Trauma-Informed Care in Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority Communities

Background 

Trauma informed care has been increasingly explored within services over recent years both in health and social care, as well as criminal justice. Broadly speaking, a trauma-informed approach to care can be described as one which ‘aims to provide an environment where a person who has experienced trauma feels safe and can develop trust’. Embedding trauma-informed care means ensuring that clinicians and other professionals are equipped with a sufficient understanding of trauma, and that policies around care provision are informed by an appreciation of trauma, as well as concepts such as retraumatisation and revictimisation. In being trauma-informed, services can improve the care they provide and reduce avoidable harm.  

The Observatory has therefore identified an urgent need to better understand trauma in the context of race; to assess the effectiveness of trauma-informed care through the lens of race and racism; and to explore best practice in developing race-aware trauma informed care.  

Why this work is important

Adopting a trauma informed approach can help services avoid inadvertently retraumatising people who have experienced racism. Not only is racism a cause of trauma for ethnic minority people accessing mental heath services, but many will have experienced racism in their interactions with health care and other public services in the past. This work will inform guidance for services to provide race-conscious trauma informed care.  

Aim 

There is an urgent need to better understand trauma in the context of race; to assess the effectiveness of trauma-informed care through the lens of race and racism; and to explore best practice in developing race-aware trauma informed care. In examining trauma informed care, this project will:  

• Explore existing literature around trauma-informed care, race and racism in the delivery of trauma-informed care, and experiences of systemic trauma.   
• Engage meaningfully with individuals with relevant lived experience.   
• Work alongside trauma-informed services to explore practice, impact, and outcomes.    
• Develop resources aimed at service providers to promote effective trauma informed care for Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.  

Project outputs 

As well as a report, executive summary, and lay summary, we will also be producing resources to assist services in embedding trauma-informed approaches across the system.   

Timelines 

This research is expected to complete in Spring 2024. 

 Further information 

For further information please contact Sam Rodger (Assistant Director of Policy and Strategy) at info@nhsrho.org