The Improvement Service (IS) has published a new report looking at the progress of trauma-informed and responsive approaches across Scotland.
Developed with local and national partners, the report outlines the findings and learning from an annual survey about progress and impact of work taking place to embed a trauma-informed and responsive approach across Scotland’s organisations, services and workforces.
It finds that, despite being at different stages of implementation, local areas have made substantial progress across their local areas. The key findings include:
- Many local areas continue to focus on early implementation activities and creating the right conditions for this work to progress meaningfully, safely and sustainably. This includes developing leadership buy-in, strengthening approaches to support staff care, support and wellbeing, and rolling out training and support for practitioners across different service areas
- Many local areas are now also thinking about how to continue to sustainably embed this work in service design and delivery long term. This includes taking a trauma-informed lens to policies and processes, exploring opportunities to develop meaningful and safe engagement opportunities for people with lived experience of trauma, and creating local infrastructure for knowledge exchange and implementation supports to embed learning into practice.
- Local areas highlight the importance of strengthening links with other cross-cutting policy agendas to promote a joined-up, collaborative approach and embedding a trauma-informed and responsive approach across all organisations, systems and workforces.
Read the learning note for the National Learning Report.
Read the full report: National Learning Report 2025
The Scottish Government and COSLA have a shared ambition for a trauma-informed workforce and services across Scotland. The IS supports the National Trauma Leads Network and provides support to strengthen the capacity and capability of councils and partners to implement trauma-informed and responsive practice and policy.
On the 11 November, we hosted the 2025 National Trauma Learning Event where we shared insights from the National Learning Report, compiling thematic learning from local areas across Scotland on the progress and impact of work to embed a trauma-informed and responsive approach across their organisations, systems and workforces. The event saw tremendous engagement, with 547 registrations and 410 attendants.
The recording of the event is now available.