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In this poignant book, Lisa Cherry brings together a collection of candid and personal reflections on the care system in the UK, offering alternative ways of thinking about the care experience, supporting better ways of working, and providing justification for a trauma-informed lens to be applied to all forms of work with those in care.
Through personal insights and reflections, the book brings often-unheard stories vividly to life, beginning with the author’s own. These are stories about love and pain; hurt and isolation; the depth of lived experience that makes up a life; how we live our lives through our relationships with others and where we feel we fit in. In this thoughtfully compiled third edition, original contributors look back on their own reflections from the lives that they live now, new stories bring new perspectives, and discussion points provide the opportunity to consider the realities of the care experience as well as life beyond.
Whilst each story is unique, shared themes reveal the truth of the care system and, coming at a time where there is a real opportunity for change, the narratives in this book are ultimately stories of hope and connection. This is crucial reading for policy makers, those working in social work, education and adoption, as well as care experienced adults.
In this poignant book, Lisa Cherry brings together a collection of candid and personal reflections on the care system in the UK, offering alternative ways of thinking about the care experience, supporting better ways of working, and providing justification for a trauma-informed lens to be applied to all forms of work with those in care.
Through personal insights and reflections, the book brings often-unheard stories vividly to life, beginning with the author’s own. These are stories about love and pain; hurt and isolation; the depth of lived experience that makes up a life; how we live our lives through our relationships with others and where we feel we fit in. In this thoughtfully compiled third edition, original contributors look back on their own reflections from the lives that they live now, new stories bring new perspectives, and discussion points provide the opportunity to consider the realities of the care experience as well as life beyond.
Whilst each story is unique, shared themes reveal the truth of the care system and, coming at a time where there is a real opportunity for change, the narratives in this book are ultimately stories of hope and connection. This is crucial reading for policy makers, those working in social work, education and adoption, as well as care experienced adults.
“As social work professionals we have stop looking through the wrong end of the telescope and I recommend reading this book ASAP and opening hearts and minds to its potential lessons. It provides very important insights for the reader, and understandings of the emotional landscapes which children who experience “care” are forced to navigate. The way Lisa Cherry care-fully curates her own and other peoples stories over time, circling back to them over more than a decade allows an even deeper reckoning, this time around, with the lessons from the brightness of stars.”
- Tim
“Systems set up to look after the most vulnerable children are demonstrated through this compelling selection of stories NOT to look after the most vulnerable children😦
The incredible editions to this book facilitated through careful curation by exceptional writer Lisa Cherry, mean the stories are re read by their authors and commented on 10 years later. This provides illuminating insight into what these contributors have suffered. How trauma and especially the trauma induced by the care system itself, stays with them despite their best efforts to be survivors.”
“I'd pre-ordered this book sometime ago, after becoming familiar with Lisa via twitter and then through her fabulous training. After (patiently) waiting a number of months the book arrived and I read it within the week. Subsequently ordering over 20 copies to gift to colleagues and care experienced young people and adults.
This book is simply excellent and outlines some of the different experiences and challenges that parental loss and separation brings, whilst highlighting the comfort found in community, relationships and dedicating time to recovery.”
- Nicola Lewis
