"I particularly loved hearing the stories of Ryan & Charlotte" Trauma and Change, Insight Academy
One of the perks of my job is that I get to meet some truly inspiring and beautiful human beings. I’m sure plenty of you have already heard me talk and read my missives on the people that I’ve interviewed over the years. Lived Experience has become something of a buzz phrase, yet for some of us (that’s me including the brilliant Insight Academy and the Expert Citizens) it goes way beyond a bit of lingo. It informs everything that we do. Putting the stories of the people who have LIVED first and foremost and learning from their experiences and insights.
My Trauma and Change course that I created for Stoke-on-Trent City Council via the Insight Academy has input from both children and adults. The learners hear from Ellie and Brent, Tracey, the legendary Ryan and of course Charlotte.
As you can see from the photograph that I’ve shared with this blog post, I’m yet again (and I make no apologies for this) highlighting the sterling work of the truly astonishing Charlotte. People sit enthralled when they hear her words of wisdom, her vulnerability and strength. Charlotte has given me many a pause for thought and has helped me become a better version of me. She has overcome many obstacles in her life and taught me what resilience really means. This week, I trained staff from Stoke on Trent City Council. The training is bespoke to them and to say that myself and the Insight Academy are chuffed with the feedback would be an understatement. Here is just one quote from one of the learners about Charlotte and the other contributors to the course: “The most beneficial parts were the live examples & the articulation of speakers. Their stories were very helpful in bringing together the difficulties people face & how they overcome difficulties.”
We really are making a difference folks. Not only are we listening, we are actioning what needs to be done. We can do better. We can learn. We can rise up and be better versions of ourselves and support people into post traumatic growth.
On completion of this training has your knowledge increased?
Yes – 22/22
On completion of the training session has your confidence in the topic increased?
Yes 22/22
Was the trainer knowledgeable and able to answer your questions?
Yes 22/22
What did you learn during this session?
“Post traumatic growth, update knowledge, enjoyed the stories of Ryan + Charlotte.”
“The course was a refresh & update with added theory + quotes to make this a very interesting subject.”
“This session was really good, the trainer was well informed & was very knowledgeable giving real life examples of trauma and its effects. Perfect 10/10.”
“Very informative session which gave an insight into trauma, the effects and how people come through / manage this.”
“Yes, informative and engaging.”
“I learnt about how to reframe a traumatic experience & use the experience to bring about positive change for others, provided more insight into why people might respond in a certain way.”
“Very informative with good research materials and contributions from others (videos etc.)”
“Very informative, learning that it is dealing with the cause is more / can be beneficial than dealing with the effect.”
“It was powerful to have some of my understanding reinforced. There was so much it was hard to pick out specifics. Overall the positivity and care from Steven about the topic really shone through. Steven’s passion and care for our community was really refreshing.”
“Empathy, more understanding of how trauma impacts others.”
“The session made me think about the cause rather than the cure.”
“The training was really good it has learnt me to get to know the person and their life experiences and what might be the cause.”
“Trauma its meaning and main causes.”
“How traumatic events impact and lead to individuals lives in the future, learning about the individuals’ lives was really insightful.”
“I have reflected on my own life experiences and the steps I have put into place to overcome trauma.”
“I learnt about the early impacts of trauma & the different approaches that we can take as professionals.”
“It was good to hear from real people who talked about their own lives.”
“The science behind trauma was covered in an accessible, informative way.”
“Great positive case studies, interesting to see how these people have taken positive steps to change & what worked for them.”
How will the training you experienced shape your practice in the future?
“Increased empathy + patience.”
“The process of assessment + care picking. The information gathering process to be positive.”
“A better understanding of how experiencing trauma in your younger years can affect your whole life.”
“It will hopefully give me the skills to support and provide empathy to anyone who has experienced trauma.”
“Make me more empathetic.”
"Increases the professional curiosity to ask people why they might respond in a certain way & to bring about positive change from the cause and not so much effect.”
“Enable me to be more understanding of others.”
“Make me think more about people’s circumstances + how this affects them.”
“The activity about meaningful activities I will use directly with service user.”
“I think I realize that we can’t solve everything but the importance of listening and empathizing remains important.”
“Discuss the cause of the effect.”
“More understanding and patience.”
“Try to think more about what has caused someone’s situation.”
“Patience > understanding – across social economic groups.”
“This is useful and informative for the young people I work with, considering ACES & PIE and how my approach needs to be adapted.”
“I have gained a more confident approach to addressing the causes of trauma and not just managing the effects.”
“It will get me to think about my approaches & being mindful not to re-traumatize people.”
“Increased empathy & patience.”
“FAB!”
Would you recommend this training to others and why?
• Yes
• Yes, it is V informative & explained in many formats
• I would recommend this training to others, hearing from real people who have lived through, survived and then turned their lives around is very inspirational. Gave good & bad examples of how workers can impact on the person’s life and circumstances
• Yes. Very informative but most of all very enjoyable way of learning and engaging us
• Yes
• Yes, The case examples are hugely helpful to help us better understand the learning
• Yes, the trainer was very knowledgeable and engaging everyone in the training using humor to fabulous benefit
• Yes absolutely, hearing real life experiences re Ryan & Charlotte, I think really makes a difference
• Absolutely, Steven is a fantastic trainer and the honesty from other contributors especially Charlotte & Ryan was very powerful
• Yes, very informative, very interesting, listening to lived experiences of Charlotte and Ryan and how they came through was really good. Positive training from Steven, excellent as ever
• Yes, I would highly recommend the training, I particularly loved hearing the stories of Ryan & Charlotte, food was also beautiful
• Yes good trainer
• Makes you look further back and discuss what is causing the behavior they present
• Yes very informative
• Yes, delivered in a way that didn’t make me want to sleep, very entertaining
• Yes – Good discussion, interactive
• Yes, informative and engaging
• Yes – trainer is very engaging
• Yes, its very thought provoking & the lived stories of Ryan & Charlotte are amazing, very inspirational & will leave a last impression
• Yes, it was interesting & informative
• Yes, very well presented, engaging and informative
• Yes, the training was very engaging and interactive, group discussions were great
Do you have any comments / suggestions you would like to add that would influence the design of future courses?
• Excellent course, trainer was extremely knowledgeable and enjoyable to listen to
• No suggestions – course was fine with the right balance of activity and discussion
• Steven is a great trainer and keeps you engaged throughout, find him very intriguing and interesting
• A massive thank you to Ryan, Charlotte, Brett, Ellie and Tracey for sharing their thoughts and experience it was incredibly powerful to hear
• Pleasant, knowledgeable trainer
• Great to hear from real life cases and what they felt they needed @ the time. Glad they are doing well
• I really enjoyed the real life stories, videos and examples, this really helped to solidify the learning