Trauma-Informed Practice in the Workplace
Trauma experience is common within the community. There are many day-to-day interactions that everyone has with a variety of different people, from colleagues to clients. Each individual comes from a different trauma background and has different life experiences, which you may not be aware of. As a result, they may also have different triggers which may elicit an unexpected response during day-to-day interactions. It is therefore important to be aware of trauma-informed practice. Trauma-informed practice is an approach that recognises that trauma is common and works to ensure that there is minimal re-traumatisation of the individual.
Trauma-informed practices are most commonly associated with organisations from the health and human services sector. However, it is critical that all organisations educate themselves on becoming a trauma-informed workplace
What is Trauma?
The Australian Psychological Society defines trauma as an event which is distressing or terrifying and ‘may result in psychological harm … and can affect a person’s ability to cope or function normally’. These events can have lifelong harmful impacts on an individual, which may also affect how they function; mentally, emotionally, physically or socially. There are different types of traumas in which an individual may experience, including:
- Childhood trauma: Trauma which is experienced ‘as a result of something that is done to them by a person, persons, or events’. Common childhood traumas are usually child abuse or neglect.
- Complex trauma: ‘cumulative underlying, and often interpersonal trauma, commonly from childhood’.
- Intergenerational trauma: Trauma which has been experienced by one generation, however, it has yet to be resolved and has subsequently been ‘transferred to later generations’.
- Vicarious trauma: ‘the cumulative effects of exposure to information about traumatic events and experiences’.
Trauma can present differently between each individual. More information on the different kinds of trauma and how these can manifest can be found here.
What is Trauma-Informed Practice?
Trauma Informed Practice is a holistic strengths-focused framework which aims to support the wellbeing of individuals and minimise any distress or harm they may experience.
The framework is founded upon six key principles:
- Safety: Ensuring the working environment is one in which an individual can feel emotionally and physically safe.
- Trust: Providing a workplace which is sensitive to the needs of the individual.
- Choice: Ensuring there are options within the workplace for the individual to choose from.
- Collaboration: Ensuring that organisations are working with individuals as equals and that they are part of any decision-making processes.
- Empowerment: Ensuring individuals feel empowered and have a sense of control during collaborations, interviews and other workplace interactions.
- Respect for diversity: Ensuring a core value of the organisation is showing respect to all individuals who access or work in the organisation, regardless of their background.
Organisations should ground their policies within these principles to ensure they are providing a holistic trauma-informed approach when working with clients and employees. Having this framework as a core part of the day-to-day running of the organisation will ensure individuals feel they are being heard, respected and safe.
What Does It Mean to Engage in a Trauma-Informed Way?
Engaging with individuals, whether they are colleagues or clients, within a trauma informed lens can yield positive results. There are various ways in which this can be achieved, including:
- Understanding that trauma can manifest in different ways for different people.
- Being aware of and responsive to trauma, as this can assist in making the individual feel comfortable and safe within the organisation.
- Ensuring any concerns that are raised are taken seriously and are dealt with sensitively, allowing the individual time and space to communicate and ensuring they feel comfortable to express themselves.
How Can Organisations Be Trauma-Informed Organisations?
The first step to ensuring that an organisation adopts a trauma-informed lens is to acknowledge that trauma exists and to commit to recognising it and addressing it throughout daily practice. It is also important to become familiar with the various types of trauma people can experience, as this may influence how they work best and how they interact with other people. Failure to recognise this can result in individuals being inadvertently re-traumatised within the workplace.
Organisations can ensure that they are being informed by trauma-informed practice by:
- Providing ongoing training, education and support to employees.
- Implementing appropriate policies and procedures relating to trauma-informed practice.
- Ensuring trauma-informed practices are implemented throughout all levels of the organisation, including the different levels of management.
- Responding in a timely manner to any incidents where an individual has been triggered.
- Having regular supervision.
- Providing appropriate professional support.
Organisations must ensure that they think about what trauma-informed practice looks like on a practical level to ensure implementation is effective. The principles of trauma-informed practice must be translated into practical everyday practice. For example:
- Knowledge and understanding: Workplaces having the ‘knowledge, skills and confidence to respond’ to individuals in a positive way to avoid any further re-traumatisation.
- Safety is a vital principle to understand and implement as individuals who feel safe within the workplace will be assisted to recover and feel protected.
- A focus on wellbeing ensures workplaces are mindful of the various ‘risk factors and protective factors’. For example, this can guide workplaces to ensure individuals are not being overworked and are appropriately accessing leave to focus on their wellbeing.
Further in-depth information can be found here.
How Can Safe Space Legal Help?
The team at Safe Space Legal have extensive experience working with organisations across Australia to support and strengthen their safeguarding practices. We frequently work with organisations to ensure their policies and procedures are trauma-informed and to ensure that there are trauma-informed responses in place to address concerns and allegations that are raised. Safe Space Legal conduct trauma-informed investigations into allegations of trauma and psychosocial hazards, including sexual harassment and bullying.
Safe Space Legal provides the following services to ensure employers and organisations are meeting their legal obligations to safeguard employees and their service users by:
- Conducting independent investigations which are compliant with Commonwealth, and relevant state and territory legislation and regulations.
- Ensuring that complaints handling and reporting processes are compliant with legal obligations and are trauma-informed.
- Drafting best practice workplace safeguarding policies, procedures and codes of conduct.
- Delivering training to ensure employers and employees are aware of their legal obligations in respect to trauma, workplace bullying, harassment, duty of care and child safety.
- Providing sound legal advice on risk mitigation and critical incident response.
Contact office@safespacelegal.com.au or call (03) 9124 7321 to organise a complementary discussion in relation to your organisation’s safeguarding needs.