Family and Life Story Work free essay sample

?In this assignment I aim to discuss life story work: which can provide the care worker, and care receiver a better understanding of each other’s needs, and provide the care worker with information that can help support the care receiver in the best way. The carer needs to possess certain skills sensitivity, confidentiality, empathy, trustworthiness, and have commitment to seeing the story to the end. All care receivers have a right to information from their past in order to have a’ sense’ of who they are, and an identity. The subject of this essay will focus on Jordan; who was separated from his birth family at an early age, and was fostered by different carer’s and, his’ journey’ through ‘his’ life story. There are certain situations to avoid when completing a life story these are the ‘seven golden rules’. ‘’Never betray the child’s confidences made to you in exceptional circumstances ( they are to mention such items as sexual abuse, in which case this needs to be passed on to those adults responsible for protection) Don’t avoid talking about the child wants to talk about because they make you feel uncomfortable. Don’t put words in the child’s mouth. Once you have taken life story work, you must not abandon the child half way through it and hope that someone else can complete your work. You should continue with it until both of you agree it is time to end your regular sessions. Never use the end product or carrying out life story work as a prize or punishment, but only as a part of your life or relationship together. Go at the child pace not yours –it’s actually quicker this way! Rushing children only makes them slow down or skimp on details Be consistent and reliable –the child has to know when you are coming. Don’t start work and then say you will be back when you’ve got time. A child will not trust you and will feel hurt if you do this to. ’’ (The Open University 2010, p. 37). Children like Jordan who are separated from their ‘birth family’ at an early age have a need to understand why their paternal parents could not care for them. Memories of his life often seem to be distorted, and fuzzy; his father was painted in a negative way by his mother, and Nan; however Jordan would find out more about him to know him, and make up his own mind. Like many children in this situation they feel that they are to ‘blame’ for the upheaval in their lives making them feel ‘worthless’,’ unlovable’, and are unable to develop emotionally, socially and have a poor sense of identity. Life story work attempts to dispel these ideas in a non judgmental way. Unlike children who are bought up by their ‘birth parents’, and extended family who share a history, memories, and have a sense of who they are. John Bowlby, (1907-1990) trained in psychology, and the theory of ‘attachment’ and ‘loss’; born to a middle class family, his Nanny was his primary care giver, when she left he described it as ‘tragic’. His studies refer to the primary health giver as being a ‘safe base’, and because of his experience he shared great empathy and understanding of significant relationships, and the importance of ‘roots’ in children’s lives. (The Open University, 2011) Life story work in Jordan’s case provided a history of life events, The Adoptions and Children’s Act 2002 (England and Wales) stresses the need to encourage a the child to volunteer information that has affected their lives to enable him to deal with his issue’s and help him understand the past. Jordan has lived with quite a few foster carer’s; his first foster carer’s Mr. and Mrs. Jones; Jordan was quite happy there, however Mrs. Jones needed a hip operation, and Jordan had to move on to another foster carer; Jordan blamed himself as it coincided with him calling her ‘Mum’, and he believed this to be the reason for his move. (The Open University, 2011) Whilst in the care of Bev and Bill; Suzanne was employed to do life story work with Jordan. Suzanne is well qualified in this field as she is the National life story work coordinator; and has worked as a senior social worker for the local authority, and for the NSPCC. In preparation for her meeting with Jordan she contacted his network of support workers to gather information about Jordan from his past foster carer’s, supervising social worker, local authority social worker, and education worker. Suzanne then went through the social services files to obtain factual information with regards to Jordan (mainly to gather facts as to why he had been placed in care). Suzanne then met with Jordan’s birth mother and Grandmother; to gather further details, they were not quite sure if his dad was still alive. (Ryan and Walker, 1999) warn workers ‘that it should never be used for ‘’skilled’ and long term therapy’’. (The Open University, 2011) After gathering the background information; Suzanne arranged a meeting with Jordan and his foster parents; Jordan was offered the choice as to who he wanted involved in his story Jordan wanted to have his foster carer’s involved. Bill’s initial feelings were that it could possibly rake up ’bad memories’ however he wanted Jordan to learn about his past, ‘if you don’t really know where you have come from; you can’t really say where you are going in the future’, Jordan also thought it might be hard and scary. Suzanne explained that it was no’ miracle cure’, and she anticipated concerns as to how opening up ‘issues’ with Jordan could cause behavioral problems. It was explained to Jordan that the information he decided to offer would be confidential, Jordan made it clear that he only wanted people who he could ‘trust’ to be able to read his story. (The Open University, 2011) Life story work can come in many forms-: Photograph Albums Scrapbooks Written accounts Audio/video recordings Drawings Family trees All sorts of ephemera In fact anything can than provide an ‘identity’, it is rather like a jig saw puzzle, and filling in the gaps in attempt to make the whole picture. (The Open University, 2011) Life story work with Jordan started with a road map of Jordan’s life, Suzanne explains that it is Jordan’s story and she was very conscious that it is ‘child focused’ ,and give a balanced view, not just negative thoughts but in positive happy memories too and plenty of anecdotal stories. Suzanne asked Jordan to draw on paper a timeline in which he would be able to plot visual aspect to his life using stickers, dots (maybe he may want to visit this in the future), symbols, and drawings. Suzanne thought it would be a good idea to start at the end; as this was with his present foster carer’s where he felt he had a good support network, a ‘safe’ place to be. With Suzanne’s help he managed with cues to build up the road, placing drawings which he drew of the places where he had lived; filling in the gaps recollecting his past; he remembered having a dog for Xmas when he was living with his Mum and Nan, and placed a sticker there. (Open University, 2011) Jordan was very proud of his Life Story Work; with Suzanne’s help he had built up a family tree, pictures of his family, a life story book, and a road map of his life is able to come back and add to it at anytime (when he is ready). Bill encouraged Jordan by giving him technical advice on power point. This really helped them to bond as they shared a lot of laughter it has bought them closer together, no longer is Jordan hiding in his room. Life story work did not stop with his blood family; Bill took Jordan to his old school, what should have been an hour he was there all day, and some of them are still writing letters to him. During life story work Jordan is also now in touch with his father, and they regularly communicate with each other, and there is a hope of actually meeting him in the future. (Open University, 2011) However after nearly every session with Suzanne powerful emotions were evoked and Jordan became involved in arguments at school, or at home and caused behavioral problems. However Bill’s advice to other foster carer’s is ‘be prepared to take the rough with the smooth’. The life story works because at this stage; it has to be done at Jordan’s pace. (Open University, 2011) In conclusion everybody has the right to knowledge about their past, present and a future; it should be handled in a structured way, and take into account the circumstances of the individual. Everyone has a right to know who they are, and develop a sense of ‘self worth’. Whether it is a disabled people, elderly persons, or anyone with gaps in their lives that they need to understand. It can be therapeutic, but it is not for everyone.