Abstract

This new book from life work expert Joy Rees explains the value of effective and meaningful life work with children who are fostered and adopted, and how best to carry this out.

This book will help social work professionals, foster carers and adopters to understand the many aspects of life work and to consider the important contributions they can all make to this task. Life work is about helping children to know and to understand their personal stories and the life experiences that have shaped them. Enabling children to reach their potential and achieve the best possible outcome is the common goal, and this is best achieved by using the collaborative approach to life work advocated in this book

Joy Rees has 40 years' experience as a social worker specialising in children. She recently retired as manager of a London borough adoption and permanence team and is now an independent consultant and trainer.
Life Work with Children Who are Fostered or Adopted really challenges us to think about who is holding the history for the child, and how we can pull these pieces together into a coherent story to be visited at intervals throughout the child's life. With clear understanding about why life work needs to be an ongoing process, this book has lots of practical information about a range of ways we can find, hold and share the story with the child.
Kim S. Golding, Clinical Psychologist, Worcestershire
Joy Rees brings her practice wisdom, theoretical knowledge and field work experience to give a confidence to those helping children to make sense of their lives.
Mac Heath, Head of Children and Family Services, West Berkshire Council
Yet again Joy Rees has demonstrated her gift of enabling practitioners to help children make sense of their often confusing and painful stories, explaining complex subjects and processes in clear, accessible language.
Gillian Thrower, Developmental Trauma and Attachment Therapist