Creating a more inclusive culture through trauma-informed practice 

Education & Skills Training and Development (ESTD) is an apprenticeship training provider that specialises in the education and childcare sectors and supports around 1,300 apprentices across the UK. 

As part of its focus on creating a more inclusive experience for apprentices, staff, and other stakeholders, ESTD turned to NCFE’s trauma-informed practice online courses to strengthen staff skills in this area. 

We spoke to Clare Hill at ESTD about how the courses have helped give teams the knowledge and confidence to meet individual needs and remove barriers to success. 

Giving staff the tools to meet individual needs 

When Clare Hill became Head of Operations in late 2024, ESTD didn’t yet have the rigorous approach to inclusivity that benefits both apprentices and staff today. “This was something that was quite weak for us,” she explained, pointing to a scattered approach to drawing down funding for disadvantaged apprentices, implementing support packages, and adapting learning to different needs. 

Professional development has been central to ESTD’s efforts to turn this around, alongside an additional learning support (ALS) team and resources such as a counselling service. Clare needed training that would fit around varied roles, making NCFE’s two-hour, self-paced course, Enhancing Neuroinclusivity Through Trauma-Informed Practice, ideal. 

Rather than enrolling all staff at once, ESTD began with the 30 people who were best placed to influence practice across the department, including leaders, internal quality assurers, the ALS team, and tutors supporting large numbers of apprentices with additional needs. Clare anticipated the new knowledge would then cascade down to other team members. 

Seeing the person behind the behaviour 

One of the biggest changes to ESTD’s approach has been the way staff understand and respond to different needs and behaviours. Since completing NCFE’s trauma-informed practice course, tutors have reported feeling more confident recognising signs of distress and adapting their teaching to suit different apprentices. 

One team member has developed new learning resources to support neurodivergent apprentices, while another has changed the language they use to help apprentices feel at ease and take in complex information. 

At the same time, a tutor within Clare’s team shared that the course “has increased my awareness of the diverse ways apprentices process information and engage with learning, and has encouraged me to adopt more flexible, inclusive teaching approaches.” 

Looking beyond the learner experience 

But the impact goes far beyond ESTD’s apprentices. As Clare put it, “With 1,300 apprentices, you can imagine how many people that connects with.” 

ESTD works across a complex network of relationships, from apprentices and their employers to the people apprentices support within their roles. Many apprentices work in early years and education, where they may support children and young people with additional needs. Trauma-informed practice therefore gives ESTD staff a way to help apprentices recognise and respond to the needs of others in the workplace. 

Building a more open culture 

While ESTD has transformed the way it works with external stakeholders, the internal impact has been just as powerful. A better understanding of trauma and neurodivergence has created more openness at every level of the department, with both senior leaders and team members coming forward with personal experiences they had never discussed at work. 

“I think the training made them realise it wasn’t a shameful thing to talk about,” said Clare. “They’ve been really open and honest, and it takes a lot of courage to do that when you’ve hidden it for many years.” 

These conversations have enabled managers to provide appropriate support, making it possible for team members to achieve things they’d previously struggled with, such as maths and English skills. Clare explained that for some staff, “it’s become apparent that they’ve been masking their difficulties and challenges around dyscalculia or dyslexia. It was only by us having this open conversation that we could then assist them to do their initial assessments. They just felt so nervous about doing it.” 

Creating lasting impact through inclusive practice 

NCFE training now forms a key part of ESTD’s inclusion strategy. As well as receiving positive feedback from staff, Clare is beginning to see encouraging evidence in apprentice outcomes, with data proving those who require additional support are benefiting from recent adjustments. “They’ve unlocked the things they need to assist their learning,” she observed. “We can see an overall pattern now, across the whole cohort, where those apprentices are making better progress.” 

Trauma-informed practice also aligns with Ofsted’s focus on meeting the needs of vulnerable and disadvantaged apprentices. For Clare, inclusivity strengthens ESTD’s readiness for inspection as well as its day-to-day operations and long-term impact. 

Following the success of the initial trauma-informed practice training cohort, ESTD has now funded places for a further 30 members of staff, with ambitions to train all 100 members of the department. 

“I think they’d all benefit from it,” said Clare. “My aim is to try and get everybody to do it.” 

Discover how our trauma-informed learning pathway can help you build a more inclusive, trauma-informed culture. 

Pictured: Clare Hill, Head of Operations, ESTD