Life Story

Product Information

While some aspects of Life Journey Work should be undertaken with all children in care, Life Story Books are only a statutory requirement for children placed for adoption. It is however, good practice for all children in permanent placements to have Life Story Books and in West Berkshire we are committed to making this happen. This 2014 Care UK guide is aimed at family carers, relatives and friends and covers topics such as ‘Starting a conversation’, ‘Having a conversation’, ‘Making the most of your visit’, ‘The unspoken word’, and ‘Coping with difficult conversations’. The guide includes top tips and practical suggestions from a range of Care UK staff.

All adopted children have experienced separation and loss and they will have some attachment issues. Those who have been neglected or abused will have further difficulties resulting from their insecure attachments. They will have a low sense of self worth, a mistrust of adults and a perception of the world as an unsafe place. Details of foster carers are helpful and, if there was more than one placement, an explanation for each move, emphasising that this was not because the child was ‘bad’ or ‘naughty’.Go with the flow and let the person talk freely about their life – you don’t need to start from the beginning

and supporting a person with dementia’ (524),‘ Dementia and the brain’ (456), ‘ Changes in behaviour’ (525) and ‘ Top The Sporting Memories Network is involved in a series of innovative projects across the UK, working with a series of football clubs, charities and commissioning groups and has also worked with care homes across Leeds to test out a new approach to reminiscence therapy. The book explores when to start life story work, how to communicate with children and help them talk about their feelings, how to work with particular groups of children, e.g. disabled children or those who have been sexually abused, and how to use life story work in different settings. The actual process of telling a child’s story will also help with attunement - the foundation of a healthy attachment. It is not just the words, it is tone of voice, facial expressions and gestures that are important, and the child’s feelings and emotions can be gently explored and explained.

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A truthful life history which is age appropriate. More detailed and potentially distressing information about the reasons why a child was adopted should be included in the Later Life Letter which is given to them when they are older and better able to cope and understand such information; All children are unique, and no two books are alike. The book may contain photographs, clip-art and illustrations, copies of some documents and other information as appropriate: Positive messages about the child must to be incorporated throughout. Above all, the Life Story Book needs to be child sized and divided into bite sized sections. Go with the flow and let the person talk about an aspect of their life they’re most comfortable with. You don’t have to start at the beginning. Try taking one topic at a time so it doesn’t become overwhelming. Take breaks and complete the story at your own pace; it might take days, weeks, or months. Remember you can always add to it later. You can design a life story box/book/film/song in any way meaningful to the person with dementia however, if you are looking for a more structured template, The Alzheimer’s Society & Dementia UK have resources to print which can be found below: Adults admit when they don't know the answer and offer to try to find out (rather than making something up);

Questions are answered honestly and explanations are given in an age appropriate way, taking into account the child's level of understanding and stage of development and not just their chronological age;Children need to be claimed and to feel that they belong and the best way to promote this is to start the child's story more gently in the present, before discussing the early and often traumatic history; Future: Finally give the child the sense of a positive and hopeful future, identifying a few plans and aspirations both short and long term; The child's birth parents, family, foster carers and other people who know the child should be encouraged to be involved in putting together contents. They may also be able to provide memorabilia significant to the child such as the child's hospital birth wristband; soft toys, letters and celebration cards; first drawings and paintings and photographs of birth parents, siblings, family members and other people who are important to the child. Where appropriate, this memorabilia should be stored safely in a suitable box - a 'memory box'.