SCHOOLS TRAUMA INFORMED AND ATTACHMENT AWARE (S.T.I.A.A.)
SELF-EVALUATION FRAMEWORK (S.E.F.)
For All Educational Communities
In 2018, Summit Psychology worked with Staffordshire's virtual school to research the question, 'What is a Trauma Informed and Attachment Aware School?' The research revealed a set of 43 competencies in answer to this question, which was further developed and operationalised by Dr Dawn Bradley into a self-evaluation framework for practical application in education settings. A change cycle was introduced to support the whole school through implementation of innovation, growth, and attachment aware and trauma informed practices.
The Schools Trauma Informed and Attachment Aware Self Evaluation Framework (S.T.I.A.A. S.E.F. © 2018) is a now a tool and framework for all schools to use to explore whether they could consider their educational community to be trauma informed and attachment aware. Available online for your whole educational setting to complete and with the accompanying publication, the framework provides a clear structure from which whole school staff, teaching teams, and practitioners within education can reflect and work together to bring about positive change for children and young people who have experienced adversity.
Through data collation of individual responses, the S.E.F. explores the current knowledge and expertise, applied practice, systems, organisational structures, current policies, and the support provided by the governing body and senior leadership teams (SLT) which enable settings to meet the needs of vulnerable populations and looked after children.
This framework is intended to help educational settings evaluate where skills and strengths currently lie, and to identify gaps in knowledge, applied practice, systems, policy, and leadership that may be identified as areas where change can occur. From the completed evaluations, data generated helps settings to plan, implement, and evaluate change processes to provide positive and relationally enhanced experiences for vulnerable and looked after children in education. This process can be greatly enhanced by including the development of Relational Care Processes and Relational Care Teams.
The Schools Trauma Informed and Attachment Aware (S.T.I.A.A.) Self Evaluation Framework (S.E.F.) is available to all educational communities in the UK. We can introduce the S.E.F. to any educational community from the early years, primary and secondary phases, in any sector, and who want relational care to be at the heart of their relationships with children and young people.
This is a complete package for educational settings who are supported throughout the whole change process as they journey towards being attachment aware and trauma informed. Support incorporates consultation, training as identified and requested, and data analysis. Summit supports your setting through the change process utilising a clear framework following a 'Plan, Do, Study, Act' cycle.
You will be assisted in the development and review of action plans as you work towards attachment aware and trauma informed changes within your educational community. This may contribute to school development plans, Ofsted and safeguarding, and feed into LA pathways for attachment aware status, or other attachment and trauma awards. National organisations such as the Attachment Research Community also welcome submissions from educational settings who are seeking best practice and undertaking research to meet attachment needs.
Introductory webinars are scheduled throughout the year and can also be co-ordinated to meet your settings operational time frames. Details can be found in the events and training diary or by contacting us directly via email
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The S.T.I.A.A. S.E.F. has a range of free supplementary and accompanying resources which are available to educational communities completing the S.E.F. with Summit Psychology Services.
Resources are in a password protected area. To request access to the materials, please email Summit.