Previous TrACE events

In May 2024, Aberystwyth University’s TrACE (trauma- and ACEs-informed university) project hosted a joint event which showcased our in-house research expertise alongside our Ceredigion third-sector partners.

Director of Student Services, Ian Munton, welcomed 80 delegates to the event, stressing Aber’s clear commitment to becoming a more trauma-informed place to study, work and live. Part of making that happen will involve utilising the range of research expertise we have across academic departments here to ensure organisational change is meaningful, impactful and sustainable.

Lilith Gough, Advanced Practitioner Lead at Traumatic Stress Wales, gave an outline of the specialist services being developed for young people and others who have experienced profound and complex trauma.

Dr Jo Hopkins, lead at ACE Hub Wales, went on to take the delegates through what becoming trauma-informed means at an organisational and community level, as well as highlighting the role of research in driving change. Delegates spent time working together to consider how to have meaningful conversations around trauma at a grassroots level.

We were also able to learn about the impact of ACEs and trauma on offending behaviour patterns by Dr Gwyn Griffiths from AU’s Criminology Department and  the benefits of reverse mentoring, whereby individuals with lived experience but less power mentor those with more power and less experience, from Dr Saffron Passam and Dr Martine Robson, AU Psychology lecturers.

Workshops Summary

There was an excellent choice of workshops.

 Lisa Kinsella, who is developing an Aberystwyth University Level 7 CPD course on trauma for practitioners in fields such as health, social care and education, talked about why she has developed the course. She was joined by our nursing students, who presented on how they are applying what they are learning about trauma in their placements.

Jess Jackson and Esther Bowles, who provide support services for students who have experienced sexual violence in a partnership between Aber and New Pathways, talked about the principles of trauma-informed support and some of the challenges that crop up when delivering this service in a higher education community.

Dr Emma Sheppard ran an interactive workshop on using the arts to support the navigation of sensitive and taboo topics, including potentially triggering and retraumatising material, at university.

After a networking lunch, we were treated to a further selection of workshops.

Dr Rorie Fulton and Emma Reardon, from Autism Wellbeing, used lived experience to explain how people with certain neurotypes are more likely to develop complex trauma responses as a result of sensory processing differences and lack of understanding.

Anthony Vaughan and Kenny McCausland visited from The Wallich to talk about how their understanding of psychologically-informed environments and the impact of language on traumatised communities has helped them to work more effectively with people experiencing homelessness.

Georgina Gray, Aberystwyth University PhD student and founder of Traumaform, presented with her colleague, Connie, on their experiences and insight in relation to working with trauma in a therapeutic setting.

The event served to reinforce the importance of academic expertise in developing a truly trauma-informed approach here at Aber. We are committed to transforming policy and practice, physical spaces, staff development and student services, in our journey to effect change at an individual, community and strategic level.

In June 2024, our community came together in a series of facilitated conversations led by ACE Hub Wales, Aberystwyth University's external partners on the TrACE project.

In total, four conversations took place, focusing, in turn, on the views of students and Undeb officers, senior leadership staff, professional services staff and academic and research staff.

Each group took a slightly different focus, but they all had a chance to reflect on what trauma-informed might mean to them and their university, what it feels like to be on campus at Aber and what the priorities for consideration are for the trauma-informed approach. 

The views and insight gathered will be used to inform the action planning process that is currently ongoing. To be part of the process, please get in touch with us at trace@aber.ac.uk.