- To Become a Foster Carer: 0800 023 4561
- Other Enquiries: 0800 085 2225
Additional Services
Life Story Work promotes an understanding of a looked after child or young person’s current situation. But how about addressing emotional issues associated with their past?
Where the need for in-depth life story work has been identified, FCA can offer individual/sibling group packages which incorporate past, present and future.
All children or young people are entitled to a full picture of their past and their family, even though this may at times be painful. Information may have limited significance for a child or young person until later adult life. What is important is that the information is available and accessible to the young person when they need it.
FCA can be commissioned to produce a Life Story Book, which includes researching the child’s or young person’s history – involving significant people and their perspectives – thereby giving the child or young person a more balanced picture of their lives. The Life Story Book and photo album can be provided in CD-Rom/DVD format.
In addition to the production of the Life Story Tool, qualified FCA staff can work with the children or young people to help resolve strong emotions about past events, especially those related to separation or loss experiences. This can be done within a therapy setting, involving carers, social workers, and birth family members, as appropriate.
FCA has hosted a number of one day conferences on Life Story Work. These are aimed at people who have an interest in, or experience of, undertaking life story work and wish to further develop their skills and explore issues. The conferences include carers and looked after children’s perspectives and bring together key speakers in the field of Life Story Work. Future conferences are planned, and details will be available on this website.
FCA can also provide training packages/workshops on Life Story Work for foster carers and staff, which can be tailored to specific needs.
FCA coordinate a Professional Life Story Work forum, which is open to professionals with an interest in conducting Life Story Work with children and their families. The Forum aims to promote best practice, discuss practice issues and share ideas and experiences with others in the field of Life Story Work.
Forum meetings take place on a quarterly basis, and are open to anyone working in the voluntary, private and statutory sectors.
