Trauma Informed Research

The VRU has appointed Dartington Service Design Lab as our Trauma Informed Research Partner.  A growing body of research highlights the wide range of traumatic, abusive or neglectful events including Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) that can negatively impact young people, potentially leading to long-term harmful effects on wellbeing.

Emerging evidence on the ability to address and recover from ACEs and other traumatic events has underlined the importance of integrating understanding of trauma into policy and practice.

An increased awareness of trauma has seen trauma-informed approaches adopted across education, public health, criminal justice and social care over the last two decades. However, there is significant variation in what trauma-informed or trauma-responsive means in practice, how it is understood and defined. 

Similar to many organisations working within the violence reduction field, the VRU is on a journey in regard to its trauma policy and practice. This project seeks to better understand the London landscape through collaborative and participatory approaches, strengthening links between local networks and statutory partners. Crucial to this is developing a clear understanding of the needs of the sector are and how the VRU could be most effective in supporting a journey towards a trauma-informed – and ultimately trauma-responsive - London.  

Linking to the Serious Violence Duty, this research will focus specifically on Local Authorities, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and London NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICBs). The research aims to:  

• Collaboratively establish a definition of trauma-informed that is contextualised for London.  
• Provide the VRU with a broad understanding of the current landscape of trauma- informed and trauma-responsive practice.   
• Develop a suite of promising practice that can be shared across the sector and support the growing evidence base for trauma-informed work in the violence reduction field.  
• Generate a roadmap/framework through which organisations across London can understand and progress on their journey towards being trauma-responsive.  
• Ensure the development of the evidence base relating to the impact of trauma-informed and trauma-responsive practice on violence reduction, and beyond.  

The results of this detailed research will establish a baseline of trauma-informed practice across London from which the VRU can support borough partnerships, cross-sector knowledge exchange and collaboration.  

Interim findings are anticipated in late 2024, with a final report scheduled for spring/summer 2025.