MORE than 1000 Merseyside Police officers and staff have completed the Violence Reduction Partnership’s specialist Trauma Informed Training.

The course, designed and delivered by industry experts, is being rolled out to all front-line officers and staff to help them better safeguard and support vulnerable people and children.

The 1st cohort have successfully completed the training package, which is split into online and in-person sessions, focused on providing attendees with a greater understanding of how psychological trauma can impact on individuals.

Evidence shows that trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have a significant impact on life opportunities, the likelihood of becoming involved with serious violence, and health and wellbeing.

As well as a greater understanding of how different life experiences shape a person’s options and life choices, the training package also supports public sector organisations to understand how psychological trauma implicates the services has they provide.

The sessions include understanding vulnerability, recognising feelings, and building trust and how to respond in a crisis. The course is tailored to Merseyside Police and is designed to empower officers and staff to better meet the needs of the communities they serve.

The training is supported by both the Chief Constable, Serena Kennedy and Police and Crime Commissioner, Emily Spurrell, as part of their commitment to ensuring Merseyside Police, as an organisation, is trauma aware and responsive.

Merseyside Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell said:- “It’s staggering when you consider how many of us have experienced at least one traumatic event in our lives. It isn’t something that happens to other people, nobody is immune to trauma, it impacts us all, each day, and that includes police officers. It’s vital we do all we can to be more responsive and compassionate, to recognise that everyone’s perception of trauma is different and that adverse childhood experiences can impact us for our whole lives. Our Police Officers and staff work very demanding jobs, and they are wholly committed to keeping people safe. By completing this vital training, they are supporting themselves and their colleagues, whilst raising their own awareness of how trauma can manifest, meaning they are even better equipped to serve everyone, across all of our vastly diverse communities, to the best of their abilities.”

Jane Pepa, MVRP Trauma Informed Lead Practitioner said:- “We know from our research that 70% of the population have experienced Trauma so the need to understand and use Trauma Informed Practice is paramount, but it's also about supporting each other and ourselves. Certain professions can experience a greater risk of vicarious trauma, but any workers in any industry and sector can experience compassion fatigue, particularly when that person experiences prolonged exposure to others' suffering, and we are seeing their perception of trauma changing completely. The feedback has been brilliant After a session, officers often stay behind and discuss how training is supporting them within their roles, 1 officer told me that in her team they'd seen the impact of the training in changing the collaboration between services and the impact on cases, whilst another told me that he's been through therapy but this course had been more helpful on his journey to understand himself. We are creating curiosity champions that work together and by understanding our own individual experiences we are creating a ripple effect which helps to change outcomes for the people we work with.”

The E-Learning package was 1st rolled out to front-line officers and staff in October and is a hybrid version of the 4 training sessions that are being offered and delivered to public services across the 5 boroughs of Merseyside. So far, more than 4000 public services and third sector staff across the region have received the free training and course leaders are hoping to include all NHS staff, Football Association and grassroot coaches, and more schools and universities in further sessions across the next 12 months.

You can find out more about Trauma informed Training and book your FREE place here.