When a person experiences trauma, it affects their mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Trauma can affect relationships, health, and quality of life. It can have an impact at school and work.
One in seven Scottish adults report experiencing four or more adverse events (including traumatic experiences such as emotional, physical and sexual abuse) before age 18 (Scottish Health Survey, 2019)
91% of women in Scottish prisons report both childhood and adulthood trauma, 51% reported they had been sexually abused. (Karatzias et al, 2017)
Trauma informed practice acknowledges that trauma can affect feelings of safety and trust.
The purpose of becoming trauma-informed is not to treat trauma-related difficulties. This is the role of trauma specialist.
Being trauma informed is about removing anything that makes accessing services difficult for people affected by trauma. Our vision is that a trauma informed approach will become embedded in all areas of work. Having a trauma informed approach will be everyone’s job.
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"We pledge to work with our colleagues and communities across Angus to aim towards a culture, workforce and services that are trauma informed and responsive. We will utilise the learning resources within the National Trauma Transformation Programme to ensure we develop consistency in knowledge, skills and language which will empower our workforce to develop confidence in responding to trauma. We will, where possible, provide services that are informed by those affected by psychological trauma."
Leadership Pledge of Support
Development Officer
In 2022 the Scottish Government made finance available for local authorities to embed trauma informed practice.
In Angus, this funding was used to employ a Trauma Informed Practice (TIP) Development Officer (DO). This full-time post was initially for one year. In September 2024, it was extended for a further 12 months.
Steering Group
The Trauma Informed Practice (TIP) Steering Group was established to produce a ‘Trauma Plan’ for multi-agency services in Angus.
It is vital that the TIP Steering Group represents as many organisations, teams, and businesses as possible. Current representation includes:
Angus Council
Police Scotland
Angus Health and Social Care Partnership
NHS Tayside
Voluntary Action Angus
For more information or to join the TIP Steering Group email our Trauma Informed Practice Development Officer, Saoirse Buckley: buckleys@angus.gov.uk
Trauma Informed Practice (TIP) Steering Group Terms of Reference (PDF).
Together we have an opportunity to transform how we understand and respond to trauma in Angus.
Angus Trauma Steering Group Ambition Statement
"We are committed to embedding a trauma-informed approach across our workforce in Angus, ensuring that every individual—regardless of their role—has the knowledge, skills, and confidence to recognise and respond to the impact of trauma. By aligning with Scotland’s National Trauma Transformation Framework, we will create a compassionate and resilient workforce that prioritises safety, trust, and empowerment. Through ongoing learning, collaboration, and leadership, we will foster a culture where services are designed and delivered in a way that reduces harm, promotes recovery, and supports the wellbeing of individuals and communities across Angus."
Strategic Plan
The Angus Council Plan runs from April 2024 to March 2028. The Angus Multi-Agency Trauma Informed Practice Strategic Plan covers the same period.
One of the priority areas for the Angus Council Plan is “Caring for our people”. Embedding trauma informed practice will help meet this priority.
The TIP Strategic Plan's priorities are focused on the ‘Key Drivers’ in the National Trauma Transformation Programme (NTTP) roadmap.
The TIP Steering Group has prioritised the following four areas:
Organisational Culture and Leadership
Staff Care, Support and Wellbeing
Staff Knowledge, Skills & Confidence
How we design and deliver services
and established multi-agency workstreams to take them forward.
Once the Strategic Plan has been finalised, a link to it will appear on this page.
Learning Resources
- TURAS Trauma Informed Workforce Information
- National Trauma Transformation Website
- Protecting People Angus Learning and Development Newsletter
Other resources
Self-assessment tool
The National Trauma Transformation Programme has provided this tool to help you identify how your organisation can become more trauma informed.
Guide to recovery oriented language
Produced by the Australian Mental Health Coordinating Council.
Creating trauma informed spaces
This short guide, developed by the University of Sussex, based on key questions set out in the Scottish Government Trauma Informed Practice Toolkit, provides a useful resource to help you develop trauma informed spaces for all.
Staff Wellbeing: taking care of yourself
We are all exposed to different stresses and risks at work. This short module provides the ABCs of taking care of yourself and the active steps we can all take to protect and sustain our wellbeing.
Wellness action plan guidance and template
A Wellness Action Plan (WAP) helps make the workplace a safe and supportive place, especially for people who have been through tough times. It’s like a personal guide that helps someone share what they need to feel okay at work, like ways to handle stress or things that might make them upset. Managers can then support them in the best way possible. By listening and understanding, workplaces can be kinder, reduce stress, and help everyone feel happier and do their best. This guidance and template can be used either by individuals themselves to help them think about what they need, or by managers as part of a conversation with individuals.
Identifying and managing vicarious trauma
It is important to recognise that working with individuals who have experienced trauma can also impact your own well-being. Complete this e-learning module to understand why this happens, its potential effects, and learn strategies for self-care. This module aims to help you understand the impact of working with trauma-affected individuals on well-being, emphasising the importance of self-care and support in managing secondary traumatisation.
Find out what practice type fits your role
Understanding trauma and its impact is an important skill for everyone. Regardless of your role, being trauma-informed helps you create safe and supportive spaces for others. The National Trauma Transformation Framework’s short quiz will help you determine what level of trauma-informed training best fits your needs.