AQW 14908/22-27

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 12/09/2024
Answered On Date: 01/10/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister whether they have considered a trauma informed and trauma resilient approach for Northern Ireland, similar to the National Trauma Transformation Programme led by the Scottish government.

Answer:

We are committed to embedding trauma-informed approaches within the work of our department and the wider public sector. In the draft Programme for Government, which is currently out for public consultation, we have committed to developing a trauma-informed public sector and understanding the impact of trauma in society.

A Trauma Informed Practice team in the Safeguarding Board (SBNI) is funded by the cross-Executive Programme on Paramilitarism and Organised Crime. The SBNI’s Trauma Informed Practice Implementation managers will continue to support member and partner agencies to embed Trauma Informed Approaches building on existing knowledge of adversity and trauma.

Within The Executive Office, the vision of our new Strategy for Victims and Survivors of the Troubles/Conflict 2024-2034 is to be ‘a trauma informed society that addresses the needs of victims and survivors.’ We are also pleased that the Victims and Survivors Service recently became the first organisation here to be accredited with a Silver ‘Trauma-Informed: Working with Trauma Quality Mark’, offering formal recognition of the VSS trauma-informed approach.

In addition, a key principle of the Ending Violence Against Women and Girls Strategic Framework is that the work under the Framework should be trauma informed.