Behaviour is communication. For children in care, 'challenging' or what we understand as ‘distress behaviours’ often reflect unmet needs, fear, or shame. Responding with control alone misses the opportunity to understand and connect.

Recognising the difference between chronological and developmental age is essential. Parenting a child based on their developmental age helps to ‘fill in the gaps’ and manage expectations; expecting too much can overwhelm while expecting too little can hold children back.

Early relational trauma profoundly affects the developing brain, impacting how a child anticipates and responds to threat and how they understand themselves, their relationship with others and the world around them. For children in care, disrupted attachments and their experience of toxic stress can alter the way the brain processes safety, trust, and connection.

Understanding the impact of trauma and recognizing the signs in the children we care for is an important first step. However, responding in a way that promotes trauma informed care is what makes the difference. The Level 3 Award helps carers and staff use a trauma lens in everyday interactions.

To help carers and staff embed trauma informed practice in their own setting, the Level 3 Award introduces learners to six key principles: Safety, Trust, Peer Support, Collaboration, Empowerment and issues of Diversity.

Trauma is not defined by a distressing event, but by the impact it leaves on the brain, body and relationships. For children in care, trauma symptoms are often rooted in neglect, abuse, or repeated loss. Understanding how trauma presents is the first step to responding effectively.