CWPT wins award for putting trauma-informed care at the heart of staff development
We’re delighted to share that our Psychological Skills Development Service (PSDS), led by Dr Jivan Culshaw, has been awarded first place in the inaugural Annual Recognition Awards in Trauma in the category ‘clinical initiative that provides professional development or improves support for staff groups working with trauma population’.
Entitled ‘trauma informed care training and building trauma informed organisations’ the entry highlights the work of the Trust’s Psychological Skills Development Service (PSDS) to drive trauma-informed care approach across the organisation through dedicated in-house training.
Trauma Informed Care (TIC) training is a bespoke programme co-designed and co-delivered by psychologists, our senior tutors, and our lived experience workforce. It is a collaboration between the PSDS and the Recovery and Wellbeing Academy (RAWA) through our expert trainers Dr Jivan Culshaw, Philipa Cole, Dr Elizabeth Kent and David Jowett. Using a tiered model, the training supports staff to build on their existing skillset, gain confidence in supporting patients with trauma, and reflect on their own experiences with trauma in a safe and supportive space.
Beyond developing clinical staff who regularly support people who may have experienced trauma, the training underpins CWPT’s ambition to be a trauma-informed organisation, where every interaction by every person is considerate and sympathetic of people’s experiences with trauma. The PSDS and RAWA also deliver training to non-clinical staff at all levels, and due to its success internally the training is now being rolled out to external organisations and Trusts through NHS England. The PSDS has also developed guidance to ensure all training delivered by the Trust follows TIC principles.
Judges were particularly impressed with how the initiative had been co-developed and co-delivered with experts with lived experience of trauma and that the roll out has already succeeded the Trust’s 2023 ambitions. They also highlighted that the feedback detailed in the submission demonstrated how valuable staff in CWPT and beyond have found the training.
Mel Coombes MBE, Chief Executive at CWPT said:
“We are so proud of the Psychological Skills Development Service for this fantastic achievement. It is so important that all our services and staff are trauma informed, to ensure we approach every patient interaction with care and consideration for what people may have been through. Thank you to team members Dr Jivan Culshaw, Philipa Cole, Dr Elizabeth Kent and David Jowett for their brilliant work!”
Trauma-informed care training is available to all staff at every level at CWPT. If you work at CWPT and would like to book onto the training, you can do so now via the Talent Platform.
If you are an external organisation who would like to enquire about TIC training for your team, please contact: SkillsDevelopment@covwarkpt.nhs.uk.