Trauma Informed Practice

When practitioners, services and policies are trauma-informed, it generally means that
they:
▪ Recognise and understand the different ways that experiences of trauma
impact on individuals, groups and communities
▪ Recognise and understand the signs, symptoms of trauma and how trauma
influences individuals’ behaviours and needs
▪ Work with individuals in a way that is sensitive to, and helps to overcome the
impact of trauma in their lives and avoids re-traumatisation.
Services working with families in early childhood can recognise and respond to the way
in which parents’ or primary caregiver’s experiences of trauma may impact their
wellbeing, engagement with services and relationships with their babies.
Understanding trauma also helps professionals to understand why it is so important to
address adversity in early life.
Systems can be designed to be trauma-informed, so that all professionals have a good
understanding of trauma and are trained and supported to work with individuals and
families which is sensitive to the trauma they might have faced and helps them to
overcome the impact of trauma in their lives. Trauma-informed systems also consider
how to identify those who have experienced multiple childhood traumas, and how to
put support in for families that addresses the impacts of trauma and prevents
intergenerational transmission of trauma.