Trauma informed practices are not new, nor complicated. However, they remain stubbornly difficult to implement and sustain at a whole of community level. Throughout my Churchill Fellowship travels I was exposed to individuals, organisations and communities with absolute commitment to improving the outcomes of the most vulnerable children and young people. There is no silver bullet. No one practice, policy or training can address the wicked problem of childhood trauma and adversity. However, there are many lessons to be learnt and improvements to be made in Australia. A concerted effort to systemically commit to and prioritise this work, train and support our health and education workforces, address our reticence to acknowledge that children are suffering and commit to ongoing improvement in the way we approach these issues is essential
Training in trauma informed care needs to be further evolved and refined to address current challenges in practice. It needs to focus on the development of specific skills and call out the practices of adults that are contributing to harm. The training needs to:
○ Equip adults to notice when they are prioritising their own needs above those of children i.e. by avoidance or wanting to avoid discomfort
○ Develop or refine skills in how to listen, relate and respond appropriately to the sharing of experiences from others
○ Develop the skills and nuanced understanding of a relational approach. How to form and develop meaningful, genuine and respectful relationships whilst maintaining appropriate boundaries. Professionalism can not be used as a mask for poor practice.
○ Notice when fear or risk aversion is driving you or others towards rigid, authoritarian and non-relational behaviours.
○ Develop assertiveness skills to advocate for the right and best practices of trauma informed care - even in the face of resistance.