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<p>Despite growing attention to trauma-informed care for young people, the experiences and support needs of Residential Support Workers (RSWs) remain underexplored. This study examines how RSWs build and maintain support networks in response to workplace trauma and identifies locally grounded interventions that workers perceive as necessary for their wellbeing and professional sustainability. A qualitative design was employed, drawing on data from 20 semi-structured interviews and five focus group discussions with RSWs. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, following a six-phase approach. Findings indicate that informal peer support networks serve as the primary and most trusted source of emotional and practical support, often compensating for inconsistent formal systems. Reflective supervision was experienced as uneven and manager-dependent, while safety - particularly staffing levels, consistency, and organisational responses to critical incidents - emerged as foundational to worker wellbeing. Experiences of trauma were further shaped by race and cultural identity, highlighting the need for culturally responsive, localized interventions. The study offers practice-relevant insights into trauma-informed support for RSWs and suggests the development of worker-centred intervention models.</p>

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Coping Strategies and Trauma-Informed Interventions for Residential Support Workers: We Lean on Each Other

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月9日

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  • Joseph Onyeka Osimobi,
  • Ndungi Mungai,
  • Manohar Pawar

摘要

Despite growing attention to trauma-informed care for young people, the experiences and support needs of Residential Support Workers (RSWs) remain underexplored. This study examines how RSWs build and maintain support networks in response to workplace trauma and identifies locally grounded interventions that workers perceive as necessary for their wellbeing and professional sustainability. A qualitative design was employed, drawing on data from 20 semi-structured interviews and five focus group discussions with RSWs. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, following a six-phase approach. Findings indicate that informal peer support networks serve as the primary and most trusted source of emotional and practical support, often compensating for inconsistent formal systems. Reflective supervision was experienced as uneven and manager-dependent, while safety - particularly staffing levels, consistency, and organisational responses to critical incidents - emerged as foundational to worker wellbeing. Experiences of trauma were further shaped by race and cultural identity, highlighting the need for culturally responsive, localized interventions. The study offers practice-relevant insights into trauma-informed support for RSWs and suggests the development of worker-centred intervention models.