Storying special objects: Material culture, narrative identity and life story work for children in care

Abstract

<jats:p> This paper considers the importance of material objects for looked after and adopted children integrated as part of life story work practices. Conducting life story work is believed to be good practice within direct work with looked after children in England and there are a range of diverse practices, including life story books, later life letters and memory boxes. Through a creative design project developing a playful memory product for looked after children, we have had the opportunity to capture sector perspectives on life story work approaches and these are interspersed throughout this commentary. Combining multi-disciplinary theoretical perspectives and these sector insights, we explore how special material objects are important for children’s identity and continuity of sense of self. The paper highlights the importance of children telling their own stories of these objects, giving them agency and control over their life story narratives. In a context of austerity, life story work may not be prioritised by social workers who have many other competing demands and limited resources. We emphasise the need for professionals to recognise the value children give to objects and to provide them with opportunities to both keep these safe during placement moves and to tell their own story through their objects alongside more traditional, formal life story work. The recommendations have implications for children in out of home care in many country contexts, not just England where the research has been conducted. </jats:p>

“I wish someone would explain why I am in care”: The impact of children and young people's lack of understanding of why they are in out‐of‐home care on their well‐being and felt security

“…The children and young people's comments concur with recent research on the importance of objects, mementoes and photographs for looked after children (Watson et al 2019). Children It is clear from this research and other studies that talking to children about their background and reasons for entry into care cannot be viewed as a linear process nor a 'one-off' occurrence (Henry, 2005;Brodzinsky, 2011), and children may need different explanations at different ages to reflect their growing knowledge and experience.…”

‘We need to understand what’s going on because it’s our life’: Using sandboxing to understand children and young people’s everyday conversations about care

“…This creative method provided a non‐threatening, safe space for what were often traumatic or ambivalent memories and emotions, and this confirms the need for researchers, professionals and families to provide alternative, responsive approaches to communicating with care experienced CYP. This could be built into wider life story work using children's loved objects to help provoke memory and solidify a sense of the past (Watson et al., 2019).…”

Improving Sensemaking in Social Work: A worked example with Deleuze and Art

“…Building on commentary that “things” can influence interactions in practice (Ferguson, 2011: 62), there has been a growing recognition that objects and artefacts have attracted little attention in social work (Scholar, 2010: 631). Where they do appear, as in Watson et al.’s (2020) discussion of life story work, they have been a secondary feature. Making sense of/with space has also featured in Social Work literature; for example, Ferguson (2016) charted “a series of transitions from the office to the doorstep, and into the home, where complex interactions with service users and their domestic space and other objects appear” (p.65).…”