This project or publication was produced before or during the merger of What Works for Children’s Social Care (WWCSC) and the Early Intervention Foundation (EIF).
In this study, we investigated the perceived benefits of trauma-informed care for improving the outcomes of children known to children’s social care.
Trauma-informed care was originally introduced to help engage vulnerable individuals in evidence-based mental health treatments. It has since been expanded to a broad set of principles that have been adopted by schools, child protection services and the criminal justice system. This expansion reflects widespread enthusiasm for the trauma-informed principles and optimism that their use will lead to measurable benefits for children and adults.
However, we still do not yet know if these benefits can be realised, especially in the absence of trauma-specific treatments. Given the growing enthusiasm and investment in trauma-informed approaches, we believe this knowledge is essential for guiding future national policies and local practice decisions aimed at supporting vulnerable families through public services.
The aim of this study is to consider how trauma-informed care is currently being used by English children’s social care teams so that its key components and intended benefits can be better understood, with the aim of informing future evaluations. In doing so, this study combines a mapping exercise with in-depth interviews to answer four specific questions:
We partnered with What Works Children’s Social Care to investigate four questions:
We considered these questions through a mixed-methods study involving a mapping survey and in-depth interviews completed by Principal Social Workers from 10 children’s social care teams.
Findings
Recommendations
We need a clear and consistent definition of trauma-informed care. Central government departments, including the Department for Education, the Home Office, the Department of Health and Social Care, and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, should work together to agree a core definition of trauma-informed care.
The benefits of trauma-informed care must be identified and evaluated. Government departments should prioritise robust evaluation of models of trauma-informed training and practice in different service contexts.
Trauma-informed care should never be used as a replacement for evidence-based, trauma-specific treatments. The availability of effective, trauma-specific interventions should be prioritised and linked to any future investment in trauma-informed care.
