Life Story Work
Life story work is a meaningful and effective way to help individuals of all ages reflect on their past, make sense of their present, and envision their future. It’s particularly beneficial for children navigating adoption or older adults seeking to explore and celebrate their life journeys. By revisiting and exploring their personal histories, this process enables children to better understand who they are, the experiences that have shaped them, and the reasons behind their journey. As a result, it fosters a stronger sense of identity, boosts self-confidence, and helps them feel more at home within their family. This work often involves sharing childhood stories, cherished memories, significant experiences, and sentimental keepsakes, creating a deeper connection to their personal narrative and uncovering a stronger sense of self.
Words and Pictures
Words and Pictures is a simple tool that helps explain important things to children in a way that’s easy for them to understand. Parents create it with help from a Social Worker or other professionals, turning the information into a clear story with pictures that match the child’s age and understanding.
Words and Pictures provide parents with a valuable window into their child's thoughts, emotions, and perception of their home environment. This process fosters understanding, creating meaningful context for both the child and the parent as they navigate their journey together.
The best part about Words and Pictures is how it opens up conversations between kids, parents and carers. By talking about tricky topics in a gentle and visual way, it helps kids feel safe to ask questions, share their feelings, and understand what’s going on in their lives. This builds trust and keeps the conversation going for future support.
Supervised family Time
Supervised family time, can also be known as supervised contact, ensures a safe and supportive environment where a parent can spend time with their children under the observation of an impartial and responsible individual. This arrangement is typically implemented when concerns exist about the children’s safety in the care of that parent, or when the children have had limited interaction with the parent and need a gradual, supported reintroduction. Supervised family time plays a crucial role in cases where the child is involved in legal proceedings or when there is a recognised safety risk if the child were left unsupervised with the parent or family member. The primary aim is to safeguard the child from any potential physical, emotional, or sexual harm while encouraging healthy and meaningful parent-child interactions.