In Bolton we are on a journey to work more in a trauma‑informed way; this is known as trauma‑informed practice. 

This helps to:

• Understand that trauma exposure can impact a person’s development and life experiences
• Recognise the signs and symptoms of trauma in people
• Realise the impact of trauma and understand potential paths for recovery and support
• Ensure services are delivered in ways which prevent further harm and re‑traumatisation by helping people build trust, feel safe and supported

Who the programme is for:

This programme is for professionals and volunteers across Bolton who support children, young people and families, and who want to better understand the impact of adversity and help create a safer, more compassionate and trauma‑informed Bolton.

Trauma‑Informed Approaches for Children and Young People  

We’re bringing together partners from health, social care and the voluntary sector to create a kinder, more supportive system for children, young people and families in Bolton.

This project aims to:

• Build a shared understanding of what a trauma‑informed approach looks like 
• Explore how leaders and teams can help make positive change 
• Agree the key principles and priorities for a local framework 
• Bring everyone together behind one shared way of working before we move into delivery

Our goal is to make sure families get the understanding, care and support they need, wherever they are in the system.

Domestic Abuse Service‑Led Development  

SafeLives is a UK charity working to end domestic abuse for everyone, for good. They work with organisations across the country to improve how domestic abuse is addressed. Their approach is survivor‑led – they listen to people with lived experience and put their voices at the centre.

We’re running a project in Bolton to understand how domestic abuse services, and those working closely with them, are using trauma‑informed and ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) approaches. Our goal is to learn what’s working well, where there are gaps, and what can be improved. This will help create stronger support systems and better outcomes for people using services.

We’ll do this by:

• Talking to organisations and stakeholders 
• Checking how ready each organisation is for trauma‑informed practice 
• Offering support based on what’s needed 
• We’ll also create a clear baseline for each organisation, showing key insights and common themes.

Foundational ACEs and Trauma Training  

Foundational ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and Trauma training gives participants the chance to understand more about the impact that trauma has on the way that people see the world and live their lives. It is delivered as a half‑day training.

The topics covered in the training include:

• Understanding ACEs, what they are and how they can impact people 
• Recognising the important role that protective factors play in a person’s life 
• Understanding the impact of someone’s stress response because of trauma and how it impacts people throughout life 
• How trauma impacts child development 
• The importance of trauma‑informed practice in our work

Training is now available to all staff and volunteers working in Bolton. Bespoke training is also available to individual organisations that would like training specific to their work.

Trauma‑Informed Practice – Communities  

Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations in Bolton have worked together to co‑design a Trauma‑Informed Toolkit. This practical toolkit helps organisations begin their journey towards embedding trauma‑informed practice in their own settings.

Compassion Circle, led by A Brilliant Thing CIC, supports VCSE organisations across Bolton to build healing‑centred and trauma‑informed ways of working. Through workshops, team support and networking, the project is:

• Building a supportive Community of Practice 
• Delivering a learning programme to strengthen and support the sector 
• Developing Advocates and Supporters who champion compassionate practice

Together, these tools and activities help create safer, more understanding and connected organisations across Bolton.

Trauma‑Informed Schools  

In 2022, Bolton Council Public Health partnered with Knowledge Change Action (KCA) to pilot a Trauma‑Informed Schools Framework in a local secondary school. The project helped the school build a culture where understanding ACEs and trauma shapes everyday practice, relationships, and support for pupils.

The pilot aimed to:

• Embed a practical trauma‑informed approach 
• Equip staff with confidence to recognise and respond to trauma 
• Strengthen policies, systems and leadership through a structured change‑management model

Bolton’s Trauma‑Informed Schools Pilot evaluation, carried out by the National Institute for Health Research (Public Health Intervention Research Studies Team – PHIRST), raises awareness of its impact and shares how trauma‑informed approaches can be developed further across education settings.

 ACEs and Trauma‑Informed Training  

Despite the challenges of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), with education and awareness we can create a brighter future.

Sometimes life can be tough. Traumatic events in your childhood can lead to experiencing physical, behavioural and mental health problems, even in adulthood. However, with the right support you can live a happy, healthy, fulfilling life.

Free Foundational ACEs & Trauma Awareness Training:

Free Foundational Adverse Childhood Experiences & Trauma Awareness Training is now available to all staff and volunteers working in Bolton. Link: Foundational Adverse Childhood Experiences & Trauma Awareness Training

Free Bespoke Training Offer:

There is an opportunity for the Foundational ACEs course to be delivered to your organisation as a bespoke session for free.

The bespoke sessions are put together to specifically address the needs of your organisation. We will work with you to ensure that the length of the session is what you need and that the topics included are relevant to you. 

These topics can include:

• What ACEs are 
• Child development 
• What trauma is 
• The stress response system 
• Trauma‑informed practice

The sessions include a range of videos and animations and group activities. Link: Free bespoke training offer.

Trauma Informed Communities Toolkit

This toolkit supports trauma‑informed practice when working in and with communities, and assists organisations to adopt trauma‑informed ways of working that help everyone feel safe and supported.

As are programme moves forward further resources and tools will be added.