TRB Newsletter 28/01/26

January 28, 2026•3 min read

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Last week, we explored a fundamental question: Why do standards matter?

This week marks a significant step forward.

The Trauma Regulation Board (TRB) is finalising the publication of its General Standards for Trauma‑Regulated Decision Governance.

A landmark framework designed to strengthen consistency, accountability, and integrity across trauma‑informed decision‑making environments. This release represents a major milestone in advancing rigorous, evidence‑aligned governance practices that support safer, more resilient organisational systems.

This week we would like to deliver a briefing on this Governance

The Trauma Regulation Board (TRB) is preparing to publish its General Standards for Trauma-Regulated Decision Governance, the foundational regulatory framework that underpins all TRB standards, alignment pathways and sector-specific applications.

The General Standards do not concern therapy, wellbeing, resilience or individual performance.

“They establish mandatory governance for the interpretation, authorisation, sequencing, documentation, and review of trauma‑related decisions in any context where trauma exposure may materially influence safety, escalation, liability, or public trust.”

These standards extend across sectors where trauma exposure is prevalent and decision authority is frequently dispersed, encompassing safeguarding, security, education, justice, health‑adjacent services, and community‑based organisations with high exposure.

Rather than prescribing specific actions or interventions, the General Standards govern the conditions under which decisions are made.

They define:

When trauma-related governance must be triggered
Who holds decision authority at critical thresholds
How trauma exposure is identified and classified as a governed variable
How escalation thresholds are applied proportionately and consistently
How organisational records are constructed to remain mechanism-first and defensible
How post-incident review and learning are mandated, retained, and overseen

The framework is non-clinical, non-therapeutic, and auditable by design. It does not replace safeguarding frameworks, operational procedures, or professional judgement.

Instead, it sits above them, providing formal interpretive discipline at points where trauma-impacted complexity increases the risk of misclassification over-escalation or system-generated harm.

The General Standards introduce a new regulatory category:

Trauma-regulated decision governance.

This category addresses a long‑standing gap within high‑risk systems, where responsibility for trauma‑related outcomes exists but governance over decision‑making under trauma conditions has remained informal, inconsistent, and/or dependent on individual judgement.

The standards establish a governance framework that:

Stabilises decision-making under pressure
Protects individuals, organisations and the public
Reduces long-tail organisational and reputational risk
Enables consistency across teams, sites and jurisdictions
Provides clear defensibility to regulators, insurer and oversight bodies

All TRB sector standards, partnership models, and alignment frameworks map directly to these General Standards. They are the reference architecture against which organisational alignment, assurance and tiering will be determined.

Further communications will outline:

How organisations can explore alignment through non-intrusive assessment
How the standards translate across different sectors and jurisdictions
How TRB partnership and assurance models will operate in practice

How TRB Training Supports You

The TRB is offering the UK’s first trauma-governed workforce standard.

Our CPD's and accredited programs help you engage with individuals affected by trauma and equip you with a solid foundation of trauma awareness by grounding practice in the Universal Trauma Practice Standards. The training reinforces the safeguards required for the trauma informed practitioner. It supports practitioners across all sectors Most importantly, it enables anyone working with traumatised persons to align their practice with emerging regulatory expectations, ensuring that their approach is ethically robust, trauma‑aware, and compliant with the TRB's evolving oversight framework.

Take Action Today

How to Register Your Interest

Reply to this email or contact:

📨[email protected]

Organisations wishing to participate in pilot conversations or early collaborations are welcome to get in touch

Together, we are building the first statutory pathway for trauma therapy and transforming how the UK defines, delivers, and regulates trauma care.

Advisory role - Expressions of Interest

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Contact email - Accreditation enquires