Source: City of Plymouth
A major milestone has been reached in Plymouth and the surrounding areas, with 5,000 people now having been trained in trauma-informed practice.
The Trauma Informed Plymouth Network (TIPN) has been delivering training to people working across the public, private, voluntary and community sectors since it began in 2018.
Since 2022, the training provided by the network has largely been funded by the Plymouth City Council Changing Futures programme, which works in partnership to improve outcomes with and for adults experiencing multiple disadvantages including homelessness, mental health issues and domestic abuse.
Trauma is about the harmful things that people experience and the impact that this has – it can affect people in different ways and everyone’s experience is unique. Being trauma-informed is a mindset and way of acting which addresses the inequalities, discrimination and barriers that people affected by trauma might experience.
Due to the training delivered by TIPN, there are now 5,000 people working locally who are equipped to recognise trauma’s impact and respond with sensitivity and compassion.
Councillor Chris Penberthy, Cabinet Member for Housing, Cooperative Development and Communities, said: “Reaching 5,000 people trained in trauma-informed practice is a powerful testament to Plymouth’s commitment to building a more compassionate and inclusive city. This work is transforming how services are delivered across our communities, ensuring that people are met with understanding, not judgment.”
“I’m incredibly proud that through our Changing Futures programme, the Council has been able to support this vital initiative.”
Nancy Hardwick, TIPN Co-ordinator, said: “The training delivered by the Network has grown as organically as the Network itself and continues to be for many, the gateway into a way of seeing the world which in turn invites shifts, as individuals and within systems, that are safer, more kind, person centred, empowering and collaborative.
“It is my great privilege to have a small role to play in the co-ordination of the training and to see how it has contributed to the wave of change which Plymouth has such a part to play in nationally.
“This milestone is a wonderful opportunity to say thank you to and celebrate the gifts and generosity of those in our training pool who give of themselves with courage and vulnerability each time they deliver the training.”
Find out more about the TIPN at traumainformedplymouth.org.