A new episode of the Wellbeing in Education podcast has just been released. In this episode Lou Pattinson (Inclusion Lead at Castle Hill Infant and Junior Schools) describes the journey the school has been on to become a truly trauma-informed place. You can watch the episode here: https://youtu.be/mTQcZ1VhYyQ  or listen to it here: https://spoti.fi/3fqsro4  

Lou gives some incredible examples of the power of embedding trauma-informed practice throughout everything the school does. But what does it mean to be trauma-informed? And how does it support the wellbeing of the whole school community, including staff and families?

In a trauma-informed school, the adults in the school community (all school staff and parents/carers) are prepared to recognise and respond to those who have been impacted by traumatic stress. Pupils are provided with clear expectations and communication strategies to guide them through stressful situations. The goal is to not only provide tools to cope with extreme situations but to create an underlying culture of respect and support. The focus is on ensuring safety, establishing trustworthiness, maximising choice and collaboration, and prioritising empowerment. Emerging research suggests that shifting school culture to become more trauma-informed sets the stage for maximum academic growth. If you are interested in working with the Psychology and Therapeutic Services to embed trauma-informed practice in your setting, contact psychology&[email protected].

You can find all episodes of the podcast here: Wellbeing in Education Podcasts | Suffolk County Council. Future episodes will explore a range of innovative and exciting wellbeing work taking place across Suffolk, including the Overcoming Programme, Non-Violent Resistance work, and the ELSA (emotional literacy support assistant) programme.