Posted on: 14 September 2023
On 31 August and 1 September the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership (WY HCP) and West Yorkshire Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP) welcomed Ian Lambie, Chief Science Advisor for the Justice Sector, New Zealand Government. Ian took time out of his UK holidays to learn more about the West Yorkshire Adversity, Trauma and Resilience Programme’s pioneering approach to tackling and addressing barriers that people affected by trauma can experience when accessing care.
The programme, set up in 2020 and jointly delivered by WY HCP and VRP, has an ambition to ensure West Yorkshire is a trauma informed and responsive system by 2030. Ian said his visit was inspired by a national online conference where Dr Warren Larkin and Emm Irving, our Head of Improving Population Health, talked about our approach.
During the two-day visit, Ian found out more about initiatives to prevent harm and improve wellbeing, particularly for those who are most vulnerable and face multiple difficulties.
He described meeting the men’s champions group and prison officers at HMP Leeds, who have undergone trauma informed training, as a humbling experience.
“They are all on their own journey but able to talk openly about what trauma means and champion the work of the Adversity, Trauma and Resilience Programme in West Yorkshire,” said Ian.
Ian also visited Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (CHFT)'s trauma navigator pilot, BLOSM. The nationally recognised project aims to support people who come to A&E with complex social issues, giving colleagues the training and tools to identify these concerns and make appropriate referrals into community services.
About the BLOSM team Ian said: “It’s really interesting how they reach beyond A&E and into the community – a whole community networking approach. I felt inspired by the extraordinary dedication of the team. They really care about the people and are doing it for the right 
reason – not just because it’s a job.”
Senior leaders including our CEO Rob Webster and Consultant Clinical Psychologist Dr Warren Larkin took the opportunity to share best practice with Ian, including our annual adversity, trauma and resilience knowledge exchanges which attract hundreds of people. They also shared projects to combat cyber bullying, reduce violence against staff and how we are training thousands of multi-agency colleagues.
Adversity, Trauma and Resilience Fellows presented projects being carried out as part of this year’s Improving Population Health Fellowship. Those projects range from building trauma informed workforces to the importance of language and from reducing harm caused by alcohol and drugs to trauma sensitive classrooms. Finally, Ian joined a webinar about the importance of the adversity, trauma and resilience work on a global level.
“It takes everyone to come together,” said Ian. “The leadership genuinely believe in improving people’s lives. People are at the centre – and that’s how it should be.”