Trauma Informed Plymouth Network

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Welcome to the Trauma Informed Plymouth Network, a space that offers connection and embraces the value of trusted & healthy relationships.

We celebrate the strength, personal growth, innovation & creativity that can grow from adversity and trauma.

05/10/2026

Our email issues are fixed!

Thank you to everyone for their patience and understanding while we resolved our technical issue.

If you've had trouble reaching us over the last couple weeks, please do try again. We look forward to hearing from you.

01/10/2026

Workforce Development Branch Refresh
Trauma Informed Plymouth Network
What if workplaces were designed around people rather than processes?
What if recruitment, leadership, supervision, policies and everyday interactions genuinely reflected the values of trust, safety, connection and belonging?
As the Workforce Development Branch of the Trauma Informed Plymouth Network begins its refresh, we are inviting new members to join us in exploring these questions and shaping what comes next.
Over the next three months, we will be hosting a series of online "Talk & Reflect" sessions. These conversations will shine a light on innovative approaches, emerging practice and local learning, while creating space for reflection, curiosity and collective thinking.
Together, we will explore:
✨ How we create workplaces where people can thrive
✨ What it means to truly honour lived and living experience
✨ Relational and human-centred approaches to leadership and organisational development
✨ Building psychologically informed cultures, systems and processes
✨ Setting our shared intentions and priorities for the Workforce Development Branch throughout 2027
Who is this for?
This space is open to anyone with an interest in creating healthier, more compassionate and trauma-informed workplaces, including:
Leaders and managers
HR and workforce development professionals
People with lived and living experience
Practitioners and frontline staff
Voluntary, community and public sector partners
Anyone passionate about putting people first
Join us for our first session

Our plan to host the first of these events on Monday 5th October has been thwarted by a technical glitch that we are working to resolve. We will share and update time and date as soon as we are able. Barriers aside,
our opening conversation will feature Improving Lives Plymouth and one of the Branch leads, Deb Atter sharing how the introduction of a Trauma Informed Recruitment Pathway became the catalyst for wider organisational reflection and change.
The session will explore how a focus on recruitment evolved into a broader review of the organisation's operating model, culture and ways of working, creating opportunities to build a more relational, strengths-based and person-centred approach across the whole organisation.
Whether you have been involved with the network for years or are curious to join for the first time, we would love to welcome you.
Come along, share your perspective, learn from others, and help shape the future of Trauma Informed workforce development in Plymouth.
"Creating workplaces where people don't just work, but belong, grow and thrive." 🌿

25/09/2026

We're having trouble with our emails right now. If you've tried to contact us in the last few days and had problems, please bear with us! We're working on the fix and will have it back up and running as soon as possible. Keep an eye out for updates here or on our website, and apologies for the inconvenience.

07/07/2026

From Survival to Systemic Change: Spotlighting the Experience of Women in Family Courts 💜Full story & gallery available via link in comments.
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On Friday 27 June, members of our team joined Red and Biddy from Becoming Arethusa CiC to help host their conference and art exhibition at Market Hall. 'From Survival to Systemic Change' put a spotlight on the experiences of women in the family courts, with a powerful lineup of speakers covering domestic abuse, gender bias, and systemic reform.

Alongside the conference was 'In My Shoes,' an art installation where over 50 women who described themselves as survivors exhibited work created through art therapy sessions. Some of those sessions were hosted right here at Improving Lives, with women we support directly. Lived experience, creativity, and advocacy all in one room.

It was a humbling day and we're honoured to have played a small part. Thank you to Deb, Sue and Nancy for giving their time, to everyone who helped signpost women to the art therapy workshops, and to our wonderful speakers listed below. Most of all, thank you to Becoming Arethusa CiC for shining such a creative light on something that matters so much. 💜

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Speakers Included:
Fleur Beuchler | Domestic Abuse Trainer and Behaviour Change Team Lead at Barnardo's Plymouth
Meghan Elizabeth Field | Plymouth City Council VAWG Strategic Lead
Professor Lara Feigel | Writer and Cultural Historian at King's College London
Dr Lucy Johnstone | Clinical Psychologist and Author of ‘Users and Abusers of Psychiatry’
Lauren Taylor | Chartered Legal Executive at The Family Law Company
Dr Kim Heyes | Associate Professor of Inequalities and Abuse Manchester Metropolitan University

16/03/2026

Language is powerful.

Every day we use words that carry weight. They shape how people are seen and treated, often without us even realising it.

As part of our commitment to safer, trauma-informed practice, we highlight everyday language that can unintentionally cause harm, based on what we’ve learned from our network and community.

