The BELONG Project

The CMCAFS team partnered with Trafford Council through the Trafford Virtual School, 
and Chester University, to deliver the BELONG Project, a pioneering initiative aimed at empowering schools and colleges across Trafford to embed Attachment and Trauma Responsive Care throughout their communities.


As part of this transformative work, we have supported the council in its strategic development of the project, provided psychological supervision to senior leaders across participating schools, facilitated reflective sessions with wider school networks, and worked collaboratively with local partners to develop a borough-wide Relational Behaviour Policy. This policy supports consistent, trauma-informed approaches to behaviour across all schools within the authority.


Through this partnership, the BELONG Project is helping to build stronger, more resilient school and college communities where every young person feels understood, safe, and supported.

“


Changing Minds are integral in the delivery of our BELONG (Attachment Aware and Trauma Informed Schools) Programme, providing regular supervision for programme leads and whole school training. Changing Minds also support us to meet our extended duties as a Virtual School by providing Psychological Consultation regarding Looked After Children, Previously Looked After Children, Children in Need and Children in Kinship Care.  Their expertise and insights have supported more than a quarter of the schools in our Local Authority to better understand and to meet the needs of our most vulnerable children.”

Head of Trafford Virtual School