TrACE-Informed Organisations Toolkit

Everyone has a role to play in Wales becoming a Trauma and ACE informed nation. The Trauma-Informed Wales Framework sets out an all age, all of society approach for people, communities, organisations, sectors and systems.

The ACE Hub Wales Trauma and ACE (TrACE) Informed Organisations Toolkit provides a practical guide to support organisations to support them on their TrACE journey and is a key resource to support the implementation of the Framework.

TrACE-Informed Organisations Toolkit (TrACE Toolkit)

Our TrACE Informed Organisations Toolkit has been co-developed with our national TrACE Community of Practice as a resource to support people, organisations, sectors and systems to develop their own TrACE informed approach. It focuses on building into, not onto, existing good practice and identifying where improvements and changes can be made to polices, practice, culture and environment.

Within the Trauma Informed Wales Framework, Trauma-informed organisations are described as those that understand that adversity, trauma and distress can occur to anyone and at any point across the life course. They aim to create psychosocially healthy conditions for both the workforce and people they support to minimise exposure to adversity, trauma, and distress.

Trauma-Informed Wales Framework

Getting Started with the TrACE-informed Organisations Toolkit

We have worked with organisations to co-produce our TrACE-informed Organisations Toolkit and by working with organisations taking this approach, we have tested what works to bring about the cultural shift and organisational change required to truly embed a TrACE-informed approach.

Click the links below to access a downloadable copy of the main toolkit documents.

  • Guidance Document

    The guidance document outlines how best to begin the TrACE process.

    Guidance Document

  • Readiness Review

    This review will help organisations discover how ready they are to begin the process.

    Readiness Review

  • Self-Assessment

    This is to help you reflect and understand the progress your organisation is making in embedding TrACE- informed practice.

    Self-Assessment

  • Action Plan

    Action planning will help organisations to prioritise the actions identified from the self assessment process and can help to put the strategies into place.

    Action Plan
We have a range of supporting tools to further help you, which you can access here:
Supporting Tools

The TrACE Space

Further to the core documents above, our TrACE Informed Organisations Toolkit has a range of supporting resources to help with things like how to develop a Statement of Commitment to this work, develop communications, review policy and procedures, and use reflective practice.

Our TrACE Space is a dedicated area where you can find these additional resources, gain further insight into the toolkit’s six domains, and learn from others who are on this journey too. To access the TrACE Space or to join the National Community of Practice, sign up for free here:

Sign up / Login

TrACE Support for Sectors

ACE Hub Wales, with additional funding from the Welsh Government, have supported the Further Education and Substance Misuse sectors to implement the TrACE-informed Organisations Toolkit. Read more about our work with these sectors below.

ACE Hub Wales have been working with the Further Education (FE) Sector since 2020 with specific, additional funding from the Welsh Government’s Post 16 Education Department Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund. The aim was to adopt a national TrACE- informed approach to the Further Education Sector. 

 Following initial work by a Pioneer College (Pembrokeshire College) and two Trailblazer Colleges (Coleg Cambria and Coleg Gwent), all 13 colleges across Wales have now commenced their TrACE- informed journey and are working towards a Whole Organisation Approach in which all staff and learners can thrive. ACE Hub Wales have supported the FE sector by: 

  • Developing a Playlist, hosted on Hwb, with a suite of bespoke resources including co-produced films showing the positive impact of the work on learners and staff. Find the Playlist here, and watch the videos here (links open in a new window). 
  • Collaborated with Wrexham University to share best practice on how to involve learners in the TrACE informed organisation journey through a podcast episode. This episode is particularly useful for those working in Further Education as it considers how to involve and include learners in their TrACE journey, but it also explores the broader impact of trauma-informed approaches, discussing how these principles can be applied across various sectors and the importance of creating safe, supportive environments. You can listen to here: (link opens in a new window)
  • Co-producing additional tools to help with the implementation of the TrACE- informed Organisations Toolkit such as a Guide to Creating TrACE Success Indicators and Guidance for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice 
  • Evaluating the TrACE process with the sector to capture and share learning within the sector and with Welsh Government to promote sustainability of TrACE in the FE sector. Read the initial process evaluation here (link opens in a new window)
  • Commissioning a new evaluation in 2024 of the embedding of the TrACE Informed Organisation Toolkit in Further Education settings across Wales. You can read the report here: (links open in a new window) 
  • Supporting each college with completing their self-assessment and action planning stages of the Toolkit 
  • Delivering a Train the Trainer package of bespoke TrACE Further Education training to 145 college staff 

ACE Hub Wales have been working with the Substance Misuse sector since 2020 with additional funding from Welsh Government Substance Misuse Policy Division secured in 2022 to build on this work. 

ACE Hub Wales have supported the sector by: 

  • Working with Eternal Media, bringing the voices and experiences of people who have accessed services for substance use, and how a trauma-informed approach has changed their lives, and that of people who have worked with them. You can watch the videos here (link opens in a new window)
  • Reconnecting with the Substance Misuse Expert Reference Group that originally came together to consider the development and roll out of ACEs training for the sector by coordinating regular meetings with Area Planning Board Leads and Welsh Government 
  • Established a TrACE Leads Network which has connected key leads that are using the TrACE- informed Organisational Toolkit in their organisations 
  • Supported 7 Substance Misuse organisations/ services across Wales to commence their journey with the TrACE- informed Organisations Toolkit by providing project management support to key leads and sharing ongoing developments and resources to support this.  
  • Trained 50 staff working in the sector to deliver a bespoke TrACE Train the Trainer package. This has included a range of staff roles from third sector and public sector organisations 
  • In this period an independent consultant carried out a process evaluation in June 2023. You can access the report here, and a webinar discussing the evaluation here (links open in a new window)

Evaluating our Approach

We are delighted to be working with M·E·L Research who are independently evaluating the impact of the TrACE- informed Organisations Toolkit, reporting by March 2025. They will consider how the toolkit has been used, the changes that have been made, and importantly, what those changes mean for the people who work in and use those services.

Evaluation Framework

Let us know if you use the toolkit!