The quality of the relationship between a child who has experienced early childhood trauma and their primary caregiver is crucial to how that child develops into adulthood and to forming positive future relationships. This was the key message being delivered yesterday at a major children’s services summit that took place in Cardiff.
Yesterday’s event, Changing Patterns, Changing Lives provided the setting for over 250 professionals across the public, voluntary and private sectors with responsibility for children’s services to discuss the impact of early childhood trauma on their development and emotional, physical and psychological well-being.
Some of the issues explored included: what can help a child to feel safe, what can help a child to manage their feelings or emotions such as fear, shame, anger or sadness, how to provide a child with attachment security, helping a child to make sense of his or her life and experiences and working from a family focussed perspective to promote family well-being.
Delegates also considered how an improved understanding of early child trauma and attachment can be used to better inform their approach to service planning and delivery and thereby improve the outcomes for children and young people in the future.
Guest speakers included global expert and clinical psychologist Dan Hughes whose developmental attachment theory (Known as Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy) has been internationally acclaimed and Keith Towler, Children’s Commissioner for Wales.
Highlighting the key principles behind his DDP theory Dan Hughes said:
“DDP involves creating a safe setting in which the child can begin to explore, resolve and integrate a wide range of memories, emotions, and current experiences that are frightening, shameful, avoided or denied. Safety is created by the quality of the relationship between the child and the caregiver and needs to be explored within an inter-subjective context. As the process unfolds the child is providing a coherent life-story which is crucial for attachment and the caregiver’s understanding develops further through dialogue about these experiences, without judgment or criticism.”
Yesterday’s event was hosted by the Partnership Support Unit within the WLGA together with a range of partners including Relate, Children in Wales, Adoption UK, University of Newport and the Welsh Assembly Government.
The event was chaired by Siân Wyn Siencyn, Head of Early Childhood at Trinity College.
