More than 100 professionals from health, local government and the voluntary sector met in Blackburn last week as Blackburn with Darwen stepped up its push to become a fully trauma informed borough.
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The borough’s first Trauma informed Conference was held at Blackburn Central Library on 12 May 2026. It brought together partners from the NHS, mental health and substance recovery services, community organisations and council teams covering housing, wellbeing, early years and fostering.
The council says the long-term aim is to embed trauma informed principles across all services and interactions, with a whole-system approach designed to tackle health inequalities and improve outcomes for residents affected by adversity.
Data from a Public Health ACE survey carried out in 2012 showed that almost half of adults in Blackburn with Darwen have experienced at least one adverse childhood experience, or ACE.
More than 500 multi-agency professionals in Blackburn with Darwen have already received trauma informed awareness training.
Professor Abdul Razaq, Blackburn with Darwen’s Director of Public Health, said:
“Trauma informed practice is about human connection. It’s about understanding what has happened to people, not what is wrong with them, and responding in a way that builds trust, safety and resilience.”
The borough has already started embedding trauma informed principles into core policy frameworks, including its mental health and suicide prevention strategy. A systems resilience framework is also being used to help partners align their work.
Dr Rebecca Hibbin, a senior lecturer in the School of Law and Policing at the University of Lancashire, presented an evaluation of the approach. She said her research found strong multi-agency collaboration and clear evidence of cultural change, alongside early signs of positive impact.
“Blackburn with Darwen is on a journey. It is an innovative and cutting edge example of a borough that is leading the pack on a national basis of how trauma informed can be applied across systems and sectors.
There are strong foundations in place and real impact is already visible, but trauma informed practice is not yet fully embedded. Continued commitment across the system will be key.”
Workshops at the conference covered supporting vulnerable adults through de-escalation and engagement techniques, trauma informed approaches in education, responding to exploitation affecting vulnerable young people, and addressing vicarious trauma within the voluntary and community workforce.
Professor Abdul Razaq added that the conference was a chance to reflect on progress, strengthen partnerships and renew commitment to long-term change, including work towards the Working with Trauma quality mark.
More information is available at https://bewellbwd.com/becoming-a-trauma-informed-borough/
