National Care Leavers Month: Importance of Trauma-Informed Practice
Every November, National Care Leavers Month provides an opportunity to recognise the experiences, achievements and resilience of young people leaving care. It is also a time to reflect on the responsibility we all share to ensure care leavers receive the support they need to thrive.
Supporting the transition into adulthood
At Inspire North, we work alongside young people at a significant point in their lives.
While many care leavers demonstrate remarkable resilience, the transition into adulthood can bring challenges that many of their peers may not face. Moving towards independence without a consistent support network, managing finances, navigating education or employment, and maintaining emotional wellbeing can all create additional pressures.
For this reason, a trauma-informed approach is not simply something we aspire to. It is fundamental to how we work.
What does it mean to be trauma-informed?
Being trauma-informed means recognising that people’s behaviours can be shaped by their experiences.
Many care-experienced young people have experienced adversity, loss, instability or disrupted relationships. Rather than asking, “What’s wrong with you?”, we seek to understand:
“What has happened to you?”
Most importantly, we ask:
“What support do you need now?”
This mindset influences every aspect of our support. It helps us create environments where young people feel safe, respected and listened to.
It also ensures that we focus on building trusting relationships, working collaboratively and empowering individuals to have control over their own goals and futures.
Providing more than a place to live
Our supported accommodation services are designed to provide more than just a place to live. We aim to create a foundation from which young people can build confidence, develop practical skills and move towards greater independence.
Success is not measured solely through outcomes such as employment, education or sustaining a tenancy. It can also be reflected in:
- increased confidence;
- stronger relationships;
- improved wellbeing;
- the development of practical skills;
- greater independence;
- and a growing belief in what is possible.
Creating opportunities in the workplace
Our commitment extends beyond the support provided within our services.
Inspire North has signed up to the Care Leavers Friendly Employer Charter, demonstrating our commitment to creating opportunities for care-experienced people through our recruitment processes and within our workforce.
As part of this commitment, we have considered the support available to care leavers during the application process, including access to a named contact. We are also considering how diversity monitoring can help us better understand the experiences of care-experienced applicants.
We want our recruitment materials and wider communications to make this commitment visible and accessible.
Becoming truly trauma-informed means considering the experiences of care leavers not only as people who may use our services, but also as potential colleagues, leaders and changemakers.
By removing barriers and creating opportunities, we can help care-experienced people fulfil their ambitions and bring their valuable experiences and perspectives into the workplace.
Listening and continually improving
As an Ofsted-regulated provider, we are committed to continually improving the quality of support we offer.
We recognise that good support is built on strong governance, reflective practice and a willingness to listen to feedback from the young people we support.
However, policies, inspections and frameworks can only take us so far. Meaningful change also happens through everyday interactions and relationships.
Listening to young people and involving them in decisions about their support helps us create services that are responsive to their needs, ambitions and individual experiences.
Challenging assumptions
National Care Leavers Month is also an opportunity to challenge assumptions.
Care leavers should not be defined by their experiences of care or by the challenges they may have faced while growing up. They are young people with ambitions, talents, strengths and aspirations, and they deserve the same opportunities as anyone else to succeed.
We are continually inspired by the young people we work alongside. Their determination, resilience and achievements remind us why this work matters.
This month, and throughout the year, we remain committed to providing compassionate, trauma-informed support that helps care-experienced young people not only to move on, but to move forward with confidence.
Every young person deserves the opportunity to build a future they can be proud of.
Will Goode
Director of Operations