Violence Reduction Unit- Trauma Informed Research Partner

The London VRU is keen to understand more about trauma-informed and trauma-responsive approaches in violence prevention - to support children, young people and families, to support the workforce and to build system change across partnerships.

The VRU advocates for a public health approach to violence reduction. Developing a consistent, collaborative approach to understanding and implementing trauma-informed and trauma-responsive practice across London is crucial to this approach. This will provide strong foundations to effect meaningful systems change across partnerships, through shared learning and greater exploration of the impact of trauma-informed practice on violence and harm in the capital.

We recognise there is likely to be significant variation in trauma-informed and trauma-responsive understanding and practice both within and between these core agencies and wider partnerships, and that these agencies will already be developing and embedding approaches across their workforce and services.

By generating evidence and insight in relation to a trauma-informed and trauma-responsive approaches to violence reduction, this contract will establish a baseline from which the VRU can support borough partnerships, sharing learning around promising practice barriers and benefits. A shared definition and understanding of trauma-informed practice will facilitate more robust evaluations of what works across a range of contexts. Critical to this will be the development of a clear roadmap that includes the key elements required to move the Capital from present state towards standardised best practice, ensuring London is a truly trauma responsive city.

The VRU is looking to commission a qualitative research piece, mapping trauma-informed and trauma-responsive practice related to violence prevention across the capital. Linking to the Serious Violence Duty, this commission and associated research will focus specifically on Local Authorities, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and London NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICBs)