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Roz Etwaria is the project director of Little Ro
Why we need trauma-informed social housing
Trauma can affect anyone, including housing staff and residents – which is why trauma-informed approaches in social housing is crucial, says Roz Etwaria
Social housing is a pressurised environment with competing demands and requirements, such as collecting revenue, dealing with repair and disrepair, letting properties and managing anti-social behaviour.
The Regulator of Social Housing considers those and other key indicators to comprise a good housing service. What could be better prioritised is the human aspect.
How we experience these services builds or hinders resident engagement. To secure a better experience, trauma-informed approaches in social housing should be introduced. How will that make a difference to services? The short answer is that it will shape housing management into a more human experience.
This way you can better meet your client’s needs, reduce complaints, and increase customer satisfaction. And it is a uniquely powerful method of supporting staff, with long-term benefits as it promotes self-care and protects staff from secondary trauma, burnout and compassion fatigue.
“Trauma-informed approaches mean we shift our focus from ‘what’s wrong with you?’ to ‘what happened to you?’”
Trauma, in simple terms, is an emotional injury that affects performance and well-being. So, what is a trauma-informed approach? This concept took form in 2001 and is what we have been using for a long time at LittleRo.org and implementing in businesses. TIA means we shift our focus from “what’s wrong with you?” to “what happened to you?” giving a central role to trauma’s complex and pervasive impact on a person’s relationships and worldview.
It creates safer spaces for those who have experienced trauma and reduces the risk of re-traumatising service users (or staff). A trauma-informed approach is built upon six principles that all businesses can aspire to: safety (physical and psychological); trustworthiness and transparency; choice and empowerment; collaboration and mutuality; peer support; and cultural, historical and gender issues. Some organisations have aspects of these, but a trauma-informed approach takes a comprehensive lived experience approach.
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So why is a trauma-informed approach necessary for social housing? Trauma is embedded in human services. Social landlords are in the human services industry.
The Mental Health Foundation reports that around one in three adults in England have reported at least one traumatic event. And a study by Darwen shows that nearly half the people in England have had an adverse childhood experience that results in trauma. Childhood trauma often affects us in our adulthood.
Additionally, studies show the rate is higher for people from culturally different backgrounds and those with less money. For those affected, dealing with housing issues such as paying rent, managing noise, relationship breakdown and homelessness can be difficult.
Many of the struggles your tenants and residents experience may be rooted in trauma. Having a trauma-informed approach is essential for the well-being of stakeholders and staff. It can help with policies that improve how rent is collected, properties are allocated and anti-social behaviour resolution, to name a few impacts.
It will also help staff feel safe and resilient in managing secondary trauma, compassion fatigue and burnout. These can lead to additional costs and higher staff turnover and absenteeism rates. Where housing services do not directly engage with the public, trauma can still affect staff. So, a trauma-informed approach in social housing is crucial because a trauma-informed business is disability-informed.
I’ve seen the benefits of trauma-informed approaches in action. At Little Ro, we are experts by experience and researchers with management backgrounds, including housing management. We have seen the effects of those living with trauma trying to manage housing-related issues and homelessness.
We believe that the trauma-informed approach is a solution to some of those problems. We develop and lead training for all sectors in planning and developing trauma-informed services.
“Trauma-informed approaches are when we organise our businesses to do no harm, including eliminating re-traumatising stakeholders and service users as far as possible”
Our work is informed by neuroscience, psychology and social science. We evaluate policies and practices through a trauma-focused lens to help you move beyond traditional service delivery models. We use our unique peer support model to help organisations create safer psychological spaces. We work with businesses to create the paradigm shift and embed the six principles of trauma-informed approaches, including programmes of well-being for employees’ self-care. And we emphasise the importance of being heard.
Trauma-informed approaches are when we organise our businesses to do no harm, including eliminating re-traumatising stakeholders and service users as far as possible. It builds trust and connection. There is no one approach, and it requires ongoing internal assessment and improvement. To make that happen, engaging with those with lived experience is essential.
Roz Etwaria, project director, Little Ro
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