Last Week was National Story Telling Week

Last week is National Storytelling Week, a yearly celebration of sharing stories together! We invite our staff and clients to get involved this year, and see where your imagination can take you. You might choose to spend time reading a book with a client, or even make up a story of your own! The great thing about storytelling is that it can be done anywhere you like- on the bus, in bed, or even while you’re waiting in a queue at the shops.

We pride ourselves on the strong relationships our Support Workers build with the Young People and families they work with, and hope they will take the opportunity to get involved in National Storytelling Week together. Sharing stories with a client provides the opportunity to build a really meaningful bond. We have found that many of our young people enjoy sensory books, which are particularly engaging as the child is able to stimulate multiple senses whilst reading. You could share a ‘touch and feel’ book with a client this week, and enjoy talking about the different textures and interactive aspects of the story!

Brilliant, compassionate care goes beyond addressing medical requirements- our team support clients to build important social and emotional skills. Reading and storytelling play a key role in the development of both. Stories are a great way to enhance verbal communication, and build language abilities. You might use this week to introduce new words into a client’s vocabulary, by reading a book about a new topic and discussing this together!

This week is also a great time for staff and clients to use their imagination and be creative! Maybe you could leave the books on the shelf, and make up a story of your own with your client… The story subject can be as simple as you like- you could make up a story about a trip to the park, the adventures of your client’s favourite toy, or take inspiration from a story that already exists! We would love to hear about any stories that you come up with this week.

Did you know that reading as little as six minutes per day can reduce stress levels by 60%?

Whilst we encourage our staff to share a story with clients this week, we also hope that you might enjoy a book for yourself! Taking time out of your day to read a book is a great way to improve your mental health. Reading a few pages in the evening is a great way to relax and forget about any stress or worries you might be facing. We appreciate our Support Workers for the commitment and compassion they bring to their role each day, and hope that you take some time to unwind after work this week with a great book!

We would love to hear about how you’ve embraced National Storytelling Week. Whether this is sharing a story with a client, or enjoying a book alone before bed in the evening, let us know!