Using stories to discuss emotions and identity workshop

Our kinship carer workshops

Our workshops are only for kinship carers.

Whether you have a legal order, such as a special guardianship order, or your arrangement is private within your family, these workshops are for you.

You’ll be in a safe space with other kinship carers just like you.

If you’re not a kinship carer, please do not book.

What the workshop covers

Kinship children can guard their emotions and it can be difficult to get them to open up. A book can be the start of a difficult conversation a child doesn’t know how to begin. Books offer a practical way to for you to connect with your children. They can start difficult conversations around identity, grief, loss and other challenging emotions.

So we’ve worked with BookTrust, the UK’s largest children’s reading charity to develop this workshop. It covers:

• the benefits of reading with your kinship children
• how to use books to start conversations with your kinship child
• book recommendations for talking about emotions and identity
• how reading with your kinship child helps:
  • build trust and connection
  • support their emotional wellbeing
  • strengthen their sense of belonging

After the workshop, you can choose a free book – one for every kinship child in your care. We’ll also email you a copy of the presentation slides and some links to helpful resources.

Book a space by completing our booking form. 

What to expect in the workshop

Our online workshops give you a chance to learn about this topic in the comfort of your own home.

We use Zoom, a free platform that you can access from a:

• desktop computer
• laptop
• tablet
• phone

We’ll email you some support guidance for using Zoom when you book a place.

Structure of the workshop

This workshop lasts 1 hour.

Our presenters will give everyone a few minutes to join and then get started. You can ask questions as we go along by typing into Zoom’s chat tool. You don’t have to ask questions if you’d rather not. You might still find it useful to listen to others’ questions.

We’re there to support you

If you’re feeling nervous, or worried about being in a virtual room with new people, we’ll be there to support you.

Our friendly trainers will welcome you into the room and start with introducing you to the main Zoom functions.

Taking part in the workshop

We want you to be comfortable in the session. Zoom gives you the options of having your camera off or on, so if you want to keep some anonymity in the virtual room, you can. You’ll only need to add your first name to join the Zoom call.

If you’re concerned about sharing your story or experiences, we won’t ask you to. It’s up to you how much you share and we’ll respect your choices. You’ll find that some people like to share, and others prefer to listen and learn from others’ experiences.

The session may include a discussion in smaller groups. We’ll put people into smaller virtual rooms with a topic for you to talk through together. Again, you can decide what level of involvement you’re comfortable with, so if you’d prefer to sit out or listen to the conversation, you can.

If you do feel comfortable getting involved, you’ll get a chance to:

• ask questions
• chat to other kinship carers
• talk to our trainers after the workshop

If you feel ready to book, fill out our booking form.

Book your space

To book your free place, complete our short form by clicking the button below.