THE USE OF WORDS AND PICTURES
IN DIRECT WORK WITH CHILDREN
Karin Heber and Clare Tarnawska
WORDS AND PICTURES (TURNELL AND ESSEX
2006)
Signs of Safety tool
 A way of informing children and young people
about serious child protection concerns
 A way to involve them in the safety planning
process
 Originally devised as a means to give children an
explanation of their situation
 However, the technique can be used in a variety
of ways
– no right or wrong way

THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE STARTING
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The purpose
Who is the story aimed at?
What is the plan? – long term or next step
If it is a child protection concern
Who is worried?
 What are they worried about?
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CLARE’S EXAMPLE OF WORK WITH A FAMILY AT
THE END OF HER INVOLVEMENT
E AND L’S STORY
Mummy and Daddy met in Edinburgh, they got married and
went to live in Yorkshire. E and then L were born and they
were all very happy. Mummy and Daddy loved E and L very
much
PURPOSE
To help the children understand how and why
they came to be living with dad
 To help them make sense of their experiences
 To help them understand their place in their
family
 To be clear about long term plans
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PROCESS
First draft
 Shared with mum
 Changes made after meeting with mum
 Shared with dad
 Shared with the children along with mum
 Left with the children to add pictures
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We agreed on a description of mum’s illness and
what to call it.
Mummy has an illness called depression, which is
an illness that you can’t see but makes her very
sad and makes it really hard to do all the normal
day to day things.

We also agreed on a description for the overdose
Sometimes Mummy felt so ill she took too much medicine and
that made it hard for her to wake up. E and L found her
asleep and couldn’t wake her and that was very scary
Clare and Daddy decided it would be best if E
and L stayed with Daddy and we stopped talking
about them going back to live with Mummy.
 Grownups know that it is really important for
children to be settled in one place and not keep
moving home and school.

E and L went to live with Daddy at Granny Apple and Pop’s
house.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE:
WHY I LIVE WHERE I LIVE NOW!
Severe and chronic neglect of 5 children which
led to their accommodation with foster carers
 Parents struggled to accept that the children
wouldn’t move back home again
 Parents gave mixed messages to children and
therefore they weren’t sure what was going to
happen
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PROCESS
Draft
 Presented to parents who made some changes
 It was suggested that they would draw the
pictures but they didn’t feel able to and wanted
us to do it
 They were shown the pictures. They didn’t find
all pictures that clear. We talked about how we
could change them.
 Parents were content with the end result
 Presented to children
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SINCE THE CHILDREN WERE BORN MUM AND DAD STRUGGLED TO KEEP THE HOUSE CLEAN AND
TIDY, TO HAVE ENOUGH FOOD IN THE HOUSE, TO PAY FOR GAS AND ELECTRICITY AND TO BUY
CLOTHES FOR THE CHILDREN. THE CHILDREN WERE OFTEN HUNGRY, UNCLEAN AND WEARING
CLOTHES THAT WERE TOO SMALL. THE CHILDREN HAD LOTS OF TOYS IN THE BEGINNING BUT
THIS BECAME LESS AND LESS AS THEY GREW OLDER.
THE CHILDREN WERE OFTEN TIRED BECAUSE THEY COULDN’T SLEEP WHEN MUM AND
DAD WERE DRINKING ALCOHOL AND WOULD WAKE THEM IN THE NIGHT.
SOMETIMES MUM AND DAD STAYED IN BED ALL DAY BECAUSE THEY WERE FEELING
LOW AND NOT GOOD ABOUT THEMSELVES.
SOCIAL WORK SUPPORTED MUM AND DAD TO MANAGE WITH THE HOUSE, BUDGET
AND TO LOOK AFTER THE CHILDREN
UNFORTUNATELY MUM AND DAD WERE NOT ABLE TO KEEP UP THEIR GOOD WORK
BECAUSE EVERYTHING SEEMED TOO MUCH FOR THEM.
ONE MONTH AFTER THEY HAD RETURNED HOME IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THE
CHILDREN COULD NOT STAY WITH THEIR PARENTS ANY LONGER. ON THE 5TH JUNE
2013 THE CHILDREN MOVED TO DIFFERENT FOSTER CARERS.
THE CHILDREN CONTINUE TO SEE MUM AND DAD REGULARLY AND ENJOY SPENDING
THIS TIME TOGETHER. FOR A WHILE SOCIAL WORK WAS WITH THE CHILDREN AT
CONTACT TO MAKE SURE ALL WENT WELL.
THE CHILDREN WON’T RETURN HOME. THEY STAY WITH FOSTER CARERS BUT HAVE
REGULAR TIME TOGETHER AT CONTACT WHICH THEY ALL ENJOY.
DIFFERENT WAYS OF DOING IT
WHEN MUM FEELS STRESSED SHE SOMETIMES GETS ANGRY AND SPEAKS A LOT
WHILST BEING VERY CLOSE TO THE CHILDREN’S FACE. THEY DON’T LIKE THAT
BECAUSE IT CAN BE A BIT SCARY. MUM TELLS THEM WHAT SHE WANTS THEM TO
DO BUT BECAUSE SHE TALKS TOO MUCH THE CHILDREN DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT
IS WANTED OF THEM. THAT CAN BE VERY CONFUSING.
ON THURSDAY THE CHILDREN WILL GO TO A CHILDREN’S HEARING. MUM AND KARIN WILL PICK THEM
UP FROM SCHOOL. THE CHILDREN’S HEARING IS A MEETING WHERE PEOPLE DECIDE WHERE THE
CHILDREN WILL LIVE WHETHER THAT IS WITH THEIR FOSTER CARER OR WHETHER THEY CAN MOVE
BACK TO MUM. THERE WILL BE 3 PEOPLE SITTING BEHIND A DESK. THEY WILL ASK THE CHILDREN
QUESTIONS. THE CHILDREN CAN TELL THEM HONESTLY HOW THEY FEEL AND WHAT THEY WANT.
THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG ANSWER AND NOBODY WILL BE ANGRY WITH THEM.
AT THE END THEY WILL MAKE A DECISION WHETHER IT IS SAFE AND BEST FOR
THE CHILDREN TO MOVE BACK HOME TO MUM OR WHETHER IT IS BETTER FOR THEM
TO STAY WITH FOSTER CARERS.
THE CHILDREN WILL HAVE TO PACK ALL THEIR CLOTHES AND BOOKS TO TAKE IT TO
MUM’S. THEY WILL ALSO HAVE TO PACK ALL THEIR CARS, TRAINS, TEDDY BEARS,
CASTLES, PENS, LEGO AND COMPUTER GAMES. THEY HAVE SO MANY TOYS BUT WE
WILL MAKE SURE THAT ALL THEIR TOYS GET TO MUM’S HOUSE.
AFTER 3 MORE SLEEPS THE CHILDREN WILL MOVE TO THEIR MUM AND WILL LIVE
TOGETHER FROM THERE ON. KARIN, THEIR SOCIAL WORKER WILL KEEP ON SEEING
THEM REGULARLY AND THEY CAN TELL HER EVERYTHING.
BENEFITS
Everyone knows the long-term plan
 Parents can be reminded of how we came to this
plan
 Children can make sense of their experiences
 Using simple language
 Children can be helped to understand more
complex things such as Hearings
 It’s visual
 The children can keep it and look at it again and
again
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WHAT WE MIGHT HAVE DONE
DIFFERENTLY
Time restraints
 Involving all children
 Positive start and ending
 Details count!
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The End