KCA works with justice services – from prisons and probation to youth justice – to embed trauma-informed, relationship-centred practice that makes settings safer and more effective. We:

• Build staff capacity – equipping officers, caseworkers, and managers with practical strategies for co-regulation, de-escalation, and restorative interaction.
• Create safer cultures – supporting teams to reduce fear and triggers, leading to calmer environments, fewer incidents of violence, and reduced use of restrictive practices.
• Embed consistent approaches – developing shared language, policies, and practice tools that enable whole teams to respond in ways that are predictable and relational.
• Protect staff wellbeing – offering reflective practice that helps staff, managers and leaders manage stress, build resilience, and sustain their ability to work in high-pressure environments.
• Support rehabilitation and recovery – by helping services move from compliance-focused practice to approaches that build trust, motivation, and engagement with change.

Our programmes help justice settings balance safety with humanity, improving outcomes both for people in custody and for the staff who work alongside them.

Case Study for Mitie
Mitie commissioned KCA to design a trauma-informed training pathway for staff at HMP Millsike, a new Category C resettlement prison. With capacity for nearly 1,500 men, the prison’s vision is to create a restorative, rehabilitative culture from the outset.

KCA’s blended programme introduced Five to Thrive and Mending Hurts, equipping staff to understand behaviour as communication of need, avoid re-traumatisation, and support recovery. Extended learning for Leaders in reflective practice to build team resilience, and an in-house Train the Trainer model to created sustainability were also available. The learning journey emphasised connected relationships, co-regulation, and resilience-building, ensuring that relationship-centred, trauma-informed practice became embedded in everyday prison life.

Impact: 237 staff trained so far. 99% report finding the training useful. Staff report having developed a shared understanding of trauma informed practice with strategies to reduce conflict and harm, and skills to sustain resilience in a high-pressure environment.