How can digital tools help young people store important memories, documents and stories? And how can care-experienced voices guide their use? Find out how artists Rosie Reid and Ruth Mary Johnson worked with three young care leavers to experiment with an app called The Vault (developed by Articulate Cultural Trust). Hear how they played, created, and tested The Vault, to see how it could be used to complement life story work. Find out more about The Vault experimentRosie and Ruth have shared more about their work with the young researchers in this blog post here.You can learn more about the All About Me themes, which are mentioned in the podcast episode, here.And find out more about the Rose Model of Therapeutic Life Story Work here. Find out more about Creative Life Story Work membership here, and sign up to our mailing list here, for regular updates on our training and resources.Check out the other training we have coming up, with online Live Classrooms​,​ delivered by our brilliant ​expert trainers>>

In this episode of the Creative Life Story Work podcast, Dawn is joined by Blue Cabin Associate Artist, Nic Golightly, to explore the power of creativity in life story work. Together, they challenge the myth of 'I’m not creative', uncover everyday acts of imagination we often overlook, and share how playful approaches can spark confidence, connection and curiosity. From mistakes to masterpieces, Nic reveals how creativity in all its forms can open up new ways of storytelling and strengthen relationships.Sign up to Nic's live classroom by clicking here Find out more about Creative Life Story Work membership here, and sign up to our mailing list here, for regular updates on our training and resources.Check out the other training we have coming up, with online Live Classrooms​,​ delivered by our brilliant ​expert trainers>>

Psychologist Amy Payne joins us from Australia's Blue Mountains to talk about Therapeutic Life Story Work with adults. We discuss how she has adapted the Rose model of Therapeutic Life Story Work for different ages and Amy shares examples of its use. Find out how Therapeutic Life Story Work can help adults manage transitions in life and plan for the future. Discover how to retain elements of creativity and playfulness in life story work with adults, and how it can help you map out multi-generational stories taking in grandparents, parents and children. Find out more about Creative Life Story Work membership here, and sign up to our mailing list here, for regular updates on our training and resources.Sign up to Amy's live classroom by clicking hereCheck out the other training we have coming up, with online Live Classrooms​,​ delivered by our brilliant ​expert trainers>>

Clinical psychologist Dr Karen Treisman MBE joins us to talk about genograms and why they matter in trauma-informed care. Genograms are a visual representation of a family tree, which are often used in therapeutic settings. Karen shares how we can extend the traditional genogram model to make it into something much more creative, relational and meaningful. Hear how you can incorporate different materials -- from household items to puppets -- and use genograms as a springboard to open up questions and discussions about intergenerational themes, patterns and relationships.Find out more about Creative Life Story Work membership here, and sign up to our mailing list here, for regular updates on our training and resources.Sign up to Karen's live classroom by clicking hereCheck out the other training we have coming up, with online Live Classrooms​,​ delivered by our brilliant ​expert trainers>>

This month we are talking about Think, Feel, Do Bears - how they were developed and how they can be used during life story work. Amy Payne and Karen Vance, two of the practitioners who created Think, Feel, Do Bears, join us from Australia. They take us back to 2016, when the first Think, Feel, Do bears were made, inspired by conversations at the 2016 Australian Childhood Trauma Conference. Find out how the bears can help children and young people talk about their thoughts, feelings and actions. Hear about some real-life examples of them being used by children, young people and adults, and learn how the bears can help children and young people's voices be heard.Sign up to Amy and Karen's upcoming Live Classroom by clicking here Find out more about Creative Life Story Work membership here, and sign up to our mailing list here, for regular updates on our training and resources.Check out the other training we have coming up, with online Live Classrooms​,​ delivered by our brilliant ​expert trainers>>

Sing Our Story is a personalised song-writing programme created by London-based charity, Groundswell Arts. Groundswell Arts and Blue Cabin are now collaborating to deliver Sing Our Story in North East England, with a focus on care-experienced babies and children.Joseph Robb (head of service, looked-after children at Darlington Borough Council) explains why he wanted Darlington to be part of Sing Our Story and how the songs form part of children's records for them to revisit in years to come. And Lucy Ridley (Blue Cabin project manager) gives an insight into how the songs are written and the careful, creative process behind capturing each child's story.Read more about Sing Our Story here>>Find out more about Creative Life Story Work membership here, and sign up to our mailing list here, for regular updates on our training and resources.Check out the other training we have coming up, with online Live Classrooms​,​ delivered by our brilliant ​expert trainers>>

