Welcome to Trauma-Informed TRUST with Lived Experience Insight

Welcome to A Positive Start CIC e-learning, where our aim is to enlighten, empower and protect through education, understanding and compassion.

A Positive Start CIC is an asset-locked, not-for-profit Community Interest Company, committed to improving wellbeing, promoting understanding and creating positive social change.

I’m Deborah J Crozier, founder of A Positive Start CIC and creator of this course. I’ll be your instructor and guide throughout your learning journey.

Should you wish to discuss any aspect of the course, you are very welcome to contact me at info@apositivestart.org.uk.

Learning Through Lived Experience

Trauma-Informed TRUST has been developed through a combination of lived experience insight, professional practice, psychological theory and trauma research.

At the heart of this course are the voices and perspectives of people who have experienced trauma themselves.

I would like to acknowledge, with heartfelt gratitude, the late Alison McNeal MBE, a complex trauma survivor, who facilitated our Peer-to-Peer focus group.

Alison brought her own lived experience, understanding and commitment to supporting others into the conversations that helped shape this course.

I am equally grateful to the participants of our Peer-to-Peer group for their time, trust, openness and courage in sharing experiences that were often deeply painful.

Together, their contributions helped us explore the impact of trauma beyond textbook definitions, recognising the importance of listening to those who have lived through it.

Their insights remain an important part of Trauma-Informed TRUST and the understanding we hope to share with others.

The course brings these experiences into conversation with research and established theories to encourage greater understanding of how trauma can shape our thoughts, emotions, behaviours, relationships and responses to the world around us.

All learning materials are pre-recorded, allowing you to explore the content at your own pace. This course remains FOC for volunteers and practicum students on placement at A Positive Start CIC.

Important Information – Your Wellbeing Matters

This course explores potentially sensitive and emotionally challenging topics, including trauma, post-traumatic stress responses, bullying, domestic abuse, gaslighting, physical violence, discrimination and harassment.

I recognise that some of this content may resonate with your own experiences or those of people close to you.

Please approach the learning at a pace that feels comfortable. You are welcome to pause, take breaks, revisit sections or step away whenever you need to.

You are not expected to share your personal experiences or disclose anything about your own life.

Trauma-informed learning should reflect the principles it seeks to promote: choice, safety, understanding, compassion and respect for individual experiences.

If you would like more information about the course content before beginning, please email info@apositivestart.org.uk using TRUST Course Content in the subject line.

About the Course

Trauma-Informed TRUST with Lived Experience Insight is an online learning programme designed to raise awareness, deepen understanding and encourage more compassionate, trauma-informed approaches in everyday life and professional practice.

The course is available to everyone for £25.

It is also provided free of charge to A Positive Start CIC practicum student counsellors as part of their placement learning and professional development.

The course is suitable for anyone interested in developing their understanding of trauma, including counsellors, student counsellors, support workers, educators, employers, volunteers, parents and members of the wider community.

We recognise that people come to learning with different experiences, interests and reasons for participating.

Some may be undertaking the course as part of their professional development, while others may simply wish to gain greater personal understanding.

Whatever your reason for being here, you are very welcome.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

This course provides an opportunity to contribute towards your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours.

CPD refers to the ongoing learning and reflective activities undertaken to develop professional knowledge, understanding and practice.

Although Trauma-Informed TRUST is no longer externally CPD accredited, the learning undertaken may still contribute towards your individual CPD record, subject to the requirements of your professional body, membership organisation or employer.

You may record the time you spend engaging with the presentations, learning materials, reflective activities, assessments and written assignments, where these are relevant to your professional development.

Learning Without Formal Assessment

You do not need to complete the assessments or written assignments to benefit from this course.

You are very welcome to work through the learning materials simply to develop your knowledge, understanding and awareness of trauma.

There is no requirement to achieve a pass mark unless you wish to receive a formal Certificate of Completion.

We believe learning should be accessible, meaningful and led by the needs and interests of the individual.

Whether you choose to complete every assessment or simply engage with the learning materials, we hope the course provides valuable insights that you can take into your personal or professional life.

Course Aims

The aim of Trauma-Informed TRUST is to develop greater awareness, understanding and compassion by exploring the impact of trauma on individuals, relationships, organisations and wider society.

Throughout the course, we aim to:

• Raise awareness of trauma and its potential impact on emotional, psychological, physical and social wellbeing.
• Explore how past experiences may influence present-day thoughts, feelings, behaviours and relationships.
• Recognise potential trauma responses in ourselves and others without judgement or assumptions.
• Understand the importance of safety, trust, connection and compassionate communication.
• Explore how trauma-informed approaches can contribute to healthier environments in homes, schools, workplaces and communities.
• Consider how greater understanding may help reduce misunderstandings, conflict, distress and unnecessary escalation.
• Encourage approaches that support emotional regulation, resilience and wellbeing.
• Highlight the potential benefits of trauma-informed practice for individuals, organisations and the wider community.
• Develop awareness of how trauma may affect engagement with services, relationships and support systems.
• Encourage participants to reflect on their own responses, assumptions and opportunities for personal and professional growth.
• Explore practical ways of reducing the risk of further distress or retraumatisation.
• Contribute towards the development of a more understanding, inclusive and trauma-informed society.

Above all, this course encourages us to look beyond behaviour and consider the person, their experiences and the circumstances that may have shaped their responses.

Course Content and Structure

The course begins with a short introductory video, followed by two pre-recorded video presentations.

Instructions for accessing the presentations are available to download from the first section of the Curriculum.

Following the presentations, there are 12 learning sections, supported by presentation slides, course notes, downloadable instructions and worksheets.

The learning sections also include knowledge assessments designed to help consolidate your understanding.

These assessments are optional for participants who are undertaking the course for learning and personal development only.

