Summary
Trauma is a real and harmful emotional response to distressing experiences
Trauma-informed complaints processes seek to avoid doing more harm through re-traumatisation
The most important things you can do are to listen to the person, believe them and help them make informed choices at their own pace.
Understanding trauma and trauma-informed care
Trauma is a real and harmful emotional response to distressing experiences. It can be the result of a single event or ongoing harm. Trauma can be direct – for example, where something happens to you – or indirect – for example witnessing a distressing event. It prevents people from coping with things that have happened to them.
Trauma can impact anyone and shows up differently for each person. It can be hard to spot, and hard to know if something will affect you. It is not a personal failure if it does.
Trauma-informed care seeks to protect traumatised people from further harm through re-traumatisation. In complaints processes, it means making sure that people feel safe, understood and empowered when raising concerns. A trauma-informed approach is to always assume the events have affected those involved, leading with care and support.
Know your process
It’s important that you know your organisation’s process for reporting before you receive a disclosure, for example by reading and understanding the complaint and resolution policy. That knowledge will allow you to act with confidence and build trust when someone makes a disclosure to you.
Look after yourself
Taking disclosures can be upsetting. Make sure you look after yourself and seek support if you need it.
The most important things
“The three most important things you can do are to:
listen, without interruption or judgement
believe and validate their experiences
provide information that will support them to make their own choices (as much as possible) in what happens next.
“You do not need to ‘fix’ the problem for them, give them solutions or provide counselling. But, depending on your role, you may be legally required to share the disclosure with other people if you believe there is an immediate risk of harm.”
From safeandequal.org.au
What to do, say and know
Listen |
Do | Say | Know |
Stay calm. Take the person seriously. | “I’m listening” “You can tell me as much as you feel comfortable with” | Pushing for details can be retraumatising. Let the person tell you their experience in their own way, without interruption. |
Protect |
Do | Say | Know |
Check if the person is safe. | “Are you in danger?” “Is this still happening?” | If the person is at immediate risk of harm, call the police or appropriate authorities. |
Reassure |
Do | Say | Know |
Believe the person. Validate the person’s feelings. | “I believe you” “Thank you for telling me. You’ve done the right thing.” “This was not your fault” “I’m sorry this happened to you” [For children and young people] “You’re really brave for sharing this.” | You do not need to “fix” the situation. To preserve trust, avoid making promises that you can’t keep (for example, don’t promise to keep someone safe) |
Record |
Do | Say | Know |
Write down what the person says using their own words. Write the time, date and place that they spoke to you. Include any names, places, dates and times that may be relevant. Write down how they seem to you. | “I need to write this down to make sure I get it right.” | In your record, it’s important to distinguish between the facts (what the person said) and your opinions or observations (how they seem). |
Inform |
Do | Say | Know |
Tell the person that you need to tell someone else. The person you tell is someone who will help protect them. Explain what will happen next. Say who will keep them informed during the process. | “Thank you for sharing that” “I need to tell XYX. Their job is to XYX” | Do not promise that you won’t tell anyone. You will need skilled support to take the right next steps. Do not keep the information to yourself – follow your organisation’s process for disclosures. |
