Supporting compassionate care: launch of new trauma e-learning

As part of its commitment to delivering high-quality education and training, Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) is delighted to announce the launch of a new e-learning course, ‘Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Trauma Informed Practice in Wales’.

Available on Y Ty Dysgu, the national e-learning platform for NHS Wales, this course is accessible to all healthcare professionals across Wales.

Understanding trauma and its impact is essential for providing compassionate, safe care. This course introduces the principles of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and trauma-informed practice in Wales. It has been developed by ACE Hub Wales, an organisation hosted by Public Health Wales, to help professionals and organisations embed trauma-informed approaches into their work.

Wales has a National Trauma-Informed Framework that sets out four practice levels, describing the roles individuals and organisations play in supporting people affected by trauma. This course focuses on the “trauma aware” level, offering essential knowledge that HEIW believes every healthcare professional should have. By understanding trauma, professionals can help create safer, more compassionate services for all.

Trauma-aware practice is a universal approach that recognises the role everyone plays in Welsh society, both personally and professionally. It aims to build understanding of trauma and its impact, challenge ideas that lead to inequality and a reminder that everyone has a role in preventing ACEs and adversity. Communities can help by responding to the effects of trauma and supporting resilience through connection, inclusion and compassion.

View the Trauma-Informed Wales Framework to learn how this approach is being implemented and discover resources to support both physical and mental health considerations.