Social Work Policy Panel newsletter February 2025

Notes from February’s meeting: Trauma Informed Practice in the context of Trauma Responsive Social Work Services

Kirsty Pate from the Scottish Government’s National Trauma Transformation Programme delivered a presentation followed by a discussion chaired by Frank Reilly from the policy panel partnership.

Introduction

The session began with sharing the results of the two-question pre-session survey. When asked to describe trauma the predominant words being used by participants were ‘adverse events’, ‘distress’, ‘frightening and ‘prolonged response to stress’.

In response to the question ‘how often do you encounter trauma in your practice’, 71% said this happened often or always. Only 21% said they never encountered trauma.

Key Points from the presentation

• Social work is provided in contexts where people have often experienced trauma, adversity, discrimination and disadvantage. People can, and do, recover from psychological trauma. Social work practice can support people on their recovery
• Training and support from the National Trauma Transformation Programme is available across health, social work and social care workforces.
• The Trauma Responsive Social Work Services Team (TRSWS) is working in four pilot sites in Glasgow HSCP (Adult Mental Health North East), Scottish Borders (Children & Families), Stirling (Children & Families and Justice) West Lothian (Children & Families) providing implementation support to help delivery the wider system change required.
• TRSWS is capturing data from the workforce at implementation sites, which is being used to further develop our offer. Further evaluation will contribute to the growing evidence base.
• We know from research that trauma-informed and responsive practice leads to better outcomes, including increased service user satisfaction, improved wellbeing, reduction in symptoms of trauma, increased knowledge and confidence among workers, and improved service delivery .
• Trauma informed systems change is a relatively new area, therefore more research is needed about the long-term effects and the practice models that support trauma-informed approaches.
• A multi-faceted approach is needed to sustain the implementation of trauma-informed and responsive practice in Scotland, including education and training, and development of infrastructure and capacity to support transformational change.

Discussion Points

• The panel confirmed that social workers are supporting people who have experience of trauma everyday with dwindling resources in what is already a complex role.
• There was acknowledgement from participants of the varied work being undertaken and an appreciation of the wider commitment across Scotland to raising awareness and access to trauma informed resources.
• Ensuring equitable access to trauma responsive support across health and social work services is important to help provide the best possible support for the people of Scotland
• Resources to support the transformational change recommended by NTTP are urgently needed.
• Effectiveness of the programme will be reliant on support for systemic change across health, social care and the third sector.
• The understanding of the impact of trauma has influenced the new SSSC? codes of practice and is included in (mandatory) continuous professional learning (CPL) for social workers.
• The 4 pilot sites are providing training and support across social work services for all practitioners and leaders in multidisciplinary teams, including para-professionals and business support staff. 

Key links mentioned in the presentation

• A Roadmap for Creating Trauma-Informed and Responsive Change: Guidance for Organisations, Systems and Workforces in Scotland (2023)
• Transforming Psychological Trauma: A Knowledge and Skills Framework for the Scottish Workforce
• The Scottish Psychological Trauma Training Plan: NHS Education for Scotland
• Trauma Informed Justice: A Knowledge and Skills Framework for Working with Victims and Witnesses
• Hard Edges Scotland: New conversations about severe & multiple disadvantage
• Evidence Review: Enablers and Barriers to Trauma-informed Systems, Organisations and Workforces
• Transforming Psychological Trauma National Trauma Training Programme Online Resources
• Trauma tree visual 

About the Social Work Policy Panel

All students, newly qualified and experienced social workers are welcome to come along to our events.

The panel is jointly run by the Scottish Association of Social Work, the Office of the Chief Social Work Adviser, and Social Work Scotland. The panel’s objective is to connect frontline social workers with the organisations which develop and implement policy and practice for the profession.

The panel was created to bring frontline workers and policy makers together to address the issues affecting social work today. It is an opportunity to influence those policy makers and the future of social work with your experience and knowledge. 

As a social worker, we know you’re busy and facing lots of competing pressures. That’s why we want to make the panel as influential and meaningful as possible.

In September 2023 you told us that you wanted to know more about:

• Workforce development
• Disparities in role focus (ie Adults vs Childrens) and rural vs urban
• Self-Directed Support implementation

We have now delivered these sessions and are seeking your views on what the panel should present in the coming months here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7VK7RH6

You also told us that a facilitated conversation after a presentation is your preferred format for the sessions. We think we have successfully provided this so far. However, we are also aware that there will be sessions where breakout rooms are the most effective way of engaging with some subjects. We will ensure that future sessions are designed with these preferences in mind.

If there are any topics that you wish to nominate for a future session that is not included in the survey please let us know through the panel mailbox: SWPP@basw.co.uk 

Free coaching service for all social workers and social work students in Scotland 

What is the Social Work Professional Support Service (SWPSS)?

• A FREE and independent peer coaching service by and for social workers
• Has an ambition to have an impact on the culture of practice enabling social workers to be able take care of yourselves
• Facilitated by experienced and trained social work coaches who volunteer their time
• Provides you with a safe and empathetic space to think through any professional and/or personal challenges you may be facing
• Offers a confidential peer to peer listening space
• Supports self-care, wellbeing and empowerment
• Funded by the Scottish Government

The service is geared to provide coaching support whether you are a student, social work practitioner or manager. We have coaches from different fields and the whole range of experiences - choose your own coach and set up a session at a time that suits you.

Social workers have used the service to talk through their career planning and development needs, the impact of the work role on their personal life/health, placements, to gain confidence, to process the experience of being bullied/racially targeted or to manage change/turbulences in the organisations they work for.