Greater Manchester Trusted Relationships project aims to enhance the support for young people at risk of abuse and exploitation, by strengthening existing relationships between young people and the adults who are there to support them.

Funded by the Home Office from 2018 and hosted by Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, in 2022 the project received mainstream funding by health and social care.  The project embeds experienced mental health clinicians, from the Greater Manchester Resilience Hub, within Complex Safeguarding Teams that work to protect young people and families from exploitation (primarily Criminal Exploitation and Sexual Exploitation). The clinicians work with the multiagency professionals in the team to support trauma-informed practice and a child-centred approach; the offer is bespoke to each team.

Clinicians help teams to think about the impact of trauma on the young people they are supporting. They can also help individuals to support their own wellbeing and manage the emotional impact of working in a demanding area.

Three key interventions are offered by the Trusted Relationships project:

• Case- based consultation – Consultation, as an intervention, aims to add to the expertise and strengthen the skills that professionals already have. In the Trusted Relationships model, consultation takes place with individuals or teams, but it usually centres on a young person who the team is working with. An individual or team, would come with a question or concern about a young person, that they would like help thinking through, or it could be that the consultation is an opportunity for colleagues to come together and share information about a young person. Clinicians will use evidence-based theories and practice to help the individual or team understand a young person and the impact their life experiences might have had on them and how this continues to impact on their relationships, mental health, and behaviours. Most important, the consultation offers a space to help think about interventions and relationships with young people or their families from a more psychological and trauma-informed position.

• Staff support – Working with high levels of trauma and adversity over time, can have a detrimental impact on personal wellbeing and capacity to work effectively. Providing opportunities to reflect on the emotional impact of work, and thinking about steps to look after yourself, can help to protect from the longer-term impact of working with trauma. The offer of ‘staff support’ can vary considerably depending on needs and the clinical expertise of clinicians. For example, a specific model, such as Compassion Focused staff support may be offered, or a less structured space to come and reflect on the impact of work.

• Training – training is developed in collaboration with colleagues from the Complex Safeguarding team.

Training topics include:

• Vicarious trauma
• Developmental trauma
• Working safely with trauma
• Self-harm
• Behind the behaviour
• Understanding and supporting children with autism spectrum conditions at risk of exploitation

Over the past four years, considerable feedback about the benefits of this service has been gathered. A paper written by Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) gathered feedback from over 50 professionals from the 10 complex safeguarding teams across Greater Manchester. The paper highlighted findings from interactive polls that showed that the work had allowed clinicians to build relationships with young people, supported parents to consider young peoples opinions and increased staff confidence in their practise.

Suzanne Smith, Psychotherapist for the Trusted Relationships programme said: “Developing trusted relationships with young people underpins all the complex safeguarding teams safeguarding work.

“Trusted Relationship consultations offer staff the opportunity to enhance their psychological understanding of the implications of their young peoples’ experiences of trauma and exploitation, to explore how to progress in their work with young people.

It also offers the team a scaffold for social and emotional support as professionals, and as a team, which is complemented by a weekly opportunity for compassionate mind practice.”

To find out more, including to hear feedback from the team, visit Greater Manchester trusted relationships project :: Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust.

Article posted on: 18/07/2022 02:07pm