Addressing Systems Generated Trauma: a collaborative conference

The conference brought together families, academics and professionals involved in the field of children’s social care, health and education.

On 9 July, academics from the University of Leeds’ School of Law, the charity Cerebra, the Tizard Centre at the University of Kent, and the Challenging Behaviour Foundation (CBF) brought together diverse perspectives to generate awareness and debate about practical solutions for families traumatised by the inadequate or deficient responses they receive from organisations, public bodies, and services.

The aim was to explore practical solutions to addressing what is referred to as ‘Systems Generated Trauma’ and address awareness raising actions to generate further support and collaboration. 

‘Trauma-related practice’ is a phrase increasingly used by public bodies to convey awareness that many of the people they interact with have experienced life changing situations in different contexts. These traumas recognised by public services include a wide range of instances such as adverse childhood experiences, domestic violence, and mental health difficulties.

However, what is often overlooked, is that many users of public services find their interactions with these services to be the most traumatising part of their experience.

Experts in the field say that ‘Systems Generated Traumas’ are a daily experience for many people in contact with the social welfare system, including carers, disabled adults, and disabled young people.

There are many intersecting examples, but for parents of disabled children, these can include:

• being prosecuted when their disabled child refuses to go to school;
• being denied support by children’s services in desperate times, only to have their home inspected and their children interviewed for child protection;
• being accused of fabricating or inducing their child’s illness (FII) because they requested a second opinion from a health professional;
• and being unable to access justice to address the damage caused by such treatment.

Navigating a traumatising system

Donna K, a parent and grandparent who has suffered trauma generated by the system, said: “As a parent and grandparent, having over 30 years’ experience of both fighting and navigating the system for support for Education, Health and Social Care services, for my disabled family members, and supporting other parent/carers of disabled young people, I can honestly say that it has been a harrowing experience at times, leaving myself and other parent/carers feeling absolute despair and traumatised by the battle that they have endured and the constant firefighting to prove that the support is necessary and that you are not at fault.

“This leads to distrust of all agencies and professionals who should be supportive, along with every aspect of your health and being, emotionally and physically shattered. You have no choice but to continue to 'work' with these people who you feel have totally disrespected and emotionally abused you.”

I have to say that over the many years of experience this has only got worse, which is fundamentally wrong.

Bringing about meaningful change

Professor Luke Clements, a Cerebra Professor at the University of Leeds School of Law, who helped to organise the conference, said: “We hope that this event and our research concerning ‘Systems Generated Trauma’ will bring about meaningful change in the way public services operate.”

Social welfare agencies must understand the harm that their systems and their practices are causing to those that approach them for support.  This understanding should then result in fundamental revisions to their policies and their practices – so that those in need of assistance are not traumatised but supported.

Beverley Hitchcock, Head of Research and Information at Cerebra, expressed: “We are a national charity dedicated to helping children with brain conditions and their families.

“Our ‘Legal Entitlements and Problem Solving Project’ at the University of Leeds School of Law is an innovative approach that helps families of children with brain conditions cope with the legal barriers they face.

“We listen to families and provide them with the knowledge they need to access health, social care and other support services. Through the project we can identify the common legal problems that prevent families getting access to services and develop innovative ways of solving those problems.”

By sharing solutions as widely as possible through conferences such as these, we can ensure that many families can benefit.

By bringing together diverse perspectives, the conference created a platform for carers to exchange experiences, generate awareness about this issue through research, and debate about practical solutions for families being traumatised as the result of the inexistent or deficient responses provided to them by organisations and public bodies and services.

Further information

The conference has been made possible through generous funding from Cerebra, the University of Leeds, and Fletchers – specialist solicitors supporting families of children who have suffered brain injuries and other brain conditions.

For media enquiries regarding the University of Leeds or to arrange interviews, please contact Morgan Buswell in the University press office.

For enquiries regarding Cerebra, please contact comms@cerebra.org.uk.

To learn more about the School of Law’s Community Engagement projects, please click here.