Pleasure to hear Baroness, Longfield, Baroness Lister, @jessasatomp.bsky.social and @tomhayesmp.bsky.social talking about the right to play at the launch of the @alliance4children.bsky.social report, Power to Play in the House of Lords today. Play is a crucial part of recovery from Childhood Trauma.

The lovely Olly is running his first ever run - a massive 10k - this Sunday. And he's doing it on behalf of @TheBelayFoundation! How amazing is Olly?! More about Olly, his very personal reasons for supporting Belay, his run this Sunday, and about Belay all here: www.justgiving.com/page/olly-cr...

Interested in whether your child may be eligible for Disability Living Allowance? There’s still time to join our free zoom session on #DLA this evening at 7.30 if you would like! (Future sessions also bookable at the same link) More info here: calendly.com/training-the...

Do you want to make a change for Children, Young People & Families across the UK? If so, then please do look to join the ALLIANCE 4 CHILDREN - [email protected]

Great to see the contribution of our member @anne-marieday.bsky.social alongside colleagues from MCYS and Metropolis at @manmetuni.bsky.social to report that argues for a whole-child approach to childhood vulnerability: vulnerabilitypolicing.org.uk/news/new-rep... #ChildrensFutures

Re-entering uni in my late 40s, driven by education that ignores the real complexities of trauma, neurodiversity & care experience. Now in workplace, I’m seeing the disconnect remains: lofty promises with little on-the-ground support. Another push needed for care-ex to be a protected characteristic!

Today, DfE announced 40% cut to Adoption & Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF). A devastating blow to some of the most vulnerable children & the families who care for them. These cuts risk undoing years of progress in care & stability for children who’ve already experienced too much disruption

The language of ‘trauma-informed’ and ‘neurodiversity-aware’ is everywhere in care-related systems. But awareness isn’t action. These structures often reproduce the harms they name. Critical questions remain: who gets to define ‘support’? And who gets silenced under the guise of being ‘understood’?

Discrimination can be seen differently based on backgrounds & biases. What one views as targeted behaviour may be miscommunication (neurodiversity, language hurdles, or early trauma). How can organisations build frameworks to honour these nuanced perspectives w/out oversimplifying complex realities?

The UK Government recently launched a national listening exercise to let #YoungPeople have their say on support services, facilities and opportunities they need outside the school gates. They are invited to share their views via an online survey by 16 April: www.iwill.org.uk/NYS-Deliver-...

Earlier this year, our Institute was featured on the UN Academic Impact website, introducing our mission and highlights from our launch event to the world. Discover what guides us in making a positive impact on #ChildrensFutures: www.un.org/en/academic-...

We are a cross-university institute at @manmetuni.bsky.social. Through interdisciplinary research and engagement, we advance conceptualisation and implementation of children and young people’s rights, opportunities and wellbeing. Learn more: www.mmu.ac.uk/institute-fo... #ChildrensFutures

I devoured this in 72 hrs. The book is a raw, unflinching look at child abuse & neglect. Despite the heavy subject matter, Fagan’s prose is breathtakingly beautiful & captivating, drawing you in with its unvarnished honesty & emotional depth. It’s a stunning and shocking read that lingers.

Our report with Child of the North published today calls for creativity to be embedded into an inclusive school curriculum to develop a new generation of creatives to boost economic growth. www.centreforyounglives.org.uk/news-centre/...

Excited to refine plans for our new podcast on recovery from trauma, merging clinical insights with lived experiences, and exploring questions such as how do we define “recovery”, how can diverse therapies, personal narratives, and community support overcome systemic barriers…and much more.

📣Calling current psychology and education students to participate in an online interview about your studies and how prepared they make you feel for the workplace. #callforparticipants #researchstudy #studyrecruitment See poster for more details. Contact our Principal Researcher [email protected]

The term ‘trauma-informed’ is everywhere, but what does it actually mean? A TI approach is not just about being ‘aware’ of trauma – it’s about shifting how we 'be'. The #TICSConference in Oct, explores what trauma-informed care looks like in practice. Join us: www.ticservicesltd.com/conference20...

Bravo 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Such an interesting piece, Faith. Thanks for sharing.

💡 Vicarious trauma isn’t a personal failing. It’s a natural response to exposure to others’ trauma. Understanding it is key to protecting ourselves & sustaining this work. #VicariousTrauma #HelpingProfessionals #SelfCarePsychology

Please sign this petition. Adoptive parents are on the verge of losing a crucial lifeline. The system is at tipping point, and without the ASGSF, many families will be left without the help they desperately need. This fund is vital glimmer of relief in an already stretched system. chng.it/69cxVWVkcr

Word of the Day is ‘ingordigiousness’ (18th century): extreme greed at the expense of principles.

