To ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister how they are leading on a trauma-informed approach across all Departments and statutory agencies.

While each agency has its own responsibilities, work to support trauma-informed practice (TIP) across the public sector has been funded since 2021 by the cross-Executive Tackling Paramilitary Activity, Criminality and Organised Crime Programme. A report commissioned to review progress across the 21 Safeguarding Board member agencies and partners in developing a systemic and integrated approach to TIP was published in February 2024, and highlights successes, barriers and enablers to progress: it is available on the Safeguarding Board’s website: https://www.safeguardingni.org/resources/we-are-journey-implementing-trauma-informed-approaches-northern-ireland-evidence-report Further research is now underway to establish the prevalence of trauma and adversity in the adult population, and will report later this year.

Within the Civil Service, a resilient, engaged and productive workforce that is able to recognise, address and be resilient to trauma has never been more important. The Head of the Civil Service has committed to reviewing how to embed trauma informed approaches across the NICS and deliver trauma informed services. This will be underpinned by a trauma-informed training framework that is currently in development.

As regards TEO’s responsibilities, the new draft Strategy for Victims and Survivors of the Troubles/Conflict has a vision of a trauma-informed society that addresses the needs of victims and survivors. The T:BUC review process also included a review of international best practice in trauma-informed approaches to good relations and community building. TEO’s arm’s-length bodies established a task and finish group to consider how TIP might influence the work of TEO and its ALBs, and a training session for the Department and ALBs is now being set up.