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Trauma Informed Practice (TIP)

‘Trauma Informed Practice (TIP) is our whole-organisation framework for creating safe, relational and responsive environments where students can thrive. TIP recognises the impact that adversity, trauma and unmet need can have on development, learning, behaviour and wellbeing, and supports schools to respond in ways that promote safety, belonging and opportunity.

The Approach

The development of TIP was led by Dr Leanne Johnson, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, through an integrated education and clinical approach.

The framework was refined through a comprehensive review of the evidence base and wider literature, consultation with OFG Education’s Lived Experience Group, and input from the OFG Education Advisory Board. It also draws upon established evidence regarding what works in education to improve outcomes for children and young people, recognising the importance of relationships, belonging, inclusion and emotionally safe learning environments.

The foundations of TIP are built on three core principles

Increasing Awareness of the Impact of Working with Trauma on us

It can take huge persistence in developing positive and meaningful relationships with those with lived experience of trauma. Students may also be drawn to re-enacting their early trauma subconsciously and we recognise the challenges this can bring and the need to support well-being. We embed reflective practice groups within teams and services to provide protected time to press the pause button together. This enables us to be aware of our own needs and how this relates to other individuals and we work to embed the Healthy Mind Platter (Dan Siegel). Reflective Practice also enables us to make sense of complex relational processes in the endeavour of developing and protecting a responsive, reflective and positive culture.

The Trauma Informed Practice approach encourages colleagues to standardise their practice through the lens of Connect, Co-Regulate and Co-Reflect.

Connect

Connect helps students feel ‘seen’ and kept in mind

Finding ways to connect with students and encouraging them to trust others intentions is a critical part of the approach. Connect supports colleagues to help students feel ‘seen’ and kept in mind throughout their day. The approach refers to this as therapeutic anchor points and includes strategies such as ‘Meet and Greet’ and ‘Random Acts of Kindness’. Connect also addresses the use of positive praise, which can be overwhelming for students with such a negative self-concept. Using specific, subtle and unexpected praise can support this and reduce the likelihood of students sabotaging success. An important part of connect is the use of PACE (playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy) as a way of being, rather than a strategy to turn on and off! Connect emphasises the importance of adults approaching young people to repair relationships in a non-shaming way – to re-connect relationally as soon as is possible.

Co-regulate

Co-regulate develops and supports a sense of safety

Developing and supporting a sense of safety in the environment is the foundation of Co-regulate. The approach supports safety with creating consistency, repetition, predictability, structure and boundaries. Co-regulate assumes that students have not learnt to recognise their thoughts and feelings and how to manage them; the approach helps give skills to support students to develop skills in their emotions and behaviour through the support of others. Strategies include emotions coaching, teaching practical skills such as 5,4,3,2,1 Grounding Skills, Brain Stem Calming Approaches, as well as an awareness of curriculum areas to be sensitive of, e.g. Sex and Relationships. Co-regulate focuses on calming the fight flight freeze survival response that is very practiced and engrained in students with lived experience of trauma.

Co-reflect

Co-reflect is to support with therapeutic boundaries which are integral to helping students who have experienced trauma learn safe and effective ways of living their lives.

Co-Reflect recognises shame as being a barrier to support progression and learning as students will shield their shame to protect them from a sense of ‘badness’ and fear of rejection when feeling even slightly criticised. Co-Reflect supports with non-shaming and inclusive ways of providing boundaries, including the use of natural and logical consequences to help students learn linked and appropriate responses. Co-reflect is not about a lack of boundaries (or being fluffy!) or only responding with nurture. It is about supporting the student in a relationally collaborative and empathic way, helping them to positively prepare for their future to be the best they can be.