What are the experiences of school staff who support children exposed to trauma and implement trauma informed approaches?

Aims: This research aimed to explore the perspectives of school staff (class teachers and special educational needs co-ordinators) who have supported children exposed to developmental trauma, and their experiences of implementing trauma-informed approaches following whole-school training. Method: Seven members of school staff took part in semi-structured interviews which explored their professional role, their conceptualisation of developmental trauma, as well as their attitudes, behaviour and experiences in relation to implementing relational approaches. Findings: The data was analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. A total of five major themes were developed: (1) development of practice; (2) managing the demands of the role; (3) understanding of theory; (4) the adult as the intervention; and (5) home factors. Participants described accounts of how they were able to harness their knowledge of developmental trauma to affect positive change, when they had ongoing support to do so. Limitations: The research sought to understand the perspectives of school staff within one local authority who had received training on developmental trauma. As such, caution should be taken when applying the findings outside of the research context. Conclusions: The findings point to the potential positive impact of educational psychology involvement on the experiences of school staff working with children who have experienced trauma. The necessity of trauma-informed training for all school staff is clear. The implications of this research link to recommendations for school leadership teams and Educational Psychologists to consider with regards to supporting the effective implementation of relational approaches.