Trauma-Informed course for region's teachers and sports coaches
14 May 2025
Hywel Dda University Health Board (UHB) is proud to announce a pioneering partnership with the Scarlets and Carmarthen Quins Minis and Juniors to deliver the first Trauma-Informed course for the region’s teachers, grassroots, and professional sports coaches.
This innovative initiative is part of the Health Board’s broader strategy to enhance emotional and mental well-being support within schools and communities. It marks a significant milestone as one of the first collaborations between a Health Board and professional sports teams for trauma-informed training.
The course, developed by Trauma Informed UK and supported by over 1,000 evidence-based research studies, aims to equip practitioners across various sectors—including social care, healthcare, community youth services, and schools—with the knowledge and skills to create safe, supportive, and emotionally informed environments.
The training emphasises the importance of emotionally available adults in settings where children and young people feel safe. Recognising that many children view their sports coaches as trusted figures, the course aims to empower these coaches to support their emotional and mental well-being effectively.
Paul Fisher, Scarlets Community Foundation Manager, said:
“Attending the informed trauma course offered several valuable benefits for staff at the Scarlets Rugby Community Foundation, where community engagement, youth development, and player welfare is central.
We all improved our understanding of trauma and its effects, through gaining a deeper knowledge of how trauma impacts behaviour, emotional regulation, and learning.
The trauma-informed approach aligns with safeguarding responsibilities, helping our staff recognise risks and protect individuals more effectively, and it promotes a culture of safety, especially for children and young people.”
Neil Evans, Chairman of the Carmarthen Quins Mini and Junior section added:
“Whilst physical development is important for the players we are keen to ensure we also look at all aspects of personal development and as coaches being trauma informed is vital in ensuring that we are able to identify anyone who may be struggling.
Mental health is of paramount importance to us as the children who play for Carmarthen Quins are very much in their formative years and we want to provide them with a safe space for all.”
In addition to the Scarlets and Carmarthen Quins coaching staff, over 50 school staff from across the Hywel Dda region participated in the training, bringing the total number of trauma-informed practitioners in our schools to nearly 400.
Kelly Davies, Implementation Lead for the Whole School Approach to Emotional and Mental Wellbeing at Hywel Dda UHB, said:
“We are excited to provide teachers, grassroots, and professional sports coaches with the tools to support the children and young people in our region. Health education extends beyond the classroom and is reinforced in the daily life of the school and local community.”
Hywel Dda UHB’s Whole School Approach to Emotional and Mental Wellbeing Programme aligns with the Welsh Government framework, addressing the emotional and mental well-being needs of all learners and school staff as part of the whole-school community.