Becoming Trauma-Informed: Our Journey with Combat Stress

The path to becoming a trauma-informed organisation requires dedication, understanding, and continuous learning. Through our partnership with Combat Stress, we've deepened our commitment to providing compassionate, informed support for Veterans and their assistance dogs.

Understanding Trauma-Informed Care

Trauma-informed care fundamentally shifts our perspective from asking "What's wrong?" to "What happened?". This approach recognises that trauma can profoundly affect an individual's well-being, including both physical and mental health aspects.

Key Principles in Practice

Safety First
We've learned through Combat Stress training that creating both physical and emotional safety is paramount. Our facilities and interactions are designed to ensure Veterans feel secure and supported throughout their journey with us.

Building Trust
Trust forms the cornerstone of our approach. We establish transparent, consistent relationships with our Veterans, recognising that healing happens through meaningful connections and shared decision-making​​​​​​​.

Organisational Implementation

Staff Development
Our entire team, from frontline staff to administration, receives comprehensive trauma-informed training. This universal approach ensures that every interaction with Veterans is grounded in trauma-informed principles​​​​​​​.

Collaborative Approach
We've adopted Combat Stress's evidence-based, trauma-informed expertise to:

• Facilitate knowledge sharing across our organisation
• Promote collaborative learning among staff
• Encourage Veterans to share their experiences and insights

Impact on Service Delivery

Our trauma-informed approach has transformed how we:

• Match Veterans with assistance dogs
• Conduct training sessions
• Provide ongoing support
• Design our facilities and programmes

Continuous Growth

Being trauma-informed isn't a destination but a journey. Through regular assessment and feedback, we continue to evolve our practices to better serve our Veterans​​​​​​​.

Combat Stress's training has reinforced that this commitment requires ongoing dedication to learning, adapting, and improving our services. By embracing trauma-informed principles, we're better equipped to support Veterans through their recovery journey, ensuring that every interaction promotes healing and growth rather than risking re-traumatisation​​​​​​​.