Trauma-informed, community-led change: why ABCD matters
At last week’s Community of Practice, we were joined by four social housing providers to discuss the role of social housing in enabling place-based systems change. Today we hear from Anthony Morrow, Community Connector Manager at Sanctuary Scotland, on the role of trauma-informed practice in asset-based community development, and why it’s instrumental in creating meaningful community-led change.
Trauma-informed practice is often discussed in the context of services, focusing on how organisations create safety, build trust and avoid causing further harm – this is important and represents a significant shift from more traditional approaches. However, if we stop at trauma-informed and responsive services, we place an artificial ceiling on the potential for change.
Services can help people cope, recover and navigate difficult circumstances, but they cannot create the conditions for thriving on their own. Lasting change happens in the places where people live their everyday lives: in relationships, neighbourhoods, community groups and informal networks of support. This is where trauma-informed practice and Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) come together.
Trauma-informed practice helps us understand the impact that adversity, poverty and inequality can have on people’s lives. ABCD ensures that we do not define individuals or communities by these experiences, instead we can focus on people’s strengths, gifts, relationships, skills and capacity to shape change – their experiences become wisdom that can be shared and can support others.
Used together, ABCD and Trauma Informed Practice move us beyond prevention and mitigation alone. They help us to think about health generation. Rather than asking only how we reduce harm or respond to crisis, we begin to ask: what creates wellbeing, belonging, purpose and connection in the first place. We recognise that communities are not simply settings where services are delivered, they are active generators of health themselves.
This requires a shift in where power sits. Too often, trauma-informed practice is held within organisations, with services remaining the primary source of support, expertise and decision-making. While well intentioned, this can reinforce the idea that change happens through services rather than through people and communities.
Relocating that power into communities creates new possibilities. It allows local people to identify priorities, build on existing strengths and shape solutions that are meaningful to them. It recognises that healing, resilience and wellbeing are not produced solely through professional interventions, but through connection, contribution, trust and a sense of mattering.
In Priesthill, this integrated approach has shaped how Sanctuary do our Community Investment work. Rather than starting with programmes or predetermined solutions, we have started with relationships. Building trust, being present, listening to residents and understanding what matters to them has been central to our approach. This has allowed us to identify existing community assets, support local connections and create opportunities for people to influence the future of their neighbourhood.
Our Community Connector model has been key to this work. Its purpose is not to deliver solutions to communities, but to create the conditions for connection, participation and local leadership. By supporting people to build relationships, contribute their skills and develop collective action around shared interests, we have seen people flourish and thrive.
This reflects an important principle of both trauma-informed practice and ABCD: power matters. Community-led approaches seek to shift some of that power closer to people and places, they create opportunities for residents to shape priorities, influence decisions and play an active role in improving their neighbourhoods. This is particularly important for long-term, place-based change. Sustainable change is rarely delivered through short-term projects alone, it is built through relationships, trust, belonging and community ownership. People are more likely to stay involved in change when they have a genuine stake in it and when it reflects their priorities and aspirations.
Housing associations are uniquely well placed to support this work – as long-term partners in communities, we are rooted in place and have enduring relationships with tenants and residents. We understand that housing outcomes are closely linked to health, wellbeing, social connection and financial security. A trauma-informed approach helps us respond with understanding rather than judgement, while ABCD helps us focus on the strengths and relationships that can support positive change.
This does not mean housing associations should replace specialist services or attempt to solve structural inequality on their own, however we can play an important role in creating the conditions for communities to flourish. We can use our relationships, local presence and partnerships to support connection, participation and community leadership.
Our experience in Priesthill has shown that when trauma-informed practice and ABCD are brought together, they provide a practical framework for sustainable change. One helps us understand the impact of adversity and create conditions for safety and trust, the other helps us recognise strengths, build connections and shift power closer to communities. Together, they move us beyond simply preventing harm towards creating the conditions in which people and communities can thrive.