This month’s focus: the word “abscond.”
(Inspired by strengths-based practice work with colleagues at Nottinghamshire County Council.)

“Abscond” is often used when someone leaves a place without permission or isn’t where they’re expected to be. In systems shaped by rules, risk, and safeguarding responsibilities, the word can quickly frame the situation as non-compliance or wrongdoing.

But behaviour always has context.

Someone leaving a setting might be:
• seeking safety
• responding to fear
• trying to regain a sense of control
• moving toward somewhere they feel safer

Using the term “absconding” can unintentionally suggest blame or deliberate defiance—and may miss the reality of someone’s experience.

Trauma-informed practice invites curiosity.

Instead of asking:
❓ “Why did they abscond?”

We might ask:
💬 “What might have led them to leave?”
💬 “Where might they feel safer right now?”

Small shifts in language help keep the focus on safety, understanding, and support.

Alternatives that can help:
• “…often visits places where they feel safer”
• “…is not currently where they might be expected to be”
• “…often leaves when they feel unsafe”
• “…is believed to be at risk because they are not at home”
• “…may be being coerced into being somewhere they do not choose to be”

These changes might feel unfamiliar at first. But noticing how our language frames people and their experiences is an important part of trauma-informed care.

💚 Compassionate language is one of the simplest tools we have. Let’s use it well.

09/03/2026

In times of international crisis, the impact is not only political. It is also deeply personal.

As a network committed to trauma-informed approaches, we recognise that global events can have very real effects within ourselves and our communities. Some of our members, colleagues, or the people they support may be worried about loved ones abroad right now.

If this situation affects you, or someone you know, you may find this resource from the British Red Cross helpful.

Link in comments ❤

Please take care of yourselves and each other during these uncertain times.

02/03/2026

We’re delighted to welcome you to our third Listening Space, helping shape the future of the Trauma Informed Plymouth Network Healthcare Branch 💊

This branch is for anyone curious about healthcare trauma, whether as a professional or a patient. All are welcome who want to better understand trauma informed approaches, connect primary and secondary care, reduce isolation, and learn alongside others in a supportive space that strengthens us all.

Our first two sessions had rich, meaningful conversations. We explored gaps in formal training, the pressures and secondary trauma staff are exposed to, how presentations of trauma can fly under the radar, and the power of small relational moments like breathing time, eye contact, listening, and dignity in care.

This community is growing, and so is local commitment to doing healthcare differently! Join us on 19/03/2026, you don't need to bring anything but yourself ❤

RSVP 👉 https://traumainformedplymouth.org/healthcare-redirect
📅 19/03/2026 | 18:30 - 19:30
🖥 MS Teams Meeting | Scan the QR Code or RSVP to receive link.

Email directly for queries and questions.

27/02/2026

We’d love to come and meet you 🤝

Thank you to Lucy, Lilian and the team at Gifted Women for welcoming us last month, as we continue our efforts to build stronger, more impactful Network connections across our services, and the communities we all serve.

Gifted Women is a real space of change, and you can feel that as soon as you walk in the room. They offer up to 18 months of free, tailored support, helping women facing complex challenges move towards stability, confidence and sustainable employment.

During our visit, we tangibly felt the joy at the heart of their vision. We had rich conversations about trauma informed conflict resolution, the difference between being ‘nice’ and being truly ‘kind’, and how thoughtful organisational responses can create safer spaces for growth.

We’re keen to keep the momentum going and develop this partnership in ways that make a real difference locally. 💛

20/02/2026

Our Physical Activity Branch was proud to be represented at the Celebration of Women in Sport at Home Park Stadium on Wednesday ⚽

Branch lead Hayley Knight hosted a stand on the day, connecting with many of the 4,000 attendees about the role of relationships in change, healing, and growth. We heard powerful stories of how trust and connection have supported post traumatic growth for individuals and organisations alike. It was a humbling reminder of the strong appetite for trauma informed approaches across the sector 💬

It also brought to mind Karen Treisman’s mantra: when we lean into our most wholesome relational instincts, we are often already practising in a trauma informed way 🌱

10/02/2026

Unfortunately, the Families branch meetings scheduled for tomorrow have been postponed due to circumstances beyond our control. This applies to both the in-person and online sessions.

We know this is short notice and appreciate if you had the time set aside. We are working with branch leads Carly and Kirsty to confirm a new date and will share details as soon as possible.

Our sincere apologies, and we hope you can join us when the meetings are rescheduled.

Address

Plymouth

Website

http://www.traumainformedplymouth.org/

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