See the Story: Our Commitment to Trauma-Informed, Compassionate and Fair Care

At our Trust, we believe that every person has a story that shapes how they think, feel and respond. When we understand that story, we can offer care that feels safer, kinder and more respectful.

See the Story is our commitment to making trauma-informed and equitable care part of everyday practice. It brings together our work on compassion, inclusion, health inequalities and understanding the impact of trauma on people’s lives.

This work matters to us because we know that people do better when they feel understood. And we want to share it more widely so others can learn from what we are doing.

Why this approach is important

Trauma affects people in many different ways. It can come from difficult life events, but also from experiences of inequality, such as racism, poverty, homophobia, transphobia, ableism or other forms of discrimination. These experiences can shape how someone feels about themselves, about services and about asking for help.

By recognising this, we can:

· Help people feel safer and more in control

· Reduce fear and distress

· Build trust

· Offer care that adapts to people’s needs, rather than expecting people to adapt to us

What See the Story aims to do

We created See the Story to:

· Make trauma‑informed care easy to understand by using clear language and real examples that show what it looks like in everyday situations.

· Create a shared approach across our Trust so that everyone receives consistent, compassionate care, no matter where they are or who they meet.

· Show that small changes can make care feel very different. Listening, noticing when someone is struggling and responding kindly all help people feel safer.

· Support safe, high‑quality care by using our “We See…” statements, which link to national standards and help teams reflect on how they work.

The “We See” Statements

To help everyone understand what trauma-informed and equitable care looks like, we created a set of simple reminders called the ‘We See statements’. They help us notice what people need to feel safe, respected and understood.

They align with CQC quality themes and reflect our commitment to equity, inclusion and reducing health inequalities.

Safe

• We see safety as the starting point for all care.
• We see that people feel safest when they feel seen and heard.
• We see risk through the lens of experience, not just behaviour.
• We see that racism, discrimination, and inequality create additional risks that must be recognised and addressed.

Effective

• We see the person as the expert in their own story.
• We see behaviour as communication, not confrontation.
• We see routines, structure, and choice as essential to recovery. We see equity as adapting care to different needs and identities.

Caring

• We see the person not just the diagnosis.
• We see the strength it takes to ask for and accept help.
• We see families and carers as part of recovery.
• We see people of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences as deserving of dignity and compassion Responsive
• We see the impact of trauma and act with curiosity, not judgment.
• We see cultural identity, neurodiversity, and personal history as central to care.
• We see the value of adapting our approach, not expecting people to adapt to us. We see discrimination as trauma that affects trust in services.

Well-Led

• We see trauma-informed care as everyone’s responsibility.
• We see wellbeing, psychological safety, and kindness as leadership priorities.
• We see reflective practice and supervision as essential to safe, compassionate care.
• We see learning from people’s lived experience as vital to getting care right.
• We see speaking up for inclusion and equity as a key part of leadership

Hear the Story: Our Trauma-Informed Care Podcast

To support wider learning, we have launched Hear the Story, a podcast sharing real experiences from patients, families, staff and volunteers.

These conversations explore what compassionate, trauma-informed and equitable care looks like in real life — the challenges, the learning and the moments that change us.

By listening to people’s stories, we deepen our understanding. And when we understand, we can care better.

Listen and Watch on Spotify and YouTube.

Episode 1: Introducing ‘See The Story’

Welcome to Hear the Story, a podcast from Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust exploring trauma informed and equitable care through real experiences, honest conversations and shared learning.

In this first episode, we meet the team leading this work across the Trust and explore some of the questions colleagues have asked about trauma informed care, health inequalities and race inequalities. Together, we discuss why this work matters, what it looks like in practice, and how it can help us deliver more compassionate, inclusive and person-centred care.

Episode 2: Two Perspectives, One Story

In this episode, we hear from two people connected by the same service, but from very different perspectives.

Nikki is a former service user who now works for the Trust. Rachel is a clinician from the Complex Emotional Needs Service. Together, they reflect on Nikki's experiences of accessing support, the impact trauma had on her journey, and how those experiences influenced her decision to pursue a career in healthcare.

Rachel also shares her perspective on how services have evolved over time, the learning that has shaped change, and the role trauma informed approaches play in building stronger relationships and improving outcomes for the people we support.