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 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>>

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 experience

Trainer 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>>