Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will introduce trauma training in nurseries and schools to support (a) children in care and (b) children who have been adopted.

Children in care and care leavers are significantly more likely to have experienced trauma and have poor mental health. The latest departmental data shows that two thirds of children become looked after due to abuse or neglect, and we know that care-experienced adults are at four to five times greater risk of suicide attempt than their peers. Knowing the significant trauma that many of these children and young people have experienced and its lasting impact, providing effective support is crucial.

To support children in care and those who have previously been in care, including children adopted from state care, Pupil Premium Plus funding of £2,630 is provided per eligible child, per year. For looked-after children, this funding is managed by the local authority’s Virtual School Head and can be used to facilitate a wide range of educational support including additional mentoring, tuition and therapeutic services. Many Virtual School Heads work closely with schools to support the implementation of whole-school, trauma-informed practice. For previously looked-after children, Pupil Premium Plus is paid to, and managed by, the child’s school and can be used to facilitate a wide range of educational support.

All maintained schools and academies must appoint a designated teacher to promote the educational achievement of the children in care or previously in care on the school’s roll. Designated teachers have an important role in ensuring staff can identify signs of potential issues and understand where the school can draw on specialist services. This includes identifying signs of potential mental health issues and understanding the impact that these issues, including experiences of trauma, can have on children in care or previously in care and their ability to engage in learning.

Schools have the flexibility to decide what pastoral support they provide to best meet the individual needs of all their pupils. This includes how they approach supporting children who may be particularly vulnerable, such as those who have experienced trauma. The department recognises that many schools do use trauma informed practices as part of their approach.

To help schools support their pupils, the government will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school, so every child and young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate.

The department will also recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults, and open new Young Futures hubs with access to mental health support workers.

To support education staff, the department provides a range of guidance and practical resources on promoting and supporting pupils’ mental health and wellbeing. For example, a resources hub for mental health leads and a toolkit to help choose evidence-based early support for pupils, which include resources on trauma.

Personal, social and emotional development (PSED) is crucial for all children to lead healthy and happy lives and is fundamental to their cognitive development. This is why PSED is one of the three prime areas of learning set out in the early years foundation stage statutory framework that all early years providers in England must follow. This statutory framework can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2.

The department’s online child development training for early years educators includes a module dedicated to supporting children’s PSED and covers attachment theory, including how trauma can impact a baby and young child’s attachment style. This training is available at: https://child-development-training.education.gov.uk/.