Meeting documents

To receive report and presentation.

This item will be led by the Council’s Joint Commissioner, Children’s and Health, Vikki Hearn and colleagues from CAMHS and Public Health.

Note – the Chair will allow 1 hour for this workshop agenda item.

The Chair welcomed the following to the meeting for this item:

·         Vikki Hearn, Joint Commissioner, Children’s and Health

·         Patsy Temple, Consultant in Public Health

·         Tim Cockerill, Principal Educational Psychologist

·         Tamsin Coles, Consultant Clinical Psychologist

The Committee received a detailed PowerPoint presentation on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s) – Trauma Informed Somerset / model and implementation across Somerset. A short film was shown at the start of the presentation and the presentation provided details on the terms used (ACE and trauma informed); ‘Sam’s story’; impact of childhood trauma; trauma recovery model, layers of intervention and underlying need; consistency, predictability, reliability; creating emotional safety; the five principles of trauma informed care (safety, choice, collaboration, trustworthiness, empowerment); the importance of trauma informed practice and an improved model for Somerset.

Mr Cockerill outlined some examples of trauma informed education: relational behaviour policy and practice and referred to the ‘pathfinder’ schools who act as ‘champions’ in the local area, providing support. Ms Hearn highlighted the journey to developing a trauma informed model and the Trauma Informed Charter. The Charter will be released for consultation at the trauma informed network launch event on the 24January to ensure system approval before being released and that Members are most welcome to attend. The Charter will also ask organisations which sign up to it to nominate a trauma informed champion to join the network, laying the initial groundwork. A copy of the Charter will be shared with the Committee.

Ms Hearn also highlighted the range and number of organisations included in those who have helped to develop the model and proposals. 

The Committee made a number of comments, which were responded to at the meeting: -

·         Discussion and questions about the work being done with schools, the role of mentoring schools, take-up and role of governors - confirmed this is around the system working together have trailed this in some schools – there is a mix of school type, but majority are primary schools and established pathfinder school / champion; sign-posting to governor support useful; Ms Hearn advised that a coordinator is also being recruited to pull together training resources and training plan for the next two years and to be linked with the development and progression of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Transformation Plan.

·         question about how those who are electively home educated would access support – confirmed that this would be something to be picked up by the new coordinator.

The Chair asked that the links to information on advice and mentoring be shared with the Committee.

On behalf of the Committee, the Chair thanked the presenters for the excellent presentation and information and asked for an update on progress in 6 months’ time.