Trauma Responsive Social Work Services Expert Advisory Group: Minutes: January 2026

Attendees and apologies

• individuals providing social work services across Scotland from various practice areas
• Resilience Learning Partnership (RLP)
• Scottish Government (SG)

Items and actions

Overview

This was the twelfth meeting of the Trauma Responsive Social Work Services (TRSWS) Expert Advisory Group. The purpose of this meeting was to review progress to date and start to identify gaps and priorities for the Work Plan for 2025 to 2027.

Introductions, welcome and apologies

The Chair welcomed members, including new participants. Apologies were noted from those unable to attend.

Note of previous meeting and actions

Previous meeting note was agreed by members via email. All actions from this meeting were completed by the relevant action owners.

National Social Work Agency

Programme Lead for TRSWS delivered a short presentation on the National Social Work Agency (NSWA), launching in Spring 2026. The presentation will be shared with members with this meeting note and can also be requested from the Secretariat.

Reflections and feedback from members following the presentation include:

• Representative from social work services asked how the NSWA will interface with Social Work Scotland, and what this will mean for frontline social workers
  • TRSWS Programme lead highlighted that the NSWA, as a new public body, will work in a strategic partnership with COSLA and Social Work Scotland as part of the new Scottish Social Work Partnership (SSWP). This joint approach will provide unified leadership, align priorities and drive sustainable improvement across the workforce. The NSWA work with the Partnership, ensuring that national priorities are informed by the experience of those in local social work services
  • Representative from social work services welcomed this approach, noting that it was encouraging to hear that a strong partnership model will be in place to help join up work across the system
• TRSWS Programme Lead confirmed that updates about the NSWA and its launch will be shared with members over the coming weeks

TRSWS Programme priorities update

The TRSWS team provided an update on progress to date, reflecting on the Programme’s aims, identified needs, goals and priorities. Through ongoing collaboration with stakeholders, these elements have been refined to ensure alignment with current language and expectations.

As part of this process, the Programme’s priorities have been streamlined into three core priorities, reflecting the need for a more focused and targeted approach to effectively drive the Programme forward.

The team are scheduling meetings with key delivery partners to agree additional activities to be undertaken to progress towards our shared goal.

Reflections and feedback from members following the presentation include:

• A representative from social work services raised concerns about inconsistencies in language across disciplines regarding levels of training required for staff, emphasising the need for further work on shared language and greater understanding of roles to strengthen alignment between social work and other multi-agency professions
  • TRSWS Senior Policy Officer highlighted ongoing work to improve consistency and communication across policies affecting services and encouraged members to contact the team for support with navigating this or if any queries. They noted that the launch of the NSWA and SSWP will help to raise the profile of the role of a social worker and the national narrative across professions.
  • The Chair noted that a Consultant Psychologist joined the team last year to support development of a trauma‑enhanced training programme currently being tested with pilot sites, including in multidisciplinary settings. Learning from this work will inform how the team can strengthen joint approaches to workforce safety and governance
  • Another representative from social work services noted that their services experience with multi-agency colleagues has been extremely positive, with joint working and collaboration enhancing the social worker role
• Another representative from social work services noted that they found the narrowing down of priorities within the revised Workplan helpful as previous seven priorities could be overwhelming.

Updates on Local Activities

Members were invited to share updates on local initiatives and developments related to trauma-informed and responsive practice. Contributions included:

• A representative from social work services shared that their local authority has appointed a new Trauma Lead Officer that has supported the transition of the trauma advisory board into a refreshed multi‑agency steering group with council and third sector partners. Work is underway to develop a trauma implementation action plan focussing on strengthening cross‑service and multi‑agency collaboration. The local Transforming Psychological Trauma Implementation Coordinator (TPTIC) is also preparing to deliver a train the trainer trauma skilled programme to help build sustainability
• Another representative from social work services highlighted that local priorities centre on workforce wellbeing and addressing retention challenges within Children and Families services. Training is being prioritised to ensure staff avoid retraumatising, including work to support reception staff to be trauma‑informed. This is progressing with support from their service improvement team. Training at trauma informed and trauma skilled practice type is mandatory across staff and has been completed, with access to trauma enhanced training remains challenging
• Another representative from social work services highlighted that their Justice service is quite far ahead regarding trauma training, with all staff trained at trauma informed and skilled and a substantial number trained to enhanced level. Work is underway to expand the trauma lens across adult support and protection and into services supporting care homes. Member also raised concerns about potential duplication across Scotland and asked how this group can support consistency and standardisation across local services
• Another representative from social work services reported their local authority held its first trauma awareness week, including multi-agency and third sector colleagues and events focused on changing communication styles to be more trauma informed. They also highlighted that all Justice staff have been trained to trauma skilled practice type, with some colleagues trained to enhanced level via externally commissioned training. A Consultant Psychologist has been appointed to provide supervision to experts by experience and case consultation to social workers, and is leading work to pilot an ADHD clinic to better differentiate between what presents as trauma and neurodivergence
• Another representative from social work services provided an update on their service currently engaged as a pilot site in the TRSWS Programme. Training continues to be delivered to staff within Children and Families, including Business Support, and significant activity underway to develop trauma responsive social work services. Representative highlighted that they have a well established multi-agency trauma steering group to help progress the trauma agenda locally. Multi-agency roll out of trauma skilled training continues, with a train the trainers programme running in March to help increase capacity. Work is also underway to develop and implement a remuneration policy for experts by experience, acknowledging that there has been some challenges in progressing this. They are also in the process of recruiting a consultant psychologist to provide supervision
• Representative from RLP provided a brief update on on-going power‑sharing work with TRSWS pilot sites. They also met recently with East Ayrshire colleagues to offer guidance on strengthening power‑sharing opportunities. Within the meeting, member provided access to new Framing Report Writing Guidance, developed with people with lived experience, aimed at shifting narratives around care and challenging stigma, based on the Each and Every Child framing recommendations

Actions

• Secretariat to share slides from the presentation and links to partnership delivery group webpage
• Secretariat to share link to terms of reference for members to consider the focus and remit of this group