Nursery World - Kitbags developed to help social workers talk to children

Social workers are trialing the use of finger puppets and a ‘talking stick’ to use in their conversations with young children.

More than 50 social workers at seven local authorities across the country are testing out the use of a specially-created ‘kitbag’ of resources.

The Talking and Listening to Children (TLC) Kitbag campaign was launched by University of Sussex professor of social work, Gillian Ruch, earlier this year in response to research highlighting the shortage of materials provided for staff to engage with children.

The kitbags were designed by Scotland-based educational charity International Futures Forum and contain finger puppets, human qualities cards, a Talking Stick, calming oil, and a one-minute timer for presence exercises.

Currently social work practitioners in Bexley, Bradford, Coventry, Oxford, Rotherham and Telford are using the Kitbag in their practice while staff at Brighton and Hove City Council will join them later in the autumn.

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