“It was quite honestly the most nerve-wracking thing I have ever done,” said Jilly. “But I would totally do it again! Asking for money feels uncomfortable but we were determined to give it our best shot!”
“We wanted to provide a supportive framework for staff and recognised the need to work in a preventative rather than reactive approach to the high pressure and high stress situations our team can find themselves in,” she added.
Funding of £4450, provided two days of TRiM training for 12 of the Neonatal Team, covering a range of roles across the unit. Beginning with lectures on what trauma risk is and how it effects people in different ways and then focusing in on a peer support method with practical sessions, putting learning into action.
“Key to TRiM is the element of peer support. As a team, we are best placed to identify those among us who may be suffering adverse effects from an event and we now have the tools to step in early and offer support,” Jilly explains. “Identifying if a colleague is struggling to sleep, having difficulty concentrating or experiencing flashbacks can all be signs that further support is needed.”
“We have already put into practice all of the learning and have been able to support our team after a number of situations which feels great!”
“Using the framework of TRiM, we can quickly assess a colleague through gentle non-evasive questioning, which feels more like a friendly chat. Thanks to the training, we can quickly establish which colleagues might need further support and signpost them to support services, or sometimes just by chatting things through, a colleague can feel reassured and better able to cope and process events.”
Following the success of the initial funded sessions of TRiM practioner training, Jilly, Sarah and the Neonatal Team, hope to expand the training across their Unit and indeed to spread the good news about the impact on their team to the wider Trust.
