Health and care leaders across West Yorkshire are united in their support to tackle and address barriers that people affected by trauma can experience when accessing care.

The West Yorkshire Adversity, Trauma and Resilience Programme, jointly delivered by West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership (WY HCP) and West Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), has an ambition to ensure West Yorkshire is a trauma informed and responsive system by 2030. Initiatives to prevent harm and improve wellbeing, particularly for those who are most vulnerable and face multiple difficulties, include:

• Two adversity, trauma and resilience knowledge exchanges attended by over 1,000 people to showcase projects taking place across West Yorkshire
• Development of the West Yorkshire Adversity, Trauma and Resilience Framework and Academy
• Recruiting 30 Adversity, Trauma and Resilience Fellows as part of WY HCP Improving Population Health Fellowship 
• Developing new and building on existing networks dealing with specific issues, for example, combatting cyber bullying; reducing violence against staff; developing a trauma informed justice system; using trauma informed language
• Guides and supporting resources:
  • Trauma informed education settings insight West Yorkshire guidance
  • West Yorkshire trauma informed co-production guidance
  • A review of life-course evidence, approaches and provision to support the transformation to a trauma informed health and care system by 2030
  • Addressing the root causes of serious violence and exploitation of young people in West Yorkshire

• Training to thousands of multi-agency colleagues including the police, schools, housing providers, primary care, accident and emergency and local authorities
• Developing an adversity, trauma and resilience web portal bringing shared resources together – coming soon

West Yorkshire’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Alison Lowe OBE is also the Senior Responsible Officer for the Adversity, Trauma and Resilience Programme and said:

“People who experience adversity and trauma are at higher risk of poor physical and mental health. Children are more likely to adopt anti-social and health-harming behaviours, get involved in violence, be excluded from school and attain low exam results. Adults facing multiple disadvantages can be more predisposed to addictions, dying by suicide and being absent from work than those who don’t.

“While fully eradicating trauma remains unlikely, by working together we can help to strengthen community resilience, mitigate existing harm and ultimately improve lives for people living and working in West Yorkshire.”

Chief Superintendent Jackie Marsh, West Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) Director, said: “Collaboration is key to make sure that we do not add to harm and that we work in ways that mitigate the impact of where there has been harm already.

“Trauma and adversity cannot be prevented and responded to by one sector. That’s why it’s crucial that all our organisations and system leaders work together and that we listen to grassroots expertise to deliver the shifts in culture and practice needed to achieve our vision of ensuring the area is trauma-informed and responsive to people’s needs. We have a way to go but that work has started and is happening right now across West Yorkshire.”

The West Yorkshire Adversity, Trauma and Resilience Programme was set up in June 2020 and comprises over 300 members.