Timelines are a powerful tool in life story work. They can bring play into the process; they can link past, present and future; and they can help prepare children for change. And they provide a safe way to explore a life story. Listen to our conversation with Polly Baynes, who has worked with children and families for 37 years, for some brilliant advice on how to get started with using timelines. Polly shares her own experience of kinship care as a child and what she's learnt in her wide-ranging career. She ends with a series of top tips for foster carers and social work professionals who want to start using timelines with children and young people. Sign up to Polly's online live classroom event by clicking hereFind out more about Creative Life Story Work membership here, and sign up to our mailing list here, for regular updates on our training and resources.Check out the other training we have coming up, with online Live Classrooms​,​ delivered by our brilliant ​expert trainers>>

Michelle Ewing is a Therapeutic Life Story Worker with Leicestershire Children and Family Services, which recently received an Outstanding rating from Ofsted.Michelle joins us to share how the local authority provides consistent and high quality life story work for care-experienced children and young people. She gives an insight into the role of a Therapeutic Life Story Worker, her training with Professor Richard Rose, and shares some of her go-to tools and techniques. Finally, we talk about wellbeing for life story work practitioners: the importance of supervision and accessing support as part of your role. Find out more about Creative Life Story Work membership here, and sign up to our mailing list here, for regular updates on our training and resources.Check out the training we have coming up, with online Live Classrooms​,​ delivered by our brilliant ​expert trainers>>

Lessons from lived experienceTrainer Mary-anne Hodd joins us on the podcast to share her experience of being a child in care - including the challenges she faced and the people who made a positive difference.The conversation touches on so many points, from how it feels to receive your files as an adult, to Mary-anne's advice for other care-experienced people.Listen in to learn more about the challenges care-experienced children and young people face in forming their identities, how we can support them better, and how we can create environments where children can create, thrive and be themselves.Find out more about Creative Life Story Work membership here, and sign up to our mailing list here, for regular updates on our training and resources.Check out the training we have coming up, with online Live Classrooms​,​ delivered by our brilliant ​expert trainers>>

Social Work consultant and Trauma Informed Consultancy Services trainer, Natalie Wyatt, explains the wide-ranging effects of domestic abuse on children and young people, from developmental delays in infancy to risk-taking behaviors in adolescence.   We explore how trauma-informed approaches can help rebuild trust and attachment, and look ahead to potential changes in how we support children and young people. Listen to the episode for practical guidance, insights into research, and examples of what Natalie has learnt from the children and young people she has worked with. Find out more about Creative Life Story Work membership here, and sign up to our mailing list here, for regular updates on our training and resources.Want to learn more from Natalie Wyatt?Check out the training we have coming up, with online Live Classrooms by Natalie and other brilliant trainers>>

This special podcast episode was recorded live at the Georgian Theatre in Stockton, where we gathered for the premiere of a wonderful new film called All About Adoption. The film was made by a group of young film makers from Tees Valley, through a new partnership between Blue Cabin and Adoption Tees Valley. Hear from some of the film makers about what they wanted friends, teachers and social workers to know about adoption, and what it was like to receive a standing ovation after their first screening. We ask audience members what they thought of the the film, and Blue Cabin Associate Artist, Nic Golightly, give an insight into the creative process. Find out more about Adopt Bats at wearebluecabin.com/project/adopt-bats/

We welcome Mary-anne Hodd to the podcast to discuss adverse childhood experiences (also known as ACEs). Mary-anne explains how neglect, abuse and household dysfunction in early childhood can have an impact on later-life outcomes for care-experienced people -- and how we can support young people to start to heal. Mary-anne is a care-experienced trainer and consultant with Trauma Informed Consultancy Services who combines her own lived experience with her background in psychology. Listen to this episode to hear how Mary-anne takes a strengths-based approach to ACEs. Hear a new episode of the Creative Life Story Work podcast on the first Thursday of each month.Find out more about Creative Life Story Work membership here, and sign up to our mailing list here, for regular updates on our training and resources.Want to learn more from Mary-anne Hodd?Check out the training we have coming up, with online Live Classrooms by Mary-anne and other brilliant trainers>>

What role can social workers play in supporting children affected by parental separation? Parental separation might be widespread (around 3.5 million children a year are living in separated families), but it can still have a big impact on children and young people, affecting behavioural outcomes, physical health and more. We welcome Natalie Wyatt to the podcast to talk about how we can help children thrive, post-separation. Natalie shares what children and young people she has worked with have told her about what's important to them, and the factors which can affect children's lives, longer term. Hear a new episode of the Creative Life Story Work podcast on the first Thursday of each month.Find out more about Creative Life Story Work membership here, and sign up to our mailing list here, for regular updates on our training and resources.Want to learn more from Natalie Wyatt? Check out the training we have coming up, with online Live Classrooms by Natalie and other brilliant trainers>>

