Psychological trauma and adversity including ACES (adverse childhood experiences)

Action to prevent psychological trauma and adversity

Preventing and responding early to psychological trauma and adversity is central to the Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) approach, and a key focus across many different policy areas.

Some examples of the types of action we are taking across these policy areas are:

• providing more support for children and families in the very earliest years – for example, through our universal health visiting service and family nurse partnerships
• investing in perinatal and infant mental health to support parents and infants early on, preventing any problems from escalating
• increasing family incomes and reducing living costs through the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan
• developing an early learning and childcare system that is high-quality, accessible, affordable, more flexible, and integrated with school and out-of-school care
• improving early child development by bringing together a programme to provide oversight and better integration of policies through the Early Child Development Transformational Change Programme
• supporting grassroots community groups in tackling mental health inequalities and challenges such as social isolation and loneliness, suicide prevention, poverty and inequality through the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults