Source · Select Committees · Northern Ireland Affairs Committee
Recommendation 5
5
Accepted
Introduce a system-wide and Government-wide commitment to trauma-informed practice in Northern Ireland.
Recommendation
There is a correlation between paramilitary activity, deprivation, mental health issues and trauma. We therefore support the trauma-informed and public health approach of the Tackling Paramilitarism Programme. The Government must collaborate with the Executive to introduce forthwith a system-wide and Government- wide commitment to trauma-informed practice. (Paragraph 40) Paramilitary activity as child criminal exploitation and modern slavery
Government Response Summary
The government commits to collaborating with the Executive to further embed trauma-informed approaches in Northern Ireland, welcomes the EPPOC Sponsor Group's commitment to develop a trauma-informed Programme for Government, and will promote trauma-informed policymaking within UK Government departments in NI.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The EPPOC promotes the adoption of a trauma-informed approach across all systems, organisations, policies and services in Northern Ireland. A report on Implementing trauma informed approaches in NI, which was funded by the Programme and commissioned by the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland, was published in February 2024. The report notes the progress that has been made in implementing trauma informed approaches in NI, highlights the clear benefits of this progress and recommends a Government-level commitment to trauma informed practice in Northern Ireland. Representatives from Sinn Fein, DUP, Alliance, UUP and SDLP issued a collective statement in support of the research findings. The UK Government is committed to collaborating with the Executive to support further embedding of trauma-informed approaches in Northern Ireland. We welcome the commitment made by the members of the EPPOC Sponsor Group to support the development of a trauma informed Programme for Government in Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Office is committed to promoting trauma informed policy making and implementation across UK Government departments operating in Northern Ireland, including by highlighting the availability of training material developed by the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland, and actively encouraging uptake of this important learning.