Life Journey Framework stories provide some of most important pieces of a child’s adoption picture.
Providing a clear, colourful narrative and illustration of the child’s history and birth family, putting light on some of the circumstances that led to adoption and touching on the way forward: is of course essential in helping children’s sense of identity and stability.
Western Bay Adoption have once again been celebrating the outstanding work of social workers, birth parents and adopters in this field. We’ve been out visiting the winners with our mascot Teulu to present certificates and of course a round of ‘ap-paws’! (had to be done sorry).
Winners will also receive cinema tickets and some WBAS goodies in the post to celebrate their efforts.
Sarah Vaughan WBAS Life Journey Framework Officer said: “It’s been a pleasure to host the WBAS Life Journey Awards for the 2nd year running. It’s a great opportunity to celebrate the fantastic life journey work that is being undertaken with children and their families across the Western Bay region.
The judging panel were really impressed with the quality of the work produced, the creative and interactive ways in which life journey work can be carried out, the thought and the effort and planning that goes into this work: and the commitment of all those involved in helping children to understand their journey to adoption.”
The full round up of our 2021 Life Journey Framework Awards is as follows:-
Social Worker Category:
Eleanor Chmeil – Bridgend County Borough Council
Hannah Lynch – Swansea Council
Harriet Reed was highly commended by our panel – Swansea Council
Sarah Hawkins – Neath Port Talbot Council
Practice Social Workers Category:
Claire Roberts (Neath Port Talbot LAC Team)
Foster Carers Category:
Anthony Heald
Birth Parents Category:
Stephanie Sinclair
Adopters:
Our adopter category featured some outstanding life journey story work from our families – so good were the nominations that our judges were tied with their decision with a joint winner emerging. What stood out in our winning family who hailed from Swansea and our other joint winner from Neath Port Talbot was the total buy in and commitment from every one involved, including the child. A family from Bridgend were also commended for their efforts. Special mention here for Amanda Williams too, adoption support social worker from WBAS for her efforts.
| WBAS host authority Swansea Council, Head of Child and Family Services Julie Davies said: “It’s so important that we help children to understand the decisions that adults have made about why they can no longer live with their parents. The passion and commitment displayed by the winners to to the life journey work of the children they have supported is clearly evident and has been rightly recognised by our regional adoption service.” |
Final word from WBAS:
We are of course very grateful to all those who nominated social workers, practice support workers, foster carers, adopters and birth family members for these awards and whilst the prizes and certificates are just small tokens, we offer real heartfelt and proud congratulations to all those who were nominated.
You encapsulate everything about the ‘Western Bay Way’.
The Life Journey Awards will be launched again during National Adoption Week in 2022 so we will look forward to receiving your nominations then! Should any advice regarding life journey work be required for children in their adoption journey please contact the team here.
