Held at Blackburn Central Library on 12 May 2026, Blackburn with Darwen’s first Trauma informed Conference brought together partners from the NHS, mental health and substance recovery services, community organisations, and council teams spanning housing, wellbeing, early years and fostering. The event marked a significant milestone in Blackburn with Darwen’s journey, positioning the borough as a leading voice in Lancashire on trauma informed practice.
While work is still underway, the ambition is clear: Blackburn with Darwen aims to embed trauma informed principles across all services and interactions, taking a whole‑system approach designed to tackle health inequalities and improve outcomes for residents affected by adversity.
A borough‑wide response to trauma and inequality
The scale of the challenge is significant. 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 (ACE), underlining the long‑term impact trauma can have on individuals, families and communities.
In response, the council and its partners have taken a proactive, system‑wide approach. More than 500 multi-agency professionals in Blackburn with Darwen have already received trauma informed awareness training, helping to build a shared understanding of how trauma shapes behaviour, relationships and service engagement.
Crucially, the focus is not on isolated interventions but on culture change.
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.
This relational approach is central to Blackburn with Darwen’s trauma informed model, which emphasises joined‑up working to ensure residents do not have to repeat their experiences across services, reducing the risk of re‑traumatisation and improving engagement.
From strategy to system change
The borough has already begun embedding trauma informed principles into core policy frameworks, including its mental health and suicide prevention strategy. A systems resilience framework is also helping partners align their work and sustain change across organisations.
Progress to date was a key focus of the conference’s morning sessions, which highlighted both achievements and areas for further development.
Dr Rebecca Hibbin, a senior lecturer in the School of Law and Policing at the University of Lancashire, presented findings from an evaluation of Blackburn with Darwen’s approach. Her research found strong multi‑agency collaboration and clear evidence of cultural change, alongside early signs of positive impact. However, she emphasised that the work is still evolving.
Dr Hibbin commented:
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.
Building understanding and capability
A core priority has been developing workforce understanding across sectors. Sue Irwin, a specialist in trauma informed education and organisational culture, outlined how early experiences of trauma can affect brain development and influence how individuals respond to stress, relationships and services.
Her session reinforced the importance of consistent, trauma‑aware responses across all touchpoints – from schools and housing services to health and community provision.
This theme was echoed by practitioners leading frontline services. Louise Shorrock and Mykalah Moreton shared how Blackburn with Darwen’s Family Hubs and early help teams are embedding trauma informed approaches into their daily work with children, young people and families, focusing on building trust and strengthening relationships.
Turning principles into practice
The afternoon workshops demonstrated how trauma informed principles are being applied in practice across different settings.
Sessions included:
- Supporting vulnerable adults through de‑escalation and engagement techniques
- Applying trauma informed approaches in education
- Responding to exploitation affecting vulnerable young people
- Addressing vicarious trauma within the voluntary and community workforce
Together, these workshops reflected the breadth of the borough’s approach, extending beyond individual services to create a shared, cross‑sector way of working.
A model for place‑based transformation
Although still in progress, Blackburn with Darwen’s work stands out within Lancashire, where no other area has yet adopted a comparable whole‑place trauma informed ambition.
Its approach offers valuable lessons for other councils and systems:
- Start with shared understanding through workforce training
- Embed principles in strategy, not just frontline delivery
- Prioritise relationships and collaboration across agencies
- Focus on culture change, recognising that transformation takes time
Professor Abdul Razaq added:
As national attention grows around prevention, health inequalities and system reform, trauma informed approaches are increasingly being seen as a key part of the solution.
Last week’s conference was an opportunity for our multi-agency partners to come together to celebrate and reflect on the progress we’ve made in Blackburn with Darwen, strengthen partnerships and renew commitment to long‑term change. This includes our leading-edge work on promoting organisations and teams to attain the Working with Trauma quality mark.
With strong foundations already in place, the borough’s next challenge will be to sustain momentum and fully embed trauma informed practice to trauma responsive across every part of the system, ensuring that residents receive support that is not only effective, but is compassionate and supports healing.
More information is available on the BeWellBwD website.