Objects and their Stories

Objects and Their Stories is designed for foster carers, social workers and others, to build on their initial training and is a natural progression and development of life story work. The training will focus on the individual, their story, and how to incorporate this into the work they do with children and young people.

About the course

The objects around us are intertwined with our feelings and experiences. Exploring our relationship with objects can help us tell our stories and give us a greater understanding of other people and ourselves. The course will demonstrate how objects can be used as an accessible tool to evoke, release and relieve emotions, how objects can become a safe home for these feelings, and how a focus on objects can promote creative practices and relationships.

Objects and Their Stories is designed for foster carers, social workers and others, to build on their initial training and is a natural progression and development of life story work. The training will focus on the individual, their story, and how to incorporate this into the work they do with children and young people.

The course is structured as a reflective space for practitioners and carers, with significant time given to attendees to reflect on their own work and experiences, as well as the children and young people they support.

The upcoming course consists of six sessions held on the following dates:

  • Wednesday 15th January 2025, 9:45 – 12:00pm
  • Wednesday 29th January 2025, 9:45 – 12:00pm
  • Wednesday 12th February 2025, 9:45 – 12:00pm
  • Wednesday 26th February 2025, 9:45 – 12:00pm
  • Wednesday 12th March 2025, 9:45am – 12:00pm
  • Wednesday 26th March 2025, 9:45am – 12:00pm

Themes & Learning Outcomes

The training will be based around six sessions:

  • How objects can be meaningful
  • Powerful and precious objects
  • Using objects to tell the world who you are
  • Uncomfortable, puzzling or painful objects
  • Using objects and collections of objects to make difficult situations easier
  • Exploring life stories through objects

Although the focus of the training is work with children and young people, the questions posed can be helpfully asked of anyone – young or adult, personal carer or professional worker. Those attending the course will be invited to share objects from their own lives.

Participants will receive a Resource Pack, with practice examples and case studies, and a quick start guide for each module. Communication between participants is facilitated to encourage support both during and after the training, with meetings with a course ‘buddy’ suggested between training sessions.

For social workers, reflection on this session may contribute to your continuing professional development (CPD).

Special Offer: Thanks to a private donation from one of our supporters, we are pleased to offer free places to foster carers at organisations with full membership of the Coram Innovation Incubator. Places are limited to 12 per course, on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants must commit to all six sessions.

Cost:

  • FREE for full CII members (Foster Carers)
  • £190 + VAT for full CII members (other workers)
  • £240 + VAT for associate CII members
  • £315 + VAT for kindred CII members
  • £440 + VAT for pay-as-you-go and non-members

 

“Doing the course brought about connections for me in lots of different ways. It’s been a way of learning more about the work I do on a day-to-day basis... Everyone should do this course!”
Lorna Jackson
Lorna manages a Family Time service for a local authority.

Get in touch to register your interest

Places are limited to 12 per course, on a first come first served basis and participants must be able to commit to all six sessions.

Email us