Adversity and Trauma HIT 2022-23

Embedding system-wide trauma informed practice

Last year, the Adversity and Trauma HIT secured a commitment from Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care System (BNSSG ICS) to being trauma informed – the first ICS to make such a commitment.  The appointment of an ICS Trauma-Informed System Manager – a new role which is part-funded by the HIT – is ensuring that progress towards achieving and embedding this transformation is co-ordinated across the system.

Supporting research and evaluation

The ICS Research and Evaluation Group collects evidence of implementing trauma informed approaches, which are key to delivering the trauma-informed system workplan.

Public contributor involvement has been strengthened in the Group this year, and Avon and Somerset Police are now represented both on the Research and Evaluation Group and the Trauma Sub-Group, thanks to approaches initiated by the HIT.

The HIT is proactively sharing links to the South Gloucestershire Adversity and Trauma Resource Library, set up to enable collaboration, sharing of the emerging evidence base and best practice.

Researchers recently presented to the Children, Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Network South West, where they shared some best practice approaches and discussed how the Network could carry these forward.

The HIT is also establishing fruitful links with other HITs to ensure that evidence generated from research is joined up and informs practice. For example, a collaboration with Healthy Weight HIT resulted in a workshop to explore connections between weight, poverty and trauma. The HIT is also working with SHINE HIT researchers on key learnings from research undertaken with Bristol’s Somali community.

Training trauma-informed community champions

In 2021 the HIT secured NHS Charities Together funding for Second Step to develop a network of ‘community champions’ who can engage local communities in raising awareness and understanding of trauma-informed practice. More than half of these community champions have now been recruited and two groups have been trained to date: North Somerset Wellbeing Collective and Bristol City Council’s Refugee Resettlement Team. The HIT continues to oversee this important work that will improve mental health and wellbeing.

Funding enabled in 2022-23

Adversity and Trauma HIT helped secure £15,450 in 2022-23 for research, improving outcomes and addressing health inequalities.