Social care is at a crossroads. Faced with workforce shortages, rising levels of burnout, and increasingly complex service user needs, leaders in the sector are being called to rethink traditional approaches.
For too long, leadership in social care has been shaped by resilience models that, while well-intentioned, often overlook the deeper impacts of stress and trauma on individuals and teams. The growing recognition of trauma-informed care for service users must now extend to the workforce. This is where somatic trauma-informed leadership comes in. It’s a model that acknowledges not only the cognitive and emotional dimensions of leadership but also the profound role the body plays in decision-making, regulation, and resilience.
Understanding Somatic Trauma-Informed Leadership
At its core, somatic trauma-informed leadership integrates an understanding of the nervous system into leadership practice. Rather than simply encouraging staff to “manage stress” or “be resilient,” this approach recognises that chronic stress, vicarious trauma, and unprocessed emotional experiences become embedded in the body. These embodied responses influence everything from a manager’s ability to make sound decisions to the way frontline staff respond to what is perceived as, and inappropriately called ‘challenging behaviour’ in the people we care for.
By incorporating somatic principles, leaders can develop greater self-awareness, create psychologically safe environments, and build teams that operate with more trust, empathy, and effectiveness. This goes beyond traditional leadership training, it’s about learning to regulate the nervous system, model healthy stress responses, and cultivate a workplace culture where well-being is foundational, not an afterthought.
Why This Matters in Social Care
Social care professionals often work in highly charged emotional environments. Whether supporting individuals with complex trauma histories, navigating underfunded systems, or shouldering the weight of workforce shortages, the sector demands more than cognitive problem-solving, it requires leaders who can embody calm, clarity, and compassion.
Without this, the risk is clear:
· High levels of burnout and staff turnover – A nervous system in constant survival mode leads to exhaustion, disengagement, and ultimately, people leaving the sector.
· Increased workplace conflict – Dysregulated teams struggle with communication, leading to misunderstandings, low morale, and fractured relationships.
· Diminished quality of care – When staff are overwhelmed and unsupported, it impacts their ability to provide high-quality, compassionate care.
Conversely, when leaders are somatically aware and trauma-informed, they create environments where staff feel safe, supported, and valued. This not only improves retention and workplace culture but also enhances service user outcomes.
Practical Steps to Implement Somatic Trauma-Informed Leadership
So, how can social care leaders begin to integrate somatic and trauma-informed principles into their leadership approach?
1. Self-Regulation as a Leadership Skill – Understanding personal stress responses and developing practices that promote nervous system regulation (e.g., breathwork, grounding techniques, mindful movement) can help leaders remain calm and present under pressure.
2. Creating Safety in Teams – Psychological safety is the foundation of effective teams. Leaders can foster this by encouraging open communication, active listening, and non-judgmental spaces where staff can express concerns without fear.
3. Embodied Decision-Making – Recognising when stress or reactivity is shaping decision-making allows leaders to pause, regulate, and respond from a place of clarity rather than urgency.
4. Modelling Healthy Boundaries – Social care often praises overwork, but sustainable leadership requires clear boundaries, rest, and a commitment to personal well-being.
5. Integrating Trauma-Informed Supervision: Supervision should be more than just a task review; it should include space for reflective practice, emotional processing, and strategies for self-care.
A Call to Action
The future of social care depends not only on policies and funding but also on the quality of leadership shaping the sector. Traditional leadership models are no longer enough. Somatic trauma-informed leadership offers a new concept, one where leaders don’t just “manage” stress but actively foster environments where both staff and people who use the services we provide, can truly thrive.
If we want a care system that is sustainable, compassionate, and effective, we must invest in leadership that understands the human nervous system just as much as it understands policies and procedures.
The question is no longer whether we need trauma-informed leadership. The question is whether we are willing to embrace a leadership model that is deeply human, responsive, and capable of transforming the future of care.
By Caron Sanders-Crook, Queen’s Nurse
Image depicts Caron Sanders-Crook