Trauma-Informed Care in a Female Community Custodial Unit

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Resident and staff experiences of Trauma-Informed Care within a Female Community Custodial Unit.

  • IRAS ID

    356946

  • Contact name

    Moya Clancy

  • Contact email

    moya.clancy@glasgow.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    University of Glasgow

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    0 years, 5 months, 27 days

  • Research summary

    The concept of Trauma Informed Care (TIC) was developed to ensure that when caring for individuals who have experienced trauma, consideration of the impact of such trauma is given. Research suggests that women in prison are highly likely to have experienced traumatic events and so several prisons have implemented a trauma-informed approach to their practise. However, the feasibility of this approach for both staff and prisoners requires consideration.
    This study aims to explore how women in custody within a Community Custodial Unit in Scotland, and staff working at the unit, experience Trauma Informed Care (TIC). The study aims to address what TIC means to participants, what it looks like in practise, and how the prison system itself helps or hinders the adoption of this approach.
    Participants will be residents and staff from the Lilias Centre in Glasgow. A qualitative design will be utilised, and data will be gathered through semi-structured interviews. Interviews will be analysed using a Reflexive Thematic Analysis approach.
    The findings of this study will provide a unique insight into the experience of female residents and staff within a Community Custodial Unit, which has been specifically designed with the principles of TIC in mind. Results will allow for a better understanding of the barriers and facilitators to TIC within a prison setting, which could contribute to improvements in how trauma is managed within these settings.

  • REC name

    North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 2

  • REC reference

    25/NS/0098

  • Date of REC Opinion

    18 Sep 2025

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion