An evaluation of a Trauma-Informed Reflective Practice Group for NHS CAMHS staff

Abstract

We know more about trauma – and its long-term impact – than ever before. This has led to a demand for services to better recognise the needs of trauma survivors in order to avoid re-traumatisation – a recognition that care needs to be ‘Tmuma-Infimied’. But, making the system-wide shift from ‘what is wrong with you?’ to ‘what has happened to you?’ is no small feat. As such, it is acknowledged that there needs to be effective ways to support staff to deliver competent trauma-informed care. The use of reflective practice is gaining increasing recognition as an exciting opportunity to align the principles of trauma-informed care with day-to-day clinical practice. This article presents the results of an evaluation of a Trauma-Informed Reflective Practice group pilot for staff working in an NHS CAMHS setting. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken to explore their experiences. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the interview data. Five themes emerged relating to trauma-informed care:-Learning from the voice of lived experience, Translating Knowledge into Practice, Sharing is Caring, Growing in Confidence and Looking to the Future. The results suggest that trauma-informed group reflective practice can pay dividends in terms of supporting trauma-informed care. To build on the findings from this small-scale study, further research is recommended to investigate the impact of trauma-informed reflective practice.