However, they are required for anyone wishing to receive an APS CIC Certificate of Completion.

Assessments

Assessments include a combination of multiple-choice, true-or-false and single-answer questions.

Some sections contain as few as five questions with a 15-minute time limit, while others contain up to 16 questions with a 30-minute time limit.

For those working towards certification, a minimum score of 80% is required in each assessed section and across the course overall.

You will have three attempts to complete the questions in each section.

Your first attempt is intended to help you become familiar with the assessment format and identify areas you may wish to revisit.

Following your first attempt, I encourage you to review the presentation materials, revisit your notes and reflect on what you have learned.

You will then have two further attempts to achieve the required pass mark.

Please read each question and all available answers carefully before making your selection.

Important: Remember to select Complete at the end of each learning page so that your progress is recorded correctly.

Written Assignments – Questions 11 and 12

Questions 11 and 12 are written assignments designed to encourage deeper reflection and understanding.

They provide an opportunity to explore the course content and consider how the learning relates to personal experiences, professional practice or interactions with others.

The written assignments are optional for those undertaking the course for learning purposes only.

However, both assignments must be completed and successfully submitted if you wish to receive an APS CIC Certificate of Completion.

You have up to 12 months to complete the written assignments.

Please retain copies of your submissions for your own records.

Certificate of Completion

Participants who successfully complete all course requirements will receive an A Positive Start CIC Certificate of Completion.

To qualify for the certificate, you must:

• Complete the required learning sections and video presentations.
• Achieve a minimum score of 80% in the required assessments.
• Successfully submit both written assignments.

The certificate recognises that you have completed the full learning programme and associated assessments.

It may be retained as evidence of learning and professional development for your CPD portfolio, subject to the requirements of your professional body or employer.

Please be aware that the certificate is issued by A Positive Start CIC and does not represent current external CPD accreditation or a professional qualification.

A certificate is not required to benefit from the learning.

If you prefer to engage with the materials without completing the formal assessments or written assignments, you are equally welcome to do so.

For participants completing the full programme, please complete the Claim Your Certificate form at S66 in Section 12, ensuring your name is spelled exactly as you would like it to appear on your certificate.

Further Learning – Reconnect and Regulate

For those who would like to explore emotional regulation, self-awareness and trauma-informed approaches further, A Positive Start CIC also offers Reconnect and Regulate.

This is a separate, in-person programme that provides opportunities for learning, reflection and the development of practical emotional regulation skills in a supportive group environment.

Reconnect and Regulate is delivered exclusively face-to-face and is not available as an online course.

It offers a different learning experience from Trauma-Informed TRUST, with an emphasis on connection, shared learning and practical application.

Accessing Your Course

To access the learning platform, you will first need to register an account with A Positive Start CIC.

You can do this by visiting our website and following the registration instructions.

To enrol, select Start Now on the course page.

Once payment has been processed, or your registration has been completed where complimentary access has been arranged, you can access your learning materials online.

Your course page contains four tabs:

• Overview – An introduction to the course and important information.
• Curriculum – Your learning materials, presentations, assessments and assignments.
• Instructor – Information about your course instructor.
• FAQs – Answers to questions previously raised by learners.

You can return to the course by logging back into your account and continuing from where you left off.

If you have a question that may also benefit other learners, we may add the answer to our FAQs.

Learner Support

We want your learning experience to be as accessible and straightforward as possible.

If you experience technical difficulties, have trouble accessing course materials, have questions about the content or do not receive your access information within 24 hours, please contact:

info@apositivestart.org.uk

You will also find a Q&A form in Section 12.

You are welcome to make notes of any questions that arise during your learning and submit them at the end, or contact us by email at any stage.

Where questions and answers may benefit other learners, we may add these to our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

And Finally… Thank You!

Thank you for choosing to explore Trauma-Informed TRUST with Lived Experience Insight.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the course, find it thought-provoking and take something meaningful from the learning.

For me, this course represents far more than a collection of lessons, presentations and assessments.

It brings together over three decades of personal discovery, more than 16 years of professional learning and practice, research and, most importantly, the voices and experiences of people who understand the impact of trauma because they have lived through it.

It has been developed with the hope of encouraging greater awareness, understanding and compassion in the way we view ourselves and others.

I believe that when we begin to understand why someone may respond to the world as they do, rather than simply judging what we see, we open the door to more compassionate and meaningful connections.

You do not need a certificate for learning to have value. Sometimes, a new understanding or a different perspective can be the beginning of meaningful change.

At the end of the course, you will find a Course Evaluation form. I would be grateful if you could spare a few moments to share your feedback.

Your thoughts and experiences help me continue to reflect, learn and improve the course for future participants.

You’re also very welcome to connect with us on Facebook and join the conversation using our hashtags:

#TraumaInformedTRUST
#SelfDiscoveryForRecovery
#RAPPORT
#CUEThePersonCentredApproach
#STAND

With warmest wishes,

Deborah x

What Our Learners Have Said

“Excellent course that brings together and makes sense of trauma and the impact it has on others and ourselves. Would recommend that everyone should do this course. The combination of video, worksheets, quizzes and assignments, and lived experience examples provides a deeper understanding and fuller learning experience.”

— Course participant, May 2022

“This course has been so valuable in assisting me to help others recognise and understand the behaviours and long term affects of trauma. A very insightful course with so much, well explained and easy to understand information giving me a better grasp of how to identify trauma responses which would otherwise be assumed as irrational or damaging behaviours. I have taken so much from this course and would highly recommend to anyone as we are all either healing ourselves in one way or another or surrounded by others who are quietly fighting their own battles of past traumas. Being able to recognise this is a huge step forward in managing our own behaviours and learning how to respond better to other peoples triggers without making a bad situation worse. Excellent course!”

— Course participant, April 2022