 TALC working to respond to unmet trauma as autumn term begins
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can lead to educational problems for pupils in later life.
But, Gloucestershire County Council’s trauma informed approach to dealing with ACEs can help to support pupils with additional needs.
The Team Around the Locality Cluster programme (TALC) responds to unmet needs including those rooted in trauma and, after the summer break, remains available to provide support to children and young people who have needs that prevent them from accessing full and appropriate education.
At the recent Action on ACEs Gloucestershire conference, organised by the Action on ACEs Partnership, a number of experts in the field spoke on the subject. They gave their own first-hand accounts of dealing with ACEs in their own life, and discussed the importance of relational practice in overcoming these experiences.
Juliette Ttofa, chartered educations psychologist, HCPC registered professional psychologist, and registered sand play therapist, said: “It matters to me personally that no child, young person, or adult with ACEs should ever feel alone.
“The Adverse Childhood Experiences studies have exposed that our schools, our communities, and our homes are barbed with the arrows of adversity. As a society we are haemorrhaging from our wounds.
“For so long the wound of trauma has gone unacknowledged.
“The impact of ACEs, such as abuse, neglect, or domestic violence, on an individuals neuro-biology, their nervous system, body, and mind, cannot be underestimated.
“We let children down if we ignore, at best, or punish, at worst, these children for adaptations to their biological stress response system that they had no conscious control over.”
TALC, Gloucestershire’s multi-agency approach to supporting schools, giving them an open forum to refer their concerns to, follows a trauma informed process of working to first recognise and then respond to unmet needs. With the county council’s Restorative Practice Team working with a number of schools to embed Trauma Informed Relational Practice (TIRP) to build resilience and promote inclusion in our school communities.
The council has recently appointed a Multi-Agency Forum Co-ordinator, who will work in partnership with schools, county council services, and agencies, to ensure that the TALC and other collaborative forums remain focussed on removing barriers for children and young people in relation to accessing education, demonstrating the authority’s commitment to supporting schools and young people across Gloucestershire.
Molly Macleod, restorative practice services lead at Gloucestershire County Council, said: “Restorative practice is about relationships. Building strong, healthy relationships, and repairing them when conflict occurs.
“It’s about taking responsibility for your own behaviour and holding others to account for theirs, knowing that when conflict occurs harm is caused on both sides and we need to repair the harm if the relationship is to survive.
“This means being given a chance to be listened to and for your story to be properly heard. It also means listening to the other person’s perspective to understand why they did what they did.”
To watch the speakers in full, view it on YouTube through the link below.
Ms Macleod added: “There is hope. As my wonderful friend Juliette taught me, resilience trumps ACEs.
“Having a trusted adult in your life enables you to feel safe. Feeling safe and being able to talk through your experiences enables you to make sense of your emotions and builds your resilience.”
To find out more about the TALC programme, visit https://www.glosfamiliesdirectory.org.uk/kb5/gloucs/glosfamilies/family.page?familychannel=3_2_10. Alternatively, contact the team on talc@gloucestershire.gov.uk, or 01452 427 434.
To find out more about Restorative Practice and TIRP, visit https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/education-and-learning/restorative-practice-in-gloucestershire.
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