Our Vision

Greater Manchester is on the journey to become an Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) aware and trauma-responsive system.


The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and GM Reform Board, VRU and ICB aim to promote a shared understanding of the concept of trauma-responsive care.


Building upon the widespread work of researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and people with lived experience in the field.

Positive & Adverse Childhood Experiences

& Trauma Responsive

  • Recognises the prevalence of trauma in people’s lives and acknowledging potential effects that this can have on individuals, families, networks & communities;


  • Does not label people according to presenting difficulties or circumstances, and, uses respectful and hopeful approaches that recognises the strength in people, their resilience and potential for healing;


  • Acknowledges the importance of language and the necessity of any terms used being inclusive;


  • Recognising how service responses can be helpful for people, while also having the potential to be re-traumatising;


  • Understanding adversity as an important aspect of the work, as some people with adverse experiences may not recognise their experiences as being linked to trauma;


  • Acknowledging some people might not have heard of the term ‘trauma’, that this word may hold no meaning for them, or that linking their situations to trauma could result in their experiences feeling more real and difficult to overcome;


  • Is about having a strength based and positive growth approach.

Our Principles

Safety

By increasing awareness and understanding ACEs, trauma and their impact, and, cultural competence we can create safe interactions and nurture safe and healing relationships.

Trust

We trust that individuals are the experts on their experience and we support in ways that provide choice, open opportunities for control, and promote autonomy.

Collaboration

Through our efforts we promote individual choice and control, we share power and governance.

Empowerment

Integrating care into all our interactions and efforts we acknowledge that healing and recovery is possible.

Greater

Manchester

Approach

For trauma and childhood adversity, we will adopt and adapt the WHO definition of a public health approach to violence prevention: 


  • Define the problem through systematic collection of information about the magnitude, scope, characteristics and consequences of ACEs and trauma and acknowledge that trauma and ACEs exist. 


  • Establish why ACEs and trauma occur using research to determine the causes and correlates of 


  • ACEs and trauma, the factors that increase or decrease the risk for such adversity, and the factors that could be modified through interventions. 


  • Find out what works across Greater Manchester to prevent ACEs and trauma by designing, implementing and evaluating interventions.


  • Implement effective and promising interventions in a wide range of settings. The effects of these interventions on risk factors and the target outcome should be monitored, and their impact and cost-effectiveness should be evaluated.

Our Objectives

To nurture learning and development, together, in order to develop community led responses with strategic support.

Communication & Engagement

Developing a Greater Manchester language and a set of trauma responsive values, principles and standards to create the right environment.

Workforce Development

Building understanding and capacity across services and the systems. 

Evidence Informed Innovation

Understanding what works in practice through mapping and understand the system, and review best practice.

Service User Involvement

Create a social movement across Greater Manchester to engage communities in understanding and co-production of trauma responsive systems.

Service Development

Support for improving policy and practice to change culture.

Neighbourhood and Community

Improving community resilience and creating a social movement for change.

 2,407

Professionals Attending Training

10

Boroughs

Multiple

Service Sectors

1

Greater Manchester Community of Practice

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