Nervous System Informed Anti Racist Practice: Impact of Trauma, Internalised Racism and Vicarious Trauma on Social Work

Please join us for our Eastern Region Anti Racist Practice Webinar: 

Nervous System Informed Anti Racist Practice: The Impact of Trauma, Internalised Racism and Vicarious Trauma on Social Work

This session explores how racialised trauma shows up in social work practice, particularly when supporting families within complex systems. It will examine the impact of trauma, internalised racism, and vicarious trauma on both families and practitioners, and how these experiences can shape perception, decision-making, and relationships.

Grounded in nervous system awareness, the session will support practitioners to better understand their own responses alongside the lived experiences of the families they work with. It will also explore how leaders and managers can take a nervous system-informed approach to supervision and service delivery, creating psychologically safer environments that acknowledge racial trauma, reduce harm, and support more empowering, equitable practice.

This is a reflective and practical session designed to strengthen awareness, build confidence, and support meaningful change at both an individual and systemic level.

The session will be presented by Natalie Robertson - an experienced social worker and award-winning practice educator with almost ten years in children’s services. She is the founder of Work-Wise where she delivers training, coaching, and consultancy focused on nervous system-informed leadership, resilience, burnout prevention and workforce development across social care.

Natalie also works in workforce development at Lambeth Children’s Social Care, where she leads on anti-racist practice and contributes to the wider training and development of social workers.