UKTC Insight Series Webinar: Parenting After Traumatic Events
Join this webinar to hear from experts as they explore the research evidence alongside the learnings and share insights from parents who have faced traumatic events with their children.
About this webinar
Supporting a child or young person after a very difficult or distressing event can feel overwhelming, so often you’re left wondering about the right thing to do or say and fearing that you might make things worse. Should you talk about the event, and if so, how? What if it keeps coming up in the news or on social media? When should you be more worried and seek specialist help?
As a parent or caregiver, you may also be directly impacted by the event yourself or may be deeply affected by knowing that something awful has happened to your child. As a professional you’ll be wanting to guide parents and caregivers in how to support their child to give them the best chances to adjust, rebuild and recover.
Join this webinar to hear from Prof. Sarah Halligan, Grenfell Health and Wellbeing Service User Consultants Tanya Odamtten and Nicole Belfon, and UK Trauma Council Co-Director Consultant Clinical Psychologist David Trickey. Together they will explore the research evidence alongside the learnings and share insights from parents who have faced traumatic events with their children.
Through presentation, discussion and a Q&A they will consider the context of the event as well as the need for practical approaches that are culturally sensitive and inclusive.
Aims of this webinar
To build confidence in supporting children and young people after a distressing event.
To understand what to expect from a child or young person who has been affected and when their responses and reactions might be more worrying.
To introduce the UKTC resource, 'Supporting children and young people after potentially traumatic events'.
Who is this webinar for?
This webinar is suitable for parents and caregivers of school-aged children and young people, as well as professionals from the education, voluntary and community, mental health, and social care sectors who support or advise families affected by traumatic events.
Speakers
David Trickey
Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Co-Director of the UK Trauma Council
Nicole Belfon-George
Legal professional and trauma-informed practitioner
Sarah Halligan
Professor of Child and Family Mental Health
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Chair - David Trickey
David Trickey is a leading Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Co-Director of the UK Trauma Council. He has specialised in working with traumatised children, young people, and their families since 2000, particularly following domestic abuse and family homicide.
He continues to focus on direct clinical work, as well as the training, supervision and support of others, and is the clinical team lead of a specialist service for children in care. He is chartered by the British Psychological Society and registered with the Health and Care Professions Council. He was a member of the committee responsible for the 2018 revision of the NICE Guidelines for PTSD. In all his roles, he draws heavily on the research literature to which he has made a modest contribution.
Nicole Belfon-George
Nicole Belfon‑George is a legal professional and trauma‑informed practitioner whose work has been shaped by her lived experience. As a parent supporting a child following the Grenfell Tower Fire, she brings an understanding of trauma, recovery, and the long-term impact of systemic failures on families and communities.
With over ten years of experience in various NHS roles, Nicole has developed a strong foundation in public service, safeguarding, and person‑centred practice. She is a dedicated advocate for trauma‑informed approaches, particularly in work involving children, young people, and communities affected by collective trauma.
Nicole is actively involved in her local community and currently serves as the Education Caseworker at North Kensington Law Centre, representing parents and young people with education legal issues, including those still affected by the Grenfell tragedy. She is also a Service User Consultant with the Grenfell Health and Wellbeing Service, where she helps improve service design, engagement, and culturally responsive care.
Her professional and lived experience make her a strong advocate for compassionate practice, systemic accountability, and community‑led healing.
Professor Sarah Halligan
Sarah Halligan is Professor of Child and Family Mental Health at the University of Bath. Her research examines the development of trauma-related psychological disorders, particularly post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with a focus on young people.
Professor Halligan has studied the cognitive-behavioural, biological and social factors that contribute to disorder following trauma exposure, working with both national and international populations. The latter research particularly focuses on children and adolescents living in contexts where levels of trauma exposure are markedly high.
More broadly, Prof Halligan studies the wider mental health and physical health consequences of trauma, including populations affected by acute trauma, looked after children and sanctuary seeking families. Through her research across these different groups. Prof Halligan’s research has furthered our understanding how parents and others can support children and adolescents who are struggling with mental health problems following trauma.
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The online platform Zoom will be used to deliver this training. Prior to booking on, please ensure you meet the system requirements so you're able to join this training.
Before the training, please test your equipment is working by going to Zoom.us/test and follow the instructions.
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UK Trauma Council Newsletter
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