7th Annual Enhanced Programme of Learning and Development
20 - 22 April 2021, Virtual Conference
Tracey Watkinson
Tracey is the safeguarding business manager for the Plymouth Safeguarding Children Partnership and works with and alongside its breadth of statutory and non-statutory partners to provide the best outcomes for children, young people and families in Plymouth. Tracey has worked in safeguarding partnership arrangements since 2016, and is leading upon a number of initiatives across the city to develop its approach to understanding, and responding to young people’s experiences of significant harm beyond their families.
As a trauma aware city, Plymouth recognises the evidence base that is emerging day by day, across both national and international communities, which identifies the impact of trauma and the consequence of exposure to adversity as a profound health, wellbeing and social care issue of our time. This has led to a clear commitment to learning and development from Plymouth’s partnership arrangements that ensures its workforce and leaders are equipped to understand and meet children’s emotional wellbeing and mental health needs
Tracey will be joined by two of the original members of the Plymouth Trauma Informed Network, Anna Moss and Chief Inspector Simon Hardwick. It is their creative and collaborative work, and courage to step outside of the ‘system’, that has taken Plymouth on its trauma informed journey.
Anna Moss
Anna is the Technical Lead for Community Safety with Plymouth City Council, where the main focus of her role is supporting the work of ‘Safer Plymouth’ – which has committed to becoming a trauma informed community safety partnership. Before joining the Local Authority Anna worked within the Plymouth Alliance based in a community substance misuse service. Her professional background is in youth and community work and in previous roles she has managed Integrated Youth Support Services and been a Locality Manager for Children’s Services.
Anna is one of the founder members of the Trauma Informed Plymouth Network from its early initial discussions at the start of 2018. Anna co-ordinates the workforce development sub-group and is a member of the Lived Experience group. This Lived Experience Group is pivotal in informing the direction of the Trauma Informed Plymouth Network. It benefits from 33 members all with significant experience of trauma and childhood adversity. Anna’s focus within the network has included co-ordinating the development of a range of freely available learning resources including ACE awareness webcasts, vicarious trauma training and an introductory course to the Plymouth Trauma Informed Approach. Along with Simon Hardwick and Shelley Shaw she helped design the trauma lens.
Simon Hardwick
Simon has been a police officer for 22 years and has been involved with the Children’s and Families’ Partnership. As a dad to adopted children he has significant experience of parenting within the context of childhood trauma. Simon is one of the founder members of the Trauma Informed Network and alongside Anna played a key role in developing the network approach document “Envisioning Plymouth as a Trauma Informed City” and also co-designed the trauma informed lens.
Tracey, Anna and Simon all have a background of working in deprived neighbourhoods and supporting community members experiencing multiple adversities. Between them there is extensive experience of system leadership and partnership working, with personal interest and commitment to addressing causes and not just symptoms.
Key Note Presentation: Developing a Trauma Informed Approach
Tracey, Anna and Simon will share with you Plymouth’s journey to become a trauma informed city. Their vision is for Plymouth to be a city where people can feel safe in their community and environments and within the security of safe and healthy relationships; where children and young people’s experience and choices matter, and to work with services to deliver outcomes which are person centred, kind, collaborative and empowering. As well as sharing with you their journey, they will also consider how as agencies and practitioners we can introduce and apply the principles of trauma informed practice in our work to prevent, protect and respond to child exploitation.