Trauma expert backs moves to transform town

Health: Bid to improve care for distressed children

A leading expert and government adviser has given his support to a campaign that could transform how north-east residents in distress are treated.

The project to turn Stonehaven into a Trauma Informed Community (TIC) and raise awareness of child maltreatment is being led by Mearns mother Julia Morton.

By focusing on how people react to traumatic situations, medical professionals can adjust the care they provide accordingly rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach that some may find off-putting.

So far, Mrs Morton’s movement to give locals the knowledge that would deftly manoeuvre them through these situations has gained the approval of local education teams and politicians.

It has now received the backing of economist and psychologist George Hosking, who founded a charity to reduce what are described as “adverse childhood experiences” and has advised the Scottish, UK and Welsh governments on the subject.

He travelled up from London to meet Mrs Morton, and around a dozen supporters of the cause, in Stonehaven.

Mr Hosking said: “I was blown away by the commitment and enthusiasm of the (Trauma Informed Stonehaven) steering group.

“I arranged the meeting at very short notice, so I was only expecting three or four people, but there were 12 or 13 there.

“This very much needs local groups to get it going and this work mirrors initiatives in other places including Orkney and Glasgow and other parts of the UK.

“It’s not a movement in isolation and needs strong collaboration between lots of people to make this kind of change happen.”

Mrs Morton said: “It was really, really good that Mr Hosking came up to see us and really made us feel heard.

“When you’re a grass roots campaign you lack a little bit of direction, but now we have someone coming along who has done it before and that gives us confidence.

“We are in the process of applying for funding to offer training but we won’t find out if we have been successful until December.

“Regardless of the outcome we will still be moving forward.”

“It needs strong collaboration between lots of people”

CAMPAIGN: Julia Morton launched a steering group to get people in Stonehaven involved in ‘trauma informed care’