Children looked after and care leavers
For children moving on to permanent placements life-story work will be important as it enables them to have a sense of their identity and social history.
Life story work must be carried out for any child moving to a permanent placement, for example adoption or long term fostering.
Social workers should refer to the Lifestory book policy and the Life story work guidance for information on why life story work is important and how to carry out this vital piece of work.
Later in life letters are an effective way of explaining to children about their history and the reasons for their becoming looked after and the reasons behind the choices that were made about their permanent care. These letters should be written by social workers and given to the child's carer so that they can be passed on to the child when it is felt to be the right time.
Social workers can refer to the RAA Later Life Letters policy for guidance on drafting later in life letters.
A good example of a later in life letter can be found here.