I am delighted by this episode for all sorts of reasons. 

Ciara Burke is a joy to talk with. She is effervescent, full of enthusiasm and generosity. I felt energised simply by hearing her. She also has a great story to tell. What Midlothian are doing as a Council, based on their understanding of the impact of poverty, of disadvantage and of disruption on the lives of too many of the people who live there is remarkable. Ciara, along with colleagues and elected members, is trying to ensure a consistent culture across the Council. Together they want to ensure that the 6 principles of trauma-informed practice - safety, collaboration, trustworthiness, cultural consideration, choice and empowerment - are embedded in the way that everyone working in the  Council goes about their work. That commitment extends to Councillors as well.

They want service responses to be consistent and predictable.

They also want to make sure that these are working principles, ensuring that services are designed with communities and that they respond collaboratively to the needs of individuals, families and communities.

My final reason for being delighted is that this episode closes a gap in the series. It shows that it is not just individuals and voluntary organisations who are taking action. We need action at Local Authority and government level alongside these other contributions and it is wonderful to see such a great example of  this happening. It is also good to hear Ciara giving credit to Scottish Government for its commitment to training, funding and support.

I think there are valuable lessons here for all of us and it is a superb reminder of the principles that we need to uphold if we are serious about becoming a compassionate, understand, trauma-aware nation.