Children and Young People’s Trauma Informed Care Programme
Our Pledge
The Programme
In 2021, an opportunity arose to bid for funding from NHS England’s National Health and Justice Team, to develop a systems approach to enhancing support for vulnerable children and young people who have or may have experienced trauma or adversity and those at risk of encountering the youth justice system.
Partners from across the Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care System including Health, Local Authorities and the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) worked together to develop this bid and ensure that its aims and implementation aligns with, and compliments, the broader transformation work already underway, this work will be a 10-year programme and started in 2022.
Programme documents:
The model of the programme has two main aspects, the first is delivering system change across the partnership to develop and embed a consistent Trauma Informed approach for all partners working with vulnerable Children and Young People (CYP) at risk of offending. Second, is to test new interventions (known as Test and Learn sites) which divert young people from becoming first time entrants into the Youth Justice System.
Shortlist success
We are delighted to have been shortlisted as a finalist in the Youth Justice Award category in the Children and Young People Now Awards 2024:
Now in their 19th year the Children and Young People Now Awards showcase innovation and outstanding practice across the children’s services sector. They also provide an all-too-rare opportunity to champion the vital work of services supporting children, young people and families across the UK. This year more than 500 entries were received so it was a hard task for the judges as the standard of entries was very high.
The Youth Justice category is awarded for the initiative that has made the biggest contribution to improving the life chances of young people who have offended, or those at risk of offending or reoffending. Entries are invited from local authorities, youth offending teams and youth services, custody settings and transition housing providers, as well as voluntary organisations and individual projects.
Winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony on 28th November 2024. The ceremony will provide a unique opportunity to celebrate the inspiring individuals who tirelessly work to improve the lives of children and young people; each award will highlight the very best in innovative practice.
Fingers crossed!
Test and Learn Sites
Our three Test and Learn Sites whilst are different to each other to address needs at place, they all demonstrate services and organisations collaborating and working together.
- Hull is the VCS led Flipside project where The Warren and Cornerhouse work together to deliver the service. This is a holistic model that delivers a range of trauma informed interventions including 1 to 1 therapeutic intervention and 1 to 1 and group diversion interventions to CYP to prevent them becoming first-time entrants to the youth justice system. The service has integrated into existing structures e.g., multi-Agency diversion panels which include a wide range of partners including Youth Justice service, Police and Social Care.
- North East Lincolnshire is The JEFF Project which is aimed at prevention and early intervention for children and young people who may be at risk of becoming involved with the criminal justice system. JEFF aims to engage hard to reach CYP and support them in accessing key local services, this includes, The Young & Safe team, Compass Go and We are with you. There is also a key role in the project for the wider VCS which consists of various local organisations to provide a safe place and positive activities for CYP accessing the project. Each organisation will have a nominated champion who will be trained in identifying those who may need the support of the project. This is a joined-up approach with key organisations working together to provide a wraparound system of holistic support.
- North Yorkshire is a tiered partnership service of coordinated early help/intervention provision, including clinically informed positive support for children engaging in risk-taking behaviour and/or with complex needs. Delivery is through a flexible, decentralised partnership model targeting areas of high need within the county and applying a shared model of systemic, relational, and trauma-informed practice. VCS led targeted prevention & diversion outreach will reduce entry to the criminal justice system; proven trusted relationships mentoring will support and safeguard young people with complex needs and vulnerable to exploitation; and statutory case management will be enhanced by the expertise of embedded clinical practitioners. A bespoke digital app called ‘Xchange’ has been created as part of the Mind of My Own suite of practice tools, to further capture the voice, wishes and feelings of the children and young people. This is being developed with young people and piloted in North Yorkshire but is being rolled out to the other places in our ICS and will also become available nationally to other Vanguards and offered to all Youth Justice services across the country to improve young people’s ability to contribute to their case records and care planning. The app is accessible to young people with communication challenges including those for whom English is not their first language or those with speech and language issues, dyslexia or who are neurodiverse. Initial feedback from staff and from young people is very positive.
- RETHINK! is a multi-agency team to identify and support children (10-19) in North Lincolnshire, and their families who have experienced trauma and are at risk of entering or re-entering the Youth Justice System. The children in scope will be identified as being on the edge of exclusion from education, either attending an alternative provision, or at risk of suspensions and exclusion due to poor attendance or behaviour. Our overall ambition is for Children to be thriving in their families, achieving in school, flourishing in their communities. The project hopes to achieve an increased sense of self-worth, increased stability within Education, and a reduction in challenging behaviours for the children and young people involved. Through a three-step approach to formulation, the young person and their family will also understand their own presentation and gain an increased sense of control over their lives.
Case Studies
Change Direction, North Yorkshire
Videos
System Change
Through a system wide approach to embedding Trauma Informed practice and care across services working with CYP who have or may have experienced trauma or adversity, we can ensure they are supported to respond appropriately, consistently, and compassionately. This means that the support these children and young people receive helps them to thrive as they grow into adulthood.
We aim to improve long term health and social care outcomes for Children & Young People by preventing trauma and adversity; minimizing its impact and avoiding exacerbation of distress through training and supporting systems and people to embed Trauma Informed Practice within their organizations and listening to the voices of children, young people and their families.
Useful documents
Communities of Practice Leaflet
Organisational Toolkit – interactive
Organisational Toolkit Leaflet
Contact us
If you would like any further information regarding the Programme then please contact: hnymhpmo@nhs.net.