Attended great event today on promoting research to parliament w @mcrmetropolis.bsky.social, Huw Edwards & Jasmine Hearn. A powerful reminder that research shouldn’t stay on a shelf, it needs to drive real change. My goal: bridge gap between insight & action, ensuring lived experiences shape policy.

This Saturday 1st March sees the London launch of the new documentary film on the impacts of boarding school #BoardingOnInsanity. I'm contributing to the online evening discssn on 5th Mar. Find out more by signing up here: www.boardingoninsanity.com

Really looking forward to attending this workshop today.

The ‘cost of caring’ doesn’t have to drain you. Compassion fatigue is real, but it’s not inevitable. 💛🌿 #CompassionFatigue #CharlesFigley

Promote increased awareness and understanding of the impact of complex childhood trauma and the implications for children's services. We think our aims are really important! See here for more information www.parallelparliament.co.uk/APPG/childho...

All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) are informal, cross-party groups formed by MPs and Members of the House of Lords who share a common interest in a particular policy area, region or country. The Childhood Trauma APPG aims to...

Please help with this @irctrauma.bsky.social appeal to find a Conservative MP for the Childhood Trauma APPG.

Many children in prison were once children in crisis. Wherever possible, we must address trauma early—with stability, care, and support—to change the narrative, change outcomes, and change lives.

Trauma-related behaviours aren’t deliberate decisions, they’re survival responses. Yet, some schools still operate on the belief that behaviour is a choice. Reframing behaviour management as relationship management shifts the focus from control to connection. Safety, trust, and regulation come first

If you are interested in learning more about our work, are keen to collaborate or would like to volunteer to support our work please visit our website to get in contact: irct.org.uk

We are keen to promote postgraduate research opportunities. We are currently looking for a new Patron - A member of the House of Lords.

Our new Media and Knowledge Exchange sub-group provided our first update. We met a future Trustee (very exciting). We discussed our new Centre for Recovery from Childhood Trauma. We explored current and potential research collaborations.

Another engaging and productive Board meeting @irctrauma.bsky.social Trustee's shared updates on membership, lobbying, APPG and DfE work, our responses to various calls for evidence, recent collaborations and alliances, future events and conferences including our Best Practice Forums.

🧵1/7 Following on from yesterday’s post, adoptive parents often carry an invisible weight, managing trauma, advocating for support, and constantly adjusting to meet their child’s needs. But I wanted to add that when the system fails, that weight doesn’t just disappear.

Trauma shapes the brain, but so does recovery. With the right support, safety & connection, the nervous system can heal, regulation can be learned, triggers can lose intensity& connection can create new patterns of safety. Healing happens in relationships, in self-compassion & in small steps forward

🧵 1/4 Caring for a child who has experienced trauma is more than love and patience, it’s absorbing their pain in ways that can be hard to recognise. The exhaustion, anxiety, and overwhelm many caregivers feel isn’t just stress. It’s possibly secondary trauma, compassion fatigue, blocked care.

Compassion fatigue can hit suddenly, leaving us drained, cynical, and questioning our ability to care. It’s not burnout, but it is real—and protecting ourselves matters. Our Five Pillars of Protection help buffer the impact. Let’s talk about it. #CompassionFatigue #HelpingProfessionals

Relational approaches are not about being a pupils best friend but the small everyday moments. Connection. Sincere compliments.Acts of kindness. Genuine check-in. Showing up in ways that matter. Remembering the little details.These moments are powerful & therapeutic. 🧠🌱

2 thought-provoking talks today! Prof. Rebecca Pearson shared key findings from MHINT project, reshaping how we understand intergenerational mental health, Prof. Marc Bornstein spoke on the Specificity Principle, a concept I apply in my research,emphasising no one-size-fits-all in development/policy

The human brain develops within the interaction of its environment, it's a process. So schools should be in the development of nurturing healthy brains as they develop until adulthood.Schools should be places of emotional nurturing,not just a transmission of facts and ability.🧠🌱

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

You can’t go wrong …

Many care experienced young people including those in kinship care have experienced trauma. Isolation from family & friends while in care can adversely impact mental health further. We're supporting the #FutureMindsCampaign calling for immediate, scalable action to address the mental health crisis

Great to dust off the Five Pillars of Protection for today's 'Secondary Trauma: Supporting Managers to Support Staff' with Staffs CC. A helpful model for spotting where support is needed to buffer professional trauma & fatigue. Thanks for having us! #SecondaryTrauma #WorkplaceWellbeing

Excellent point. Thanks Steve.

I’ve decided I’m going to take over Lancashire, own it, level it, get all its inhabitants to relocate to Wales, Cumbria or wherever (not Yorkshire!), re-name it God’s Own Country, plant millions of acres of rhubarb and build a Betty’s Tea Room on every street corner. That’ll sort the buggers!! 👍 👀