsive to racial, ethnic and cultural needs and recognising and responding to historical trauma.

Read full pledge link here

NSPCC Scotland’s mission is to prevent child abuse and neglect, through campaigning, lobbying and working with children and their families.  Recognising that a person’s early experiences lay the foundations for their future wellbeing and health is core to our work. In all that we do, we strive to embed and promote a trauma-informed approach, which recognises Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and is responsive to the role that trauma has played in people’s lives.

We see people’s actions and responses to adverse and traumatic events as attempts to survive and give meaning to their lives. We value relationships, with the understanding that every contact with someone who has experienced adversity and trauma can be an opportunity for healing. 

Our approach adheres to six key principles: 

1. Safety - in any interaction, people should feel physically and psychologically safe.

2. Trustworthiness and Transparency - decisions and actions are made with transparency with the goal of building and maintaining trust in relationships.

3. Peer Support - this is key to helping establish safety and hope, building trust, and promoting recovery and healing.

4. Collaboration and Mutuality - recognising the importance of partnerships and the sharing of decision making.

5. Empowerment, Voice and Choice - a belief in resilience and the ability of individuals, organisations and communities to heal and promote recovery from trauma.

6. Cultural, Historical, and Gender Issues - actively working towards moving past stereotypes and biases, being responsive to racial, ethnic and cultural needs and recognising and responding to historical trauma.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) are committed to influence and communicate the ambition of being a trauma-informed and responsive organisation. We will draw on the learning resources within the National Trauma Training Programme which will promote consistency in knowledge, skills and language and enable our workforce develop confidence in responding to psychological trauma.

Leaders within HIS through belief in trauma-informed practice will use their position to influence and inform staff setting the context and culture that actively supports the workforce to uphold the principles of trauma informed practice.

A trauma-informed way of working will bring positive benefits outcome for the HIS workforce, the wider NHS and Social Care community that they work with and for the people they support. As an organisation we will also acknowledge the impact of trauma among staff, support staff should they choose to share their experience and set clear policies and procedures to support staff wellbeing.

As the UK's leading membership organisation of foster carers and fostering services, The Fostering Network has always listened to its members to understand the needs of the fostering community in order to make foster care the very best it can be. In Scotland our membership includes 97% of fostering services and foster carers. We are currently in the process of recruiting an advisory board of young people from across Scotland to help realise our ambition for young people's voices to be the guiding light for our work. This, among other developments and training for staff within our organisation, is part of our efforts to keep The Promise to our children and young people, and support our members to do the same in their communities.

At Cyrenians we tackle the causes and consequences of homelessness. We understand that there are many routes into homelessness, and that there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to supporting people towards more positive and stable futures. That’s why all our work is values-led and relationships-based. We meet people where they are, and support them towards where they want to be.

We’ve long been aware of the significant impact traumatic experiences can have on our health and wellbeing, and the myriad of ways these experiences can hinder our abilities to live fulfilling lives. At Cyrenians we are committed to being a learning organisation and showing strong leadership in this area. Over the last two years, we have prioritised training our staff and volunteers in trauma-informed practice, and we’re now embedding that learning across our organisation: in recruitment; service design and delivery; staff support; partnership working; comms and much more.

The Care Inspectorate is fully committed to working with our partners to support the embedding of a trauma informed and responsive culture across our own workforce, and in services and partnerships across Scotland. As the independent scrutiny and quality improvement support body for social care and social work services in Scotland, we provide public assurance about the quality of social care, social work, and early learning services. We support improvement to ensure that experiences and outcomes are meeting individual needs. We believe that an empowering, engaging and inclusive culture can help ensure that everyone has the right support and opportunities to achieve their fullest potential. Our commitment to become a trauma informed organisation is one of our actions to keep The Promise. We will do this by working in partnership with others to put trauma-informed and responsive practice in place across our workforce and through all that we do. We will ensure our work is actively informed by those with lived experience of trauma. Our organisation recognises the central importance of relationships as part of a trauma-informed approach to support high-quality care, improved outcomes and ensure everyone’s rights are respected and realised.

Inspiring Scotland’s vision is for every person in Scotland to enjoy a happy, healthy life free from poverty and disadvantage. We recognise the long-lasting physical and mental impact of adverse childhood experiences, and other forms of trauma and adversity which contribute to the disadvantage people face.

As a funder, we support organisations to develop knowledge and skills to best address the needs of people impacted by trauma, and manage the impact of vicarious trauma on their workforce and volunteers. As an employer, we are also playing our part in creating a trauma-informed and responsive workforce.

To support our commitment to the Pledge we are working to a trauma informed plan which includes actions for us as an employer and funder. Through delivery of this plan we will ensure our funding programmes are informed by people with experience of trauma, respond in ways that prevent further harm, and reduce barriers to services.

Apex Scotland is a leading national justice organisation, which exists to support individuals with experience of the criminal justice system or who are at risk of entering it. Apex has made a commitment to being an authentically trauma-informed and responsive organisation. We commit to learning and to embed it, and to undertake an ongoing review of the organisation in a comprehensive way to enable this. Our review work considers the ways in which we can increase and maintain lived experience integration across organisational aspects and the implementation of feedback systems, staff wellbeing to ensure they are equipped to fulfil their roles, courageous strategic leadership and governance pays attention to cross boundary collaboration and that this approach is a ‘need to have’ not a ‘nice to have’, to recognise and celebrate the ongoing progress we make and to ensure we can share this with others to maximise reach and impact.

CVS Inverclyde’s work is underpinned by our values, which include collaboration, diversity, integrity and leadership. As the Third Sector Interface (TSI) for Inverclyde, we share our public sector partners’ ambitions for trauma-informed services and recognise the third sector’s contribution in offering holistic support. We pledge that all staff members, including the local Community Link Worker team, have access to the trauma informed training that is relevant to their role. This will be supported and include opportunities for conversations and reflection on their learning to safeguard the wellbeing of our staff and to promote best practice across the third sector.

South Ayrshire Community Planning Partnership has made a commitment to support the development of trauma informed and responsive systems and services across the locality. Community Planning is based on the idea that if partners across sectors, work more effectively together, then services will improve for those who access them. To date, partners across South Ayrshire, have supported the recruitment of a dedicated officer to assist with the implementation of trauma informed and responsive systems, in line with the five national principles of trauma informed practice.

Going forward, to live up to that commitment, all partners plan to focus on sustaining a trauma informed and responsive leadership; ensure we are engaging meaningfully with our experts by experience; deliver a comprehensive training plan with focus on staff wellbeing; whilst ensuring everything we are doing is sustainable and embedded across the locality.

Our organisation is shaped by those with Lived Experience and committed to being trauma informed. We work with partners and stakeholders putting trauma-informed and responsive practice in place across our workforce and projects. We deliver supports informed by people with lived experience, engaging all stakeholders, including communities and staff, in the process of implementing a trauma-informed practice and recognise the importance of relationships that offer collaboration, choice, empowerment, safety and trust as part of our approach. We respond in ways that prevent further harm, and that reduce barriers, so people affected by trauma have equal access to the services they need, when they need it, to support their own journey of recovery. We deliver training to staff, trustees and volunteers as part of core requirements. Supporting our employees, is also essential. Our wellbeing approach is centred on this to ensure our staff are well and able to support our communities.