How can social workers and foster carers create records that have a positive impact on people's lives? We welcome Dr Lisa Cherry to the podcast to discuss how we can take a trauma-informed approach to recording information about a child or young person's life. Lisa has been working in education and children's services for more than 30 years and in this episode she shares advice for both social work professionals and foster carers. Learn what makes 'good' record-keeping -- from the language we use to the moments we choose to record -- and how you can promote healing in care-experienced adults. Hear a new episode of the Creative Life Story Work podcast on the first Thursday of each month. Find out more about Creative Life Story Work membership here, and sign up to our mailing list here, for regular updates on our training and resources.To sign up to Lisa's upcoming Live Classroom on 27th November, click here.

In this episode of the Creative Life Story Work podcast, host Dawn welcomes Christian Brock, co-founder and managing director of Virtual Memory Box, to discuss how technology is being leveraged to support life story work for care-experienced children and young people. They delve into the functionalities and benefits of the Virtual Memory Box, including its web platform setup and its co-production with South Tyneside Council. Christian shares insights on the personalization and accessibility features of the tool, and highlights how it augments traditional life story work. The conversation also touches on the emotional impact and positive feedback from users, alongside advice for tech entrepreneurs looking to develop meaningful tools for community support.Find out more about Creative Life Story Work membership at www.creativelifestorywork.com00:00 Introduction to Creative Life Story Work00:51 Meet Christian Brock: Co-Founder of Virtual Memory Box02:29 The Concept and Features of Virtual Memory Box03:16 Collaborative Development with South Tyneside Council08:23 User Permissions and Access Control11:41 Data Ownership and Accessibility12:44 Break: Blue Cabin's Creative Life Storywork Membership14:32 Impact Stories and Feedback18:08 Future of Digital Technology in Care Systems19:28 Advice for Tech Entrepreneurs20:33 How to Engage with Virtual Memory Box22:11 Conclusion and Farewell

How might grief and loss affect children and young people's behaviour and relationships? And how can we support care-experienced children and young people to process their feelings? We welcome back to the podcast Ciara McClelland, who specialises in working with children and families impacted by adverse childhood experiences, to find out more about the impact of grief and loss on the brain and body. Ciara is a trainer from Trauma Informed Consultancy Services. For this episode, we are partnering with Lively Minds: the mental health podcast who are posting it on their feed too! Head over to their show to hear Ciara dig deeper into the world of dramatherapy in her conversation with hosts, Ellie and Will.Hear a new episode of the Creative Life Story Work podcast on the first Thursday of each month.Find out more about Creative Life Story Work membership here, and sign up to our mailing list here, for regular updates on our training and resources.

How can we adapt Creative Life Story Work for young adults? In 2023, we worked with care-leavers and young researchers to develop All About Us, a life story work pilot project for care-leavers. We talk with theatre-maker and Blue Cabin Associate, Ruth Mary Johnson, and Faye Marsh from Darlington Borough Council, about the practicalities of gathering feedback from care-leavers in Darlington and South Tyneside. Find out how their input shaped the project and how All About Us is different from the sessions we deliver with younger children and their trusted adults. Hear a new episode of the Creative Life Story Work podcast on the first Thursday of each month.Find out more about Creative Life Story Work membership at www.creativelifestorywork.com

This month on the podcast we talk about the vital role foster carers play in the delivery of life story work. Joanne Stoddart (local authority specialist) and Jenny Young (director) from Blue Cabin are our guests as we find out what training and support foster carers receive when they welcome a child or young person to their home, and the benefits of the foster carer being involved in delivering life story work. Hear a new episode of the Creative Life Story Work podcast on the first Thursday of each month.Find out more about Creative Life Story Work membership at creativelifestorywork.com

We were very happy to catch up with Professor Richard Rose in Darlington, to talk about the role he's played as a critical friend for Darlington Borough Council and other organisations. Hear how having someone to share honest, constructive feedback is helping to shape life story work strategies.Find out more about Creative Life Story Work membership at www.creativelifestorywork.com

In this bitesize episode of the Creative Life Story Work podcast, we chat with Martin Webster, Workforce Development Manager at Darlington Borough Council. He shares some of the feedback he's received from children, young people and carers, and explains how Darlington is putting a framework in place to help its staff embed a creative approach to life story work. Click here to find out more about Creative Life Story Work membership