Posted on: 12 February 2026
A new report exploring how services respond to people affected by adversity and trauma has been launched at a special event in Wakefield.
The Listening Project, published by the West Yorkshire Adversity, Trauma and Resilience (ATR) Programme, brings together powerful personal testimonies from people across West Yorkshire to better understand how their experiences have shaped their interactions with health and care services throughout their lives.
Launched on Thursday, 22 January at Hatfeild Hall, the report was developed by independent research and evaluation organisation Rocket Science in partnership with Dr Lisa Cherry. It examines how service responses to adversity and trauma have positively or negatively impacted individuals and identifies opportunities for system and service change to improve outcomes.
The ATR Programme, jointly delivered by West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership and the West Yorkshire Violence Reduction Partnership, was set up in June 2020. It aims to prevent trauma, mitigate harm and reduce re-traumatisation by improving understanding of people’s experiences and ensuring services are equitable, accessible and person-centred.
The Listening Project involved one-to-one, trauma-informed interviews with people from across West Yorkshire. Participants were given choice and control over what they shared, with interviews conducted virtually and facilitated by Dr Lisa Cherry.
Dr Lisa Cherry said:
“It has been a privilege to hear people’s stories and to create space for honest reflection about how services have responded to them at some of the most difficult times in their lives. The courage shown by participants in sharing deeply personal experiences cannot be overstated. We hope this report helps services to listen more carefully, respond more compassionately and ultimately prevent re-traumatisation.”
The report includes detailed discussions of adversity and trauma in both childhood and adulthood. Readers are advised that some content may be emotionally challenging, particularly for those with lived experience or those supporting others.
Speaking after the launch event, Head of Improving Population Health Emm Irving, said:
“If services can truly listen and understand how their responses affect people, then change is possible. We must ensure that people are not re-traumatised by the very systems designed to support them. By truly listening to lived experience, we can design services that are more compassionate, equitable and effective for everyone.”
Around 40 attendees at the launch heard from Dr Lisa Cherry, Sara Dodds from Rocket Science and a participant involved in the project. The event also provided an opportunity for colleagues from health, public health, research, policy and the community sector to reflect on the findings and discuss how they can shape future systems and practice.