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Childhood Trauma

by Owen Donovan

September 3, 2026

in Issues, Social Justice

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Image Source: Public Health Wales & Bangor University

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Trigger Warning This issue deals with some disturbing or upsetting themes.

Childhood Trauma

Is this devolved to Wales?

Where is this happening?

What's happening?

Why is this happening?

Who has been affected?

What's happening?

Why is this happening?

Who has been affected?

Charts (if needed)

Example Title

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Souce text, source text, source text.

£ 2.2 billion Estimated annual cost to society in Wales (2017 figures)

Costs associated with ill health and social problems (Bangor University)

Who has raised this at the Senedd?

Sioned Williams MS

Social Justice Minister

Beca Brown MS

Backbencher

Mair Rowlands MS

Co-Chair: Culture

Kiera Marshall MS

Backbencher

Sarah Cooper-Lesadd MS

Backbencher

Lynne Neagle MS

Labour Whip

Sam Rowlands MS

Chair: Finance

Jane Dodds MS

Backbencher

Sioned Williams MS

Social Justice Minister

Beca Brown MS

Backbencher

Mair Rowlands MS

Co-Chair: Culture

Kiera Marshall MS

Backbencher

Sarah Cooper-Lesadd MS

Backbencher

Lynne Neagle MS

Labour Whip

Sam Rowlands MS

Chair: Finance

Jane Dodds MS

Backbencher

What are the party positions on this?

Plaid Cymru backbenchers have come out in support of a trauma-informed approach to policy, pointing to successful local examples of this approach working.

The grooming of children and young people by adults for the purposes of sexual abuse is one of the most insidiously harmful and abhorrent crimes in society. I'm pleased that Plaid Cymru has committed to ensure that both learners and educators are fully informed on how to recognise and report signs of grooming through professional training and through RSE, relationships and sexuality education. Recognising harmful relationships and behaviours is a key part of RSE, and it has the potential to play a significant role in lowering the rates of adversity and harm for children in Wales.

If we're serious about supporting young people to reach their potential and to thrive, we must not only support them, but recognise the trauma they've experienced. Without the recognition and support, an adopted child can be left with trauma, poor mental health and behavioural issues.....What we need to see is recognition of previous trauma and the support that goes alongside it….On top of this, I'd really like to see the unique status of adopted people legally recognised, so that the support can be put in place.

I would like to use my contribution to highlight the progressive work that's already being done in my constituency….In practice, this means placing an extra emphasis on supporting the well-being of our children and young people, through outdoor activities, for example; it means ensuring that there is a shared language for understanding trauma, and that that is used across public services in the county; and it means empowering local community groups to contribute to programmes that shape the future of their local areas.

Sarah Cooper-Lesadd MS (at the time, a Reform UK MS) made a particularly powerful contribution, highlighting her personal experiences of going through the care system. She supported calls for greater trauma-awareness in the public sector.

My birth mother died when I was three weeks old. She had postnatal psychosis, a severe, frightening and treatable condition, and she did not get the help she needed in time. Today, with her history known, she might have been seen before crisis ever came, supported through pregnancy, monitored in the weeks that followed, kept safe. She fell through every gap the system had, and the highest price was paid by her and by a three-week-old baby, me, who entered care because the mother who loved her could not be saved.

The difference between a care-experienced child who thrives and the one who does not is rarely talent, and never worth. It is about whether someone in the system chooses to see them. And this is what trauma-informed practice means—not a slogan, not a toolkit gathering dust, but a culture in which the midwife, the teacher, the nurse, the social worker are equipped to see the person, not just the case.

Labour MSs highlighted work the previous Welsh Government had done in introducing a trauma-informed framework in the public sector.

I would encourage all Members to look at the (trauma-informed Wales) framework....It's based on four practice levels: trauma aware, trauma skilled, trauma enhanced and specialist interventions. Trauma aware applies to everyone and focuses on developing a basic understanding of trauma and adversity, recognising their impact and responding with compassion, empathy and respect.

The Conservatives called for better long-term funding support for charities working in the field of childhood trauma.

.....organisations delivering essential trauma-informed services should not have to spend so much time worrying about whether they will still exist the following year.... So, I wonder, in the Cabinet Minister's response, whether she would consider whether longer term funding arrangements could be introduced for charities such as (Stepping Stones) and, on the multi-year funding where appropriate, whether that would provide greater stability, allow organisations....to plan ahead....rather than continually bidding for short-term funding grants.

Green MSs haven’t spoken on this yet, but supported the backbench Member’s Debate motion calling for increased trauma-awareness.

Test Test Test

Jane Dodds focused on preventing ACEs through stronger laws on child protection and children’s rights.

I hope we can think about what we can do (to) prevent ACEs wherever we can. That means, for me, investing in families early on, before they reach the crisis point, through strong early years services, parenting support and tackling child poverty. It also means embedding children's rights into every decision that we make. Last year, myself and other Members in the Senedd at the time, and cross-sector, developed Bil pob plentyn, a Bill for every child, which was about making sure that children's interests were paramount to every decision that we make.

Who is responsible?

Sioned Williams MS

Social Justice Minister

What have ministers said?

The cost of not doing so impacts not only the individual in terms of the lost opportunity to enjoy a long, happy, healthy and productive life, but is also felt by families, communities, public services and our economy. One study that looked at the financial cost of ACEs in England and Wales estimated that the annual costs were nearly £43 billion, equivalent to around £1,800 per household per annum. So, as well as a moral obligation, we have an economic imperative to act on ACEs.

I do recognise….the importance of taking a cross-Government, system-wide, holistic approach to tackling childhood adversity and trauma, guided by the evidence and best practice. A commitment to working in an ACE and trauma-informed way is already embedded within Welsh Government policies, programmes and strategies, but I will continue to encourage and push for this as new policies and programmes are developed, and to ensure good practice is continued and shared.

What's being done about this?

What do the Welsh Government want to do?

Does this need a new law or regulations?

How long will this take?

What do the Welsh Government want to do?

Does this need a new law or regulations?

How long will this take?

What have the Senedd's Committees said?

Nothing has been discussed yet.

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Relevant Votes

Date	Motion Number	Subject	Tabled As	Binding Vote?	Outcome
01/07/26	NDM9253	Childhood Trauma	Members Debate	No	Agreed (Unanimous)

Further Reading

Public Health Wales. “Adverse childhood experiences“
ACE Hub Wales. “About ACEs and a trauma and ACEs-informed approach“
Public Health Wales, Bangor University. “The annual cost of ACEs in Wales (pdf)”

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Senedd Home by Owen Donovan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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