Health and care leaders back a trauma informed approach across West Yorkshire

Health and care leaders across West Yorkshire are united in their support to tackle and address barriers that people affected by trauma can experience when accessing care.

The West Yorkshire Adversity, Trauma and Resilience Programme, jointly delivered by West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership (WY HCP) and West Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), has an ambition to ensure West Yorkshire is a trauma informed and responsive system by 2030. Initiatives to prevent harm and improve wellbeing, particularly for those who are most vulnerable and face multiple difficulties, include:

Two adversity, trauma and resilience knowledge exchanges attended by over 1,000 people to showcase projects taking place across West Yorkshire
Development of the West Yorkshire Adversity, Trauma and Resilience Framework and Academy
Recruiting 30 Adversity, Trauma and Resilience Fellows as part of WY HCP Improving Population Health Fellowship
Developing new and building on existing networks dealing with specific issues, for example, combatting cyber bullying; reducing violence against staff; developing a trauma informed justice system; using trauma informed language
Guides and supporting resources:

Training to thousands of multi-agency colleagues including the police, schools, housing providers, primary care, accident and emergency and local authorities
Developing an adversity, trauma and resilience web portal bringing shared resources together – coming soon

West Yorkshire’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Alison Lowe OBE is also the Senior Responsible Officer for the Adversity, Trauma and Resilience Programme and said:

“People who experience adversity and trauma are at higher risk of poor physical and mental health. Children are more likely to adopt anti-social and health-harming behaviours, get involved in violence, be excluded from school and attain low exam results. Adults facing multiple disadvantages can be more predisposed to addictions, dying by suicide and being absent from work than those who don’t.

“While fully eradicating trauma remains unlikely, by working together we can help to strengthen community resilience, mitigate existing harm and ultimately improve lives for people living and working in West Yorkshire.”

Chief Superintendent Jackie Marsh, West Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) Director, said: “Collaboration is key to make sure that we do not add to harm and that we work in ways that mitigate the impact of where there has been harm already.

“Trauma and adversity cannot be prevented and responded to by one sector. That’s why it’s crucial that all our organisations and system leaders work together and that we listen to grassroots expertise to deliver the shifts in culture and practice needed to achieve our vision of ensuring the area is trauma-informed and responsive to people’s needs. We have a way to go but that work has started and is happening right now across West Yorkshire.”

The West Yorkshire Adversity, Trauma and Resilience Programme was set up in June 2020 and comprises over 300 members.

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Note to editor:

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There is a strong and proportionate relationship between childhood adversity and the risk of developing poor physical health, mental health and social outcomes (Skehan et al 2008; Kessler et al, 2010; Varese et al 2013; Felitti & Anda, 2014.)
Childhood adversity increases the risk of adult-onset chronic diseases, such as cancer and heart disease, as well as increasing the risk of mental illness, violence and becoming a victim of violence
Childhood adversities are associated with a large proportion of absenteeism from work, costs in health care, emergency response, mental health and criminal justice involvement
Children who grow up in communities characterised by poverty, violence, poor housing, lack of opportunity are at far higher risk of experiencing adversity and trauma
In West Yorkshire, we used a method known as Hard Edges to estimate the total number of people accessing homelessness, addiction, re-offending and mental health services to be around 52,000. Of these, almost 7,000 people will access three or four services which equates to 1,400 people for each West Yorkshire local authority area (Adversity Trauma and Resilience in West Yorkshire – a review of life-course evidence, approaches and provision to support the transformation to a trauma informed health and care system by 2030, Mark Crowe, Jim Devereaux, Molly Johnson: Based on contributions by: members of the West Yorkshire Adversity, Trauma and Resilience Network, The West Yorkshire Multiple Disadvantage Consortium, people with lived experience of services (facilitated by the West Yorkshire Liaison and Diversion Service), West Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit)
West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership (WY HCP) is a large integrated care system (ICS) that supports 2.4 million people, living in urban and rural areas. 770,000 are children and young people. 530,000 people live in areas ranked as the poorest 10% of England. 20% of people are from minority ethnic communities. There are an estimated 400,000 unpaid carers, as many don’t access support. Together we employ over 100,000 staff and work alongside thousands of volunteers. The NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board and the Partnership Board are part of the Partnership. Come and work with us. We are recruiting to all roles across health and care in West Yorkshire, and you don’t have to be a doctor or nurse. We are recruiting for call handlers, social care support workers, nursing and residential care staff, home care colleagues and peer support workers – to name a few. You can find out more on NHS Jobs and local council websites.

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