TARA Project Showcases Trauma-Informed Practice Initiatives in Dublin South Central

On Dec. 12th, 2025 in Dublin the TARA Project, a research partnership between Dublin South Central (DSC), TUSLA (Child and Family Agency) and University College Cork, celebrated a major milestone with The Practice Initiatives Showcase Event held in the DSC area.

The TARA Project aims to embed trauma-informed practices (TIPs) within Dublin South Central services to improve outcomes for children and families. Following an initial phase of staff training and development, Phase 2 focused on co-creating practical initiatives with frontline professionals to integrate TIPs into everyday service delivery.

Since January 2025, 31 TUSLA practitioners collaborated in cluster groups to design innovative resources and tools. At the showcase event, clusters presented initiatives including:

• Practitioner Resilience: Resources to strengthen wellbeing through reflective supervision.
• The Ripple Effect: Animated videos, comfort packs, and practice recommendations to support children during foster care transitions.
• Communication Cogs: A glance card resource to enhance communication and build trust with families and agencies.
• Time Bandits: Practical tools such as sensory packs and journals to embed TIPs in daily work.

The event also marked the launch of the TARA Project website, providing access to resources and updates: TARA Project | University College Cork

For more information, visit the TARA Project website or contact: TARA Project | University College Cork

For more on this story contact:

Project Lead: maria.lotty@ucc.ie or Post-Doctoral Researcher: aprice@ucc.ie