University of Salford collaborative project applying trauma-informed lens to veterans' welfare services

Forces in Mind Trust has awarded £249,204 to the University of Salford for a  project to provide a comprehensive baseline understanding of experience of Ministry of Defence (MOD) welfare services through a trauma-informed lens.

A trauma-informed approach ensures that support services are designed to recognise the needs of individuals who may have suffered trauma. Many other UK government departments and organisations – including the Department of Work and Pensions, Ministry of Justice, NHS and Social Security Scotland – are embedding trauma-informed principles. In addition, this project follows the MOD review of welfare services in 2023 recommendation to adopt trauma-informed practice.

The new project, led by Professor Lisa Scullion, will seek to understand the current experiences of MOD welfare services from a trauma-informed perspective. Working specifically with the Armed Forces People Support Team, which supports a range of complex welfare issues, the project aims to help the MOD to understand how policy and practice can become more trauma-informed in a sustainable and evidence driven way.

The project is scheduled to run for 18 months from June 2025.