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Cork Trauma-Sensitive City

Building a Trauma‑Sensitive City

Cork is committed to becoming a trauma‑sensitive city, recognising that many people who access services have experienced trauma relating to things such as abuse, loss, migration, or social disadvantage to name a few. Trauma can affect how people think, feel, and engage with services, often leading to fear, mistrust, or difficulty communicating. By increasing trauma awareness, services can respond in a more understanding and supportive way, helping to avoid re‑traumatisation and promote recovery and wellbeing.

A key part of this approach is shifting the focus from asking “What is wrong with you?” to “What has happened to you?”. This change helps build trust, improves relationships between service providers and users, and ensures that people feel safe, respected, and heard.

Cork’s trauma‑sensitive initiative is led by Cork City Council and supported by a wide network of partners, including the HSE, Tusla, An Garda Síochána, the Department of Social Protection, Cork ETB, community and voluntary organisations, and academic institutions such as MTU and UCC. Together, these stakeholders aim to embed trauma awareness into all services across the city.

A central feature of this work is the free “Becoming Trauma Aware” training module, available through Cork City Council and HSeLanD. This short online course is designed for staff across all sectors and provides a practical introduction to understanding trauma, recognising its impact, and responding in a safe and supportive way. It takes approximately 45 minutes to complete and when completed on HSeLanD offers a certificate, making it an accessible and valuable resource for anyone working with the public.

By promoting this free training and embedding trauma‑informed principles such as safety, trust, collaboration, and empowerment, Cork is working towards a more compassionate, inclusive city where everyone can feel supported and understood.

You can access the 'Becoming Trauma Aware' learning module by clicking/tapping the image below.

Becoming Trauma Aware