A new report aimed at improving support for people who have experienced trauma has been published by Calderdale Council’s Director of Public Health, Debs Harkins.
All Directors of Public Health in England have a duty to publish an annual report covering the state of health within their local population, so that the Council and partners can work together to protect and improve the health and wellbeing of their communities.
The ‘Tackling despair, building hope’ report highlights that some people in Calderdale who experience deeply upsetting, stressful, or difficult events do not do as well as other people who have similar experiences but who live in different places.
These events could include abuse, neglect, violence, homelessness, unemployment, bereavement, bullying and harassment.
Trauma is the way people respond when they experience something beyond their ability to cope and it can have a long-lasting impact on their sense of safety and wellbeing, particularly when it is experienced in childhood.
Adversity and trauma can significantly affect long-term health by disrupting brain development, increasing stress-related illnesses such as heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes and mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.
This in turn can lead to an increased likelihood of engaging in risk taking behaviours such as violence and to things which provide short term relief such as harmful drug and alcohol use, smoking and over-eating, which are often stigmatised.
Sadly when measured against rates for England, the rate of suicide in Calderdale is significantly higher and deaths from drug misuse are more than twice as high.
There is evidence that some of the root causes of adversity, such as child poverty and inequality, are getting worse in Calderdale, and the report calls for more action to be taken to build resilience and prevent adversity across communities.
The report also shows what can be done to bring change. There are inspiring stories of hope from people living in Calderdale who have experienced adversity but who have overcome the harmful effects of because they have strong connections with others, a sense of belonging and received the right support for them.
Cllr Diana Tremayne, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Services and Wellbeing said:
“Too many lives are lost too soon in Calderdale due to adversity and trauma, whether from suicide, harmful drug or alcohol use or the long-term impact of deprivation, stigma and discrimination.
“Our Vision 34 is for Calderdale to be a place full of hope and I applaud Debs for using her annual report to highlight such a challenging but important subject.
“I fully support her recommendations to the Council and to partners about what more can be done to strengthen our approach, so that it is more effective and benefits more people. We can all do something to bring change.”
Debs Harkins, Calderdale Council’s Director of Public Health said:
“I’d like to thank everyone who contributed to this report. I feel very privileged that people have shared their deeply personal stories, which are very powerful and inspirational.
“There are many local organisations, groups and communities in Calderdale that are pioneering innovative work to create hope and support people with complex lives to recover from adversity and trauma which is included in the report. This is delivering promising early impacts and could make a difference with long-term investment.”
“So I am optimistic for the future. Calderdale is a place of kindness. We know we can bring change and be a place where people are resilient and can recover.”
The report concludes with a series of recommendations for the Council and for partners.
The report will be received, and the recommendations considered, by Calderdale Council’s Cabinet when it meets at 4pm on Monday 16 March 2026 at Halifax Town Hall. The meeting can be viewed online at Home – Calderdale Council Webcasting(external link)