Children’s early experiences can have a significant impact on their emotional wellbeing, behaviour, relationships and development. Early Years practitioners may support children who have experienced trauma, adversity or prolonged stress, sometimes without knowing the full circumstances of a child’s experiences.
This CPD-accredited course on Trauma-Informed Practice in Early Years Settings has been designed specifically for Early Years practitioners, nursery staff, childminders and managers. It provides an introduction to how trauma and adverse experiences can affect young children and explores practical, sensitive approaches that can be used to support them within everyday Early Years practice.
Learners will explore how trauma may influence behaviour, emotional regulation, communication, relationships and a child’s sense of safety. The course encourages practitioners to look beyond behaviour and consider what a child may be communicating through their actions, while avoiding assumptions about a child or their experiences.
Through realistic Early Years scenarios, interactive activities and reflection tasks, learners will develop practical strategies for creating safe and predictable environments, building trusting relationships, supporting emotional regulation and responding to distressed behaviour calmly and consistently.
The course promotes a relationship-based, child-centred and trauma-informed approach, helping practitioners create environments where children feel safe, understood and supported while recognising professional boundaries, safeguarding responsibilities and when concerns should be shared or escalated.
Why This Course Matters
Children who have experienced trauma or prolonged stress may communicate, learn, behave, and interact differently from their peers. Early Years practitioners play a vital role in recognising these needs and creating environments where children feel safe, supported, and understood.
This course goes beyond theory. It focuses on real-world Early Years practice, helping practitioners understand the impact of trauma on children’s development, behaviour, emotional wellbeing, and relationships.
It supports practitioners to develop confidence in recognising signs of distress, responding to behaviour as communication, supporting emotional regulation, building secure relationships, and creating trauma-informed environments that promote positive outcomes for all children.
It is aligned with current UK and Scottish guidance and best practice, including:
- Care Inspectorate expectations
- Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) principles
- Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC)
- Health and Social Care Standards
- Public Health Scotland guidance on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
- National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland
You will leave with practical confidence, not just knowledge, enabling you to apply trauma-informed approaches that support children’s wellbeing, resilience, and development in everyday Early Years practice.
What You Will Learn
By completing this course, you will develop a practical understanding of trauma-informed practice and how it can support children’s wellbeing, relationships and development within Early Years settings.
You will learn how to:
- Understand what trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are and how they may affect young children
- Recognise how trauma and prolonged stress can influence a child’s behaviour, emotions, communication, learning and relationships
- Understand why behaviour can be a form of communication, particularly when a child is distressed or overwhelmed
- Recognise possible signs that a child may be experiencing stress, dysregulation or emotional distress
- Respond to distressed or challenging behaviour with calm, consistent and supportive approaches
- Use co-regulation strategies to help children recognise and manage strong emotions
- Create safe, predictable and nurturing environments that help children feel secure
- Understand the importance of positive, trusting relationships in supporting children who may have experienced trauma
- Identify potential triggers and consider how routines, transitions and environments can be adapted to better support individual children
- Use trauma-informed approaches without making assumptions about a child’s experiences or circumstances
- Understand the importance of professional boundaries, confidentiality and safeguarding responsibilities
- Recognise when concerns should be recorded, reported or shared in line with your setting’s safeguarding procedures
- Reflect on your own responses and develop approaches that support both children’s wellbeing and practitioner wellbeing
By the end of the course, you will feel more confident in looking beyond behaviour, recognising what a child may be communicating and using relationship-based, trauma-informed approaches to help children feel safe, understood and supported.
Designed for Early Years Professionals
This course is suitable for anyone working in Early Learning and Childcare settings who wants to better understand the impact of trauma and support children’s emotional wellbeing and development.
It is particularly relevant for:
- Early Years practitioners
- Nursery and preschool staff
- Childminders
- Playworkers
- Teaching assistants
- Early Years students and trainees
- Room leaders and managers
The course is designed to support both new and experienced practitioners by providing practical, real-world strategies that can be applied in everyday Early Years practice.
No prior training is required to complete this course.
Interactive and Practical Learning
✔ Short lesson videos with clear, practical guidance
✔ Real-life Early Years scenarios to support understanding and application
✔ Interactive activities, including drag-and-drop exercises, knowledge checks, and scenario-based tasks
✔ Reflective activities linked to everyday practice
✔ Downloadable resources, templates, and practical guides
✔ Final 10-question assessment (80% pass mark)
✔ Instant CPD certificate on successful completion
The course is fully online, mobile-friendly, and self-paced — allowing you to complete your training at a time that suits you.
Throughout the course, the focus remains on practical, child-centred strategies that can be applied immediately within Early Years settings.
Accreditation and CPD
This course is CPD accredited by The CPD Group and has been awarded 1 CPD Credit.
Upon successful completion of the course and final assessment, learners will receive a CPD certificate that can be used as evidence of Continuing Professional Development.
This course can be used to support:
✔ CPD portfolios
✔ Staff training and development records
✔ Care Inspectorate inspections
✔ Ofsted inspections
✔ Professional development reviews and appraisals
The course includes a final 10-question assessment with an 80% pass mark. Once passed, your certificate will be available for immediate download.
CPD Credit Value: 1 Credit
Approximate Duration: 1 Hour
Protect Children. Protect Yourself. Protect Your Setting.
Enrol today and strengthen your knowledge, practical skills, and professional confidence in applying trauma-informed approaches within Early Years settings.
Develop the tools needed to recognise emotional needs, build secure relationships, support emotional regulation, and create environments that promote wellbeing, resilience, and positive outcomes for children.
