Why? 

Healthy communities need healthy organisations and public service systems working alongside them. But many people working in health and community services and organisations often face systemic difficulties, as well as burnout and trauma. Where trauma is deep, community members often mistrust services, and this can be made worse when services are strained. We can’t simply keep on carrying on as we are and expecting things to change. But we know, too, that there are people in services and systems who are pushing boundaries, from grassroots community organisations to public services. They are exploring new approaches and doing transformational work. We need to support and learn from each other to create lasting change. 

What? 

We’ll work with services and other organisations as part of our community-based work to understand what they need to take a relational and trauma-informed approach to mental health. We’ll learn from and amplify what’s already working well. We’ll develop local and national learning networks, tools and support for people and professionals seeking to make change. We’ll bring together expertise from practice and research, and from different sectors and disciplines, to build a movement for change. 

Our activities will include: 

• Building local and online community of practice for people and professionals 

• Sharing knowledge about trauma and relational approaches to mental health more widely, and especially beyond ‘medical’ contexts 

• Taking time to build trust and collective care, drawing on techniques that support professionals in different ways 
• Working with organisations and professionals to understand their context, and taking a compassionate and listening-led approach to our work with services and systems