RETHINK! Trauma Informed Support

A new service consisting of a multi-agency group of practitioners who follow a trauma informed approach to casework. Working with children and young people who have experienced adversity within their development, and present a concern to families and/or professional services.

These concerns will typically involve difficulties within school/education settings and within the community, there may be evidence of offending behaviour too.

Trauma and adverse experiences can have a significant impact on an ability to cope effectively, to trust and to feel safe.

When feeling unsafe and struggling to trust, individuals may struggle to progress academically, socially or emotionally.

They are likely to present with behaviours that can challenge and become the focus of interventions. When excluding the trauma history, could be retraumatising and ineffective.

RETHINK! will help services and families to recognise and respond to how traumatic experiences have affected children and young people’s development.
Exploring how their presentation and behaviour makes sense in context of their past experiences and what response is appropriate from professionals as a result.

We aim to support services to think about what has happened to the young person rather than thinking what they are doing wrong.

To consider what need is being met by the behaviour the child presents, what danger the child is avoiding, what the child and young person needs from adults, to be able to regulate their emotions and manage daily life better.

RETHINK! will initially provide in depth consultation support to other professionals involved with the family and will aim to develop a detailed analysis, relating to the families experiences that explains the issues, and what is likely to be maintaining them.

The analysis will involve developing a comprehensive history of the family, critical discussion with professionals involved with the support plan for the child and family.

Sharing initial hypotheses with the family themselves and adjusting the analysis/formulation in light of the outcome of that collaboration.

Once completed, feedback will be provided to all relevant parties involved and agreements will be reached about next steps about the nature, type and level of supportive intervention that might be appropriate for the family.

This may include direct input from the RETHINK! staff team. The RETHINK! team will aim to evaluate the effectiveness of the new support plan and interventions.

Key elements include:

Recognising the role of trauma and its impact on children and families.
Ensuring the ‘story’ relating to the family takes account of their history and that the impact of their experiences on the current situation is recognised by all.

In light of the new story, support plans take account of the trauma history and services develop their responses taking account of the analysis/formulation.

The programme can be accessed by referral from a professional, who will need to complete the following online form – RETHINK! request for trauma informed support.

To find out more about the programme visit the Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership website.