Trauma-Informed Leadership - Five Practical Principles

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1. Trauma
Informed
Leadership

Five Practical Principles

Pa tera |

@PookyH
[email protected] | pookyknightsmith.com

2. Don't cater to
weakness,

Build a culture
where strengths
can shine

5. Efforts are made to ensure the
physical and psychological safety of
staff and students. This includes

enabling a feeling of freedom from

threat or harm.

Pooks

6. Sa fet TY

ey Ni

it mat tt

9. make a big difference

= L | Many micro-inter
ay JN Adopt a calm tone of voice ( ry slow-low-low)

— ae _ 7 \
BS” Approach issues with curiosity not animosity

Tomorrow

LO» Replace Stare & Scare with Walk & Talk meetings

Ned Term”

eos How can you make people FEEL safe? Review comms

ebooks

11. Choice

12. Staff and students have a voice in

decision-making processes. Individuals
are supported and scaffolded to make

positive decisions and choices and set

their own goals

13. Choice

why it matters...

control / choice can

sponse

ikely to strive/thrive

‘er CA — mn

Se
Pooks

14. ~Stepping Back-
Not making all of the decisions but creating an
environment where it is safe for individuals to make
choices for themselves

-Open-Minded-
Acknowledging that different people might make different
choices (and at different times) and that's okay. Trying not
to judge the choices of others

-Scaffold-
For those who find making positive choices hard, being
supportive and limiting choices and being clear about
consequences / what's next

15. To - | ES Bounce Back: ask questions instead of giving answers

LO» Offer mini-choices: shall we sit here or there?

ae we Peli — i SSE

ASS Identify 3 areas where you can relinquish control
Tomorrow
LO» Set goals using student, not adult motivations

ae Commit to making every student voice heard
N Term

Revisit behaviour policy in the context of choices

MA N Na Pooks!

16. ©
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Resource

creative
EDUCATION

How to
Hear Their Voices

Practical Ideas for Enabling Student Voice, Especially
‘Amongst Groups Who Too Often Go Unheard

www creativeeducation.co.uk

CONTENTS

1Shy

2.Often Absent

3.Minority Groups

4.Pigeon-Holed

5.Loud or Angry

6.Mute or Anxious

7.Low-Self-Esteem

8.Non-Verbal (with learning difficulties)
9.Non-Verbal (without learning difficulties)
10. Learning Difficulties (but verbal)

11. English as a Second Language

12. Deaf or Hearing Impaired

13. Very Young

14. Transient

15. Looked After Children

16. Disengaged

creative
EDUCATION

Pooks

17. m.

18. Collaborate

19. Decisions about people are not

made without them. Power is shared
and different points of view are

encouraged and respected.

21. - Collaboration looks like - E

-Not being the expert-
Recognising the expert in the student is the student... the
expert in TAs are the TAs eto...

Reaching out-
Pro-actively asking for input from e.g parents / carers or
groups who are less well represented

-Preaking down barriers-

Acknowledging and addressing physical, psychological and
other barriers to collaboration

22. Collaborative
problem-solving
transforms a
group of
individuals into a

team

23. Tod ES = Ask for the voice of least experience first in meetings
/ 22 Commit to doing ‘with’ not ‘to’ in all you do

Ki Identify barriers to home-school collaboration
Tomor your

LO» Gift your mistakes, have a fail of the day

Son SS ® Rotate team roles - allow different people to lead
Ned Terme,

Develop togetherness through laughter & rituals

A. KT fh Se
@PooksH

24. What baby step could you

take to promote

- COLLABORATION -
In your leadership?

25. Trust

26. Transparency exists in the school's

policies and procedures, with the

objective of building trust among
staff, students and the wider
community.

27. Everyone needs to know what to
expect of one another
“al

Trust is vital for secure attachments to

Trust

why it matters...

form

We need a network of trust to manage
well: it takes a village

Pooks

28. Trustworthy
adults
enable

Children to
be childlike

Pooks

29. — Jrustworthiness looks like -

-Consistent-

You keep showing up physically and psychologically for the
children and adults in your care

-Persistent-
You don't give up, you hold onto hope

-Predictable-

You say what youlll do and you do what you say

-Trusting-

You place trust in others

Pooks

30. BORING

ina

GOOD

way

31. Today ASE Don't assume trust. Earn it

Rey Use open questions to build bridges into their world

Br |

KS Be honest: communicate transparently

Tomor row-
Place your trust in others - do it out loud

Confidentiality: create a ‘who, what, when, how, why’ plan
N en ar

Training: how trauma can erode capacity for trust in others

Saad EE ae
@PookyH

32. What baby step could you

take to promote

- TRUST -
In your leadership?

34. The school has a culture that

enables staff and students to feel
validated and affirmed and to
recognise and build on their

strengths and skills

35. Gives everyone the confidence to self-

advocate

Every voice and idea can be heard and
| respected

Empower
why it matters...

Creates an environment of learning
together

36. - Empowering Leaders -

-Coaching Culture-
Create a supportive environment in which they coach others and
invite coaching from others too

-Invest-
Time (and budget) is invested in developing the skills and
understanding of the whole team

-Leave No One Pehind-
Every voice is heard, every participant is supported to be a
confident and creative contributor

-Promote Good Ideas-
Empowering leaders listen to the ideas and opinions of others
and incorporate and credit these

37. Let go of your ideas: gift them to others

38. Too (ES Listen to understand: make others feel seen and heard
/ Br Notice: give spontaneous, sincere, specific praise

ES? Think again: invite challenges to your point of view
Tomor row-
Role model vulnerability and learn out loud

Bar SS Audit and use cross team strengths/skills/passions
Ned Term

RBs Build bitesize CPD moments into regular agendas

39. What baby step could you

take to promote
- EMPOWERMENT -
In your leadership?

40. As leaders, may
empathy guide our
decisions,
understanding
shape our
communication,
and our actions be
a healing balm

41. Let's Work Together?

Webinar or Face-2-Face, popular topics include:

e Autism € ADHD

Emotionally based school avoidance

e Trauma-informed practice

e Staff wellbeing

e Joy, Belonging, Connection, Fun

e Whole school approach to mental health
e Communication

42. pookyknightsmith.com

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linkedin.com/in/pooky
’ k [NEWS
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Speaking & Webinar Enquiries: [email protected]

43. ae kn] NEW!
a The Human Kind Award

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