Professional Development Training: Vicarious Trauma, Compassion Fatigue & Burnout

Overview

Social care professionals regularly bear witness to human suffering, crisis, and trauma. Over time, this exposure can shape our inner world, influencing how we think, feel, relate to others, and experience our work. Without awareness and support, the risk of vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and burnout increases, impacting staff wellbeing, team culture, and service quality.

This 2-hour interactive training provides a safe, reflective learning space to understand these occupational risks and develop practical strategies for sustainable practice. Drawing on trauma-informed principles, reflective supervision models, and real-world experience in social care, the session balances theory, discussion, reflection, and applied tools.

Participants will gain insight, language, and strategies to recognise early signs, strengthen protective factors, and create healthier professional environments where staff wellbeing is actively supported, not left to chance.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this training participants will:

• Understand the differences between vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and burnout

• Recognise how trauma exposure can impact thoughts, emotions, body, and worldview

• Identify early warning signs in themselves and colleagues

• Explore why social care roles carry particular vulnerability

• Learn practical tools for emotional regulation and recovery

• Understand the role of reflective supervision and peer support

• Develop personal and organisational protective strategies

• Normalise help-seeking and reduce stigma around support