What is All About Me, for adults
All About Me is a creative space to help the children and young people in your care start to understand who they are today, help them explore what's happening right now, and let them share their hopes and dreams for the future.
What are Creative Experiences?
All About Me Creative Experiences are facilitated by an Artist and a Pastoral Support Worker (a member of staff from Darlington Borough Council).
Whether sessions are on-line or face to face a Pastoral Support Worker will be in the room to support you and your child / young person. They will also be responsible for safeguarding during the sessions too.
There will be six All About Me Creative Experience sessions in total, as well as an introductory session, each lasting ninety minutes. From September 2022 these will either happen on-line or in face-to-face group settings.
During All About Me Creative Experiences, your child / young person will be supported to think about the following themes:
- Who am I?
- What are my favourite things?
- How do I feel?
- Who is in my life?
- Who do I live with?
- What plans do I have for the future?
Your child / young person will have the chance to create something in each session to document their involvement.
Other children and young people and their supporting adults will be in the sessions too. There will be no more than fifteen children / young people and adults present.
Before taking part, your child / young person will be able to watch a short video on the artist they will be working with.
We will make the sessions as accessible for you and your child / young person as possible.
What is your role as a supporting adult?
We hope that by taking part, your child / young person has the chance to understand who they are today, explore what's happening right now and their hopes and dreams for the future.
Your role is to support your child / young person to engage with and explore these themes during each session, and between sessions too.
The All About Me Creative Experiences will include creative activities which might be a bit messy, so you may need to wear appropriate clothing!
Where possible, find an appropriate space in your home for you and your child to take part in the activities if you are involved in an on-line session.
If you are involved in an on-line session you will need access to a suitable device, ideally a laptop, computer or tablet. Wifi will also be needed.
We will provide information beforehand explaining how to access the online sessions and we will also support you with any technical issues during the introductory session.
The All About Me Creative Experiences may bring up things which are challenging or difficult for your child / young person and for you.
We will share information with you before sessions start, explaining what support is in place for you, and for your child / young person if challenges arise.
Before sessions start
Your child / young person's Social Worker will be in touch to confirm which artist you have been allocated and when and where the sessions will be happening. For on-line sessions you will be provide you with a link to access the zoom sessions.
They will be responsible for completing an Information Form with input from you and your child / young person.
Once you know which artist your child / young person will be working with please take 5 minutes to sit down with them and watch the artist short introductory video.
You will be supplied with all the materials (a creative pack) for the sessions – they will be delivered to you approximately one week before the on-line introductory session. This creative pack is an essential part of All About Me Creative Experiences - we ask that the pack is kept safe and to hand, ready for your child / young person’s weekly sessions.
Please log into the online sessions a little early so that you arrive on time.
After each session
A dedicated Therapeutic Social Worker will keep in contact with you throughout and will also seek your feedback at the end of the 6 week block.
We will be asking you and your child / young person how things have gone. We will listen to your feedback and make any changes we can to support you to be involved.
Something missing?
If you feel that any important information or guidance might be missing, or you would like to make a recommendation for how this toolkit can be improved, please:
- Read our FAQs
- Email: [email protected].
