They’re designed to provide guidance in an area where very little is currently available, and ultimately, to help ensure that more refugee, asylum-seeking and unaccompanied children and young people benefit from high quality, trauma-informed life story work.

The three resources are:

• An animation for young people, explaining what life story work is.
• A toolkit for practitioners, including life story workers and social workers.
• A guide for interpreters who are involved in supporting the delivery of life story work.

All the resources are free and available for anyone to access.

Access the life story work resources 

Animation for young people

This three minute animation is designed to be watched by young people who have recently arrived in the UK as refugees or asylum-seekers. It explains what life story work is, and how it could benefit them.

The animation is available in English, Arabic, Dari and Tigrinya. Click below for each version…
Watch the animation in English
Watch the animation in Arabic
Watch the animation in Dari
Watch the animation in Tigrinya

Toolkit for practitioners

This toolkit is for life story workers and social workers who facilitate life story work for children and young people who are newly arrived in the UK.

It includes guidance on preparing for life story work with children and young people who are recently arrived in the UK, working with interpreters, building trust and taking an asset-based approach, trauma-informed practice, and examples of games which can be incorporated into life story work. Download the toolkit via the link below.

Life-story-work-A-guide-for-practitioners

Guide for interpreters

This guide is for any interpreter who is involved in life story work for children and young people who are newly arrived in the UK.

It includes an introduction to life story work and what to expect in sessions, the interpreter’s role in life story work, and guidance on building trust and taking an asset-based approach. Download the guide via the link below.

Life-story-work-A-guide-for-interpreters

Blue Cabin is offering a bonus live classroom on Thursday 7th May 2026, 10am – 1pm via Zoom, click link below for further information and to register for this event…
Life story work with refugee and asylum-seeking young people – Creative Life Story Work

Project funder

Project partners

A partnership project by Blue Cabin, Children and Families Across Borders, and Therapeutic Life Story Work International. Funded by The Segelman Trust. Animation created by Kazzum Arts.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:7383456474720530432?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A%28ugcPost%3A7383456474720530432%2C7383456840912912384%29&dashCommentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_comment%3A%287383456840912912384%2Curn%3Ali%3AugcPost%3A7383456474720530432%29

https://www.change.org/p/action-against-asgsf-changes-adoption-and-special-guardianship-support-fund

Words from adoptees and Nancy Verrier (author of The Primal Wound, published in 1993) that need to be heard:

– the feelings of abandonment are real because the pain is so primal, it is virtually impossible to describe.

–  you never become not adopted.

– I don’t have to be grateful for my adoption because in all actuality it’s a loss, a huge loss. loss of family, a loss of time that I will never get back and a loss of identity.

– we need to remember that the birth mum is also traumatised.

– adoptees are not their coping mechanisms they are just trying to feel safe.

– you do not feel important because you weren’t important to keep in the first place. You didn’t have an impact on your mum, that gets in the neurological system.  You feel as if you don’t have an impact on anyone, especially in relationships.

– there’s a trauma for everyone involved, we have to remember this, adoption equals trauma.