Trauma-informed care for the children's workforce

This course is for everyone working with children/tamariki and their whānau.

The children’s/tamariki workforce includes social workers, police officers, school based workers such as counsellors, teachers, teacher-aides, RTLBs; people working in children’s teams, people working in public health roles, people working in community support roles, mental health workers.

The different roles of the children’s/tamariki workforce mean that the relationships with children/tamariki will vary depending on the work involved.

Some roles will include direct care with children/tamariki, and others may work primarily with caregivers. While your direct contact with tamariki may vary, the aim is for the children’s/tamariki workforce to be ‘trauma-informed’ and use this knowledge to ensure the best care for children/tamariki and support for caregivers and whānau.

At the end of this course you will:

•     Have considered your role in a trauma-informed system.
•     Understand the importance of building resilience, and supporting caregivers foster positive and stable relationships with children/tamariki.
•     Have learned about the common indicators of trauma.
•     Have considered ways to maximise safety for children/tamariki.
•     Have learned how to support caregivers and whānau help children/tamariki to manage overwhelming emotions.
•     Understand the impact of trauma on those who care for and work with vulnerable children/tamarki.
•     Have learned ways to look after yourself while caring for children/tamariki.

Acknowledgements

This content has been developed by Whāraurau, a national workforce development centre for infant, child and adolescent mental health, Uniservices Ltd, at the University of Auckland in collaboration with Oranga Tamariki.