It is hard to stay hopeful in times of so many misfortunes in our London communities and around the world. Yet, we need to face the facts to make real changes.
This month’s newsletter is packed with items to challenge and inspire us.
We cannot ignore new evidence about destitution’s malevolent grip on children. The key figure is One Million - the number of children in the UK affected by destitution in 2022, according to a report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
The rate of destitution among black-led households was three times more than their share of the population. For Londoners, the situation is at its bleakest: the capital had the highest rate of destitution among all regions.
So where are the solutions? The threads of trauma are knotted, demanding more far-reaching strategies.
Though there is talk about trauma-informed care in health services, a report from Bristol University sets out a challenging view of the present state of development, describing it as ‘piecemeal’: ‘Bottom-up driven trauma-informed initiatives need top-down support from organisational, regional, and national leadership.’
Until a coherent strategic approach is adopted, our children, families, and communities will continue to suffer the cold winds of adversity with less support than they deserve.
A good example of top-down strategic initiative is a landmark report published by the Royal College of Psychiatry. It recognises that the experience of socioeconomic deprivation and racial discrimination are important adverse childhood experiences and addresses changes in training to also cover the signs and symptoms of childhood adversity.
Positive change is possible. In this spirit, we are thrilled to announce our final webinar of 2023 in partnership with the ATTUNE Project, focusing on ACEs and young people’s mental and ways forward. Don't miss out, register below!
Support the ACEs work!
Join our network to add your voice to our collective effort to make London an ACE-aware metropolis.
As we plan more events and prepare for the conference in 2024, there are new opportunities to work with the Hub, especially in fundraising and media.
If either of these opportunities appeals to you, do get in touch.
We thank everyone who has shared items for this month’s newsletter. Suggestions are always welcome so drop us a line via [email protected] if you have some news to share on ACEs, TIC, and resilience-building. Together we are stronger.
