Trauma Advisory Panel
Eastern
Health and Social Services Board
|
|
In working towards this aim, the board sought to reflect broad representation in panel membership, to encompass both victims, their representative groups, and those who work with traumatised people across the voluntary, community, professional and statutory sectors.
The panel works on new beginnings and seeks solutions, while avoiding blame for what has happened in the past.
Objectives and projects
-
To increase understanding of the range of needs, services, gaps in services and additional services required by people affected by the Troubles.
-
To identify and promote best practice regarding work with people affected by the Troubles.
-
To provide advice and support and respond to key issues relating to needs and services for people affected by the Troubles.
-
To actively promote the prioritisation of the issues of people affected by the Troubles
-
To build the capacity of the panel to fulfil its remit and achieve its mission.
Over the past two years, the work of the panel has largely been taken forward in focused project work. A substantial range of information on Child Bereavement has been compiled and distributed by the panel’s Child Bereavement project. This represents a very practical response to identified need and will support families and those working with them in their attempts to manage the consequences of traumatic bereavement.
Other ongoing sub-group projects include:
-
The production of a Directory of Services
-
A review of Chronic Pain services
-
A major needs assessment relating to victims in the Board area has been undertaken, to report by the end of summer 2003
Further efforts are being made to develop community representation on the panel, in order to ensure that it fulfils its role as an effective communications mechanism for addressing victims’ issues relating to the experience of trauma. It is hoped that sub-group and project work will facilitate deeper engagement for victims groups, although the panel also undertakes to seek the views and needs of individuals who are not engaged with groups. Identifying such individuals is an ongoing task, and is evidenced in the fact that the needs assessment has been undertaken.
Contacting the panel
A new development in the life of the panel is the recent appointment of two members of staff - a Co-ordinator and Secretary.
Panel Co-ordinator Sharon Campbell is based in the Social Services Directorate at EHSSB HQ and can be contacted on:
| Phone: 028
9055 3978 Email: SCampbell@ehssb.n-i.nhs.uk |
