The Childhood Trauma Recovery Network exists to support people from across the UK to find the help they need to recover from childhood trauma, and to ensure that the professionals they work with are trauma-informed.

Trauma can disrupt, destroy and devastate a child, young person or adult’s life. Trauma can come from the actions of a stranger, someone inside or known to the family, or from an incident that the child or young person has experienced or witnessed. These traumatic experiences can impact the ways they behave, communicate, relate to other people, and perceive the world around them. Many people tell us that they find it hard to trust or feel safe around other people, or in their everyday lives. The consequences of childhood trauma can stay with a person over their lifetime.

With the right support, children, young people and adults can overcome their experiences of childhood trauma. Some people call this recovery, growth or healing, and others talk about living beyond the trauma they have suffered. 

Whatever you call it, know that the Childhood Trauma Recovery Network is here to support you, and we will be trying to make the organisations and professionals you might work with more trauma-informed.

People, families and professionals often tell us that they can find it difficult to access the most appropriate support to make sense of, and recover from, the trauma they have experienced in childhood.

As a group of dedicated professionals and organisations, members of the Childhood Trauma Recovery Network all commit to continually:

• offering all children, young people and adults hope that there is life and relationships beyond their experiences of childhood trauma.

• being recovery-focused, united in our belief that children, young people and adults can grow and develop beyond the experiences of trauma they have had, and can restore and/or build new and healthy relationships for the future. 

• growing our knowledge about the impact of childhood trauma on the lives of children, young people and adults.

• strengthening our understanding so that we understand the different ways (behaviours, thoughts, emotions, relationships) that children, young people and adults can express their experiences of childhood trauma.

• developing our skills and practices, so that we respond in ways that are trauma-informed and avoid retraumatisation. 

• signposting onto expert trauma-focused support when we don’t have the knowledge or skills to respond ourselves.

• working collaboratively to share good practice, and ensure we build local trauma-informed environments and networks of support.

• advocating for investment in trauma-informed environments and approaches in our own settings or organisations, and the local communities in which we practice.

Regional CTRN Hubs

We facilitate regional Childhood Trauma Recovery Network Hubs where organisations and professionals can meet to support each other, discuss the latest research and insight, share good practice, and be available to support each other in times of challenge.

We then provide contact details of these people and organisations in each area to enable people and families to find the support they need. We also provide guidance on the different kinds of support and what may best work for you, your child, or someone you are working with.