Psychological trauma and adversity including ACES (adverse childhood experiences)

Community awareness, support and action

We want our communities to be places that foster positive mental and physical health and wellbeing. This is why we’re working to raise awareness, encourage action across local communities, and support all of us who have been negatively affected by psychological trauma and adversity. This includes developing resilience through safe, trusting relationship and connections.

Examples of the type of action we are taking includes:

• working with the Scottish ACEs Hub, coordinated by Public Health Scotland, which aims to raise awareness and understanding of ACEs and encourage action across sectors, linking with local ACE hubs across Scotland
• collaborating with children, young people and other stakeholders to co-produce methods of raising awareness and understanding of children’s rights
• providing community-based support through the CashBack for Communities Programme, which is funding for projects supporting children and young people affected by ACEs and trauma
• supporting the Navigator Programme, led by the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, which links with hospital emergency departments to provide peer support to adults whose lives are affected by violence
• working with sports organisations, including Scottish Sports Futures, to support young people and buffer against psychological trauma and adversity through sport and physical activity