West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership is pleased to host their 3rd Annual Adversity, Trauma and Resilience Knowledge Exchange in partnership with the West Yorkshire Violence Reduction Partnership.

The Leeds Mindful Employer Network brings local employers together to champion positive mental health at work. Join us at our 2024 conference to explore:

• Making workplaces as mentally healthy as they can be for everyone
• Increasing confidence in talking about mental health at work
• Tackling the stigma surrounding mental health in the workplace

Demonstrate your commitment to the wellbeing of your workforce by being part of these important conversations on the 21st of May!

Rethink is a restorative way of thinking about the families we work with.

It uses an evidenced based model of case formulation to help us organise information and structure our conversations to reach a shared understanding from which to base our plans.

Intro to Rethink forums
12th February 2024 13:15pm – 16:30pm Kernel House
28th February 2024 09:15am – 12:30pm St Georges, Middleton

12th March 2024 09:15am – 12:30pm Newmarket House, Violet Room

How to book
Choose the date and venue you prefer and then email us to request a place.

[email protected]

Monday 11 March - Learning to rise in the darkness
Selected text: Emily and Amelia Nagoski - ‘Burnout’

This session looks at burnout, vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue, acknowledging how bearing witness and joining someone in their darkness may break our hearts. Most significantly this session seeks to explore strategies for responding to stress, generate new insights and raise questions about what we need to tend to and mend our broken hearts.

Monday 8 April - Beyond reconnection
Selected text: Tarana Burke and Brené Brown - ‘You are Your Best Thing’

In the final session, we focus on the stories of a number of authors captured in this anthology on black humanity, reflecting on their key messages. Most significantly this session seeks to remind us that paying attention to identity and context is critical in reconnection work, so too is the understanding that culture, religion, race and social circumstances may exacerbate disconnection beyond anything we could ever have imagined. Such understanding is essential in equipping us to undertake this journey.

Helen kindly shares some insights into her work with mothers and families as part of the Growing Together project. Helen also talks about the organisation and colleagues and partners both in and outside of the organisation. 

"Being Trauma Informed is about being thoughtful and making conscious  reflective decisions about how you present, what you say and what you do."

Leeds City Council are looking for two people to join a team that is working to support Leeds in becoming a Trauma Informed city for children, young people and families.

These exciting roles will be based within the Trauma Informed Practice Integrated Resource Team, a new initiative that directly supports key priorities within the Leeds Future in Mind strategy, the Compassionate Leeds strategy and the Early Help approach. It is being established through the collaboration and backing of senior strategic leaders across the children’s partnership in Leeds. The purpose of the team is to support a culture shift in Leeds towards compassionate and trauma informed practice in all agencies and sectors (health, education, social care and community) that work with children and young people, building on existing strong practice in the city.

Hear from Penny Netherwood Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust, Clinical Psychologist and the Health Co-Lead on the programme, who introduces the roles and invites you to apply.

This Hub is a place for all who work with children, young people and families in Leeds to find out more about compassionate and trauma informed practice. You will discover ideas, resources and support to develop a trauma-informed approach within your work.

Please take the time to read this insightful blog by MindMate writer Raeesa, who shares her experiences of homelessness and the journey to healing and overcoming the traumas. 

"Healing is a process that takes time, be patient with yourself and celebrate small victories."

West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership & West Yorkshire Combined Authority Violence Reduction Partnership have launched the West Yorkshire Trauma Informed Readiness Checklist and West Yorkshire Trauma Informed Charter!

The West Yorkshire Informed Charter is a document which aims to ‘set the scene’, to support the system and organisations across West Yorkshire to embed a trauma informed and responsive approach. With acknowledgement and thanks to the Visible project in hashtag#Leeds ; and many other stakeholders in Leeds, where this Charter originated.

Organisations will be sent a copy of the charter once they have completed a readiness checklist.

In 2021 West Yorkshire Health & Care Partnership launched the  first Health Equity Fellowship, part of the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership Health Inequalities Academy.

For 2024, the partnership have expanded the fellowship once again and are looking for fellows. 

The Fellowship class of 2024 runs between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025. Applications close on Wednesday 31st January, 2024. 

This strategy sets out Compassionate Leeds vision, which is for partners in Leeds to work collectively as a trauma-informed city. Where we realise the widespread and unequal impact of adversity and recognise the part we can each play in overcoming this. Through nurturing relationships and building strengths, the hope is that all babies, children, young people and those who care for them, will feel safe and thrive.

Young Lives Leeds Forum is the strategic forum for Third Sector organisations working to improve the lives of children, young people and their families in Leeds.  

To find out more information about membership and the network meetings and bulletins, please visit the Young Lives Leeds page.

Leeds Mindful Employer Network is a local network, led by Leeds Mind alongside a Steering Group of local employers. It is free to join for all employers and business owners across Leeds and the local area interested in mental health at work. Leeds Mindful Employer can help you with areas such as developing a healthy workplace culture, promoting good mental health and well-being, embedding good practice and making it sustainable and many more!

Sally Drinkwater 
Community & Young People's Engagement & Development Lead for the Trauma Informed Programme
Pronouns: she / her
Mobile Number: 07361 576 169

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