Cambridge City Council has partnered with Jimmy’s Cambridge, the homelessness and rough sleeping charity, to train key staff members on the Trauma Risk Management (TRiM) training.

TRiM, a system that originated in the military, is a structured program that teaches people how to identify and support others who have experienced a traumatic event.

The TRiM system will help to build resilience within frontline staff after traumatic events. It is anticipated to be of significant benefit to staff involved in supporting people experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping in Cambridge. 

Sadly, within the community of individuals experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping nationally, the life expectancy is much lower than in the average population - 45 for men and 43 for women. Crisis compared to the general population averages of 77 and 80 years respectively. For support staff who build long term relationships with their residents and service users, the early and untimely loss of those they support can be devastating. 

TRiM is a renowned model of peer support developed in the UK military. By training TRIM Practitioners at operational levels throughout an organization, TRiM aims to identify those who are not coping after potentially traumatising events and ensure they are signposted to professional sources of help.

Cllr Cameron Holloway, Executive Councillor for Community Safety, Homelessness and Wellbeing, said: “I’m very grateful to Jimmy’s for leading this work, and I’m delighted that we have been able to support, fund and participate in it ourselves. Staff in the homelessness sector in Cambridge do fantastic work to support people in extremely difficult circumstances, so it’s vital that we give them the tools they need to look after themselves, as well as others.”

Simon Penn, Housing Advice Partnership Manager: “TRiM will build resilience within the sector, ensuring staff wellbeing and maintaining their ability to perform their roles, in addition to supporting them through really difficult times. This is not only an important initiative, but it demonstrates the strength of partnership within our city, with providers and the city council working together for the benefit of those that need us most.”

Natasha Davies CEO of Jimmy’s said “Having seen TRiM successfully deployed during my time at the Royal National Lifeboat Institute, I could immediately see the benefits of it within the homelessness and rough sleeping sector. My staff are phenomenal, but they see and experience very real trauma, and the trauma of loss is an ever-present fear. By training our staff, and building resilience within the sector in the City, we are supporting them to process loss and trauma. We want to enable them to continue to do their amazing work whilst maintaining a positive mental wellness themselves.” 

Jimmy’s Cambridge will manage the project, managing the deployment of TRiM trained practitioners within the sector within the city, with practitioners trained at Jimmy’s Cambridge, Cambridge City Council, Riverside and Cambridge Cyrenians.