Engaging with complexity: providing effective trauma informed care for women

The purpose of this resource is to provide insights, guidance and advice for public sector service providers and commissioners who are looking to adopt gender-sensitive trauma-informed approaches in their own organisations. This guidance introduces the concept of trauma, including its causes, its impact (especially on women), its prevalence, and the role services can play in both perpetuating and preventing it. It will be helpful to anyone looking for an overview of the theoretical background to trauma-informed care. This resource discusses the concept of trauma-informed care in more detail. It covers the four essential aspects of trauma-informed care: listening, understanding, responding and checking, and considers what each of these looks like in practice. It also anticipates some of the challenges services might face on their journey to becoming trauma-informed. This section will be helpful to anyone who is interested in, or who is working towards, adopting trauma-informed care in their own organisation.