Care News: Free Loaves on Fridays: Anthology of 100 care experienced voices published

A new anthology containing the voices of 100 children and adults about their experience in care is now available in bookshops.

Free Loaves on Fridays contains stories, letters and poems from care-experienced people aged 13 to 68.

Published today (18 April), the book, edited by Rebekah Pierre, care-experienced social worker and professional officer at the British Association of Social Workers (BASW), features both seasoned writers like Lemn Sissay, as well as those who have put pen to paper for the very first time.​

It aims to counteract headlines written about care-experienced people which “often entrench negative stereotypes and dominate the narrative, leaving care-experienced people with nothing but crumbs”, Pierre explained.

She added: “For far too long, care-experienced people have been the subject, but rarely the author of our own words in assessments, files, and reports.

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“This is something I know all too well. When I penned an Open Letter to the Social Worker Who Wrote My Case Files a couple of years ago, which unexpectedly went viral, it resonated with many care-experienced people who longed to have more ownership over their own stories.”

Pierre described Free Loaves on Fridays as a “tangible way in which to invite other people with lived experience of care to set the score”.

“In a radical move in the publishing industry, we had a no rejection policy, meaning anyone – regardless of their age or former writing experience – could submit a piece. The result is a rich tapestry of courageous, original and powerful voices which would ordinarily have gone under the radar,” she said.

“The book holds up a mirror to the system, exposing both the wonderful potential that good, well-funded social work can have, as well as the lifelong consequences when children are let down.

“Representation is crucial; I didn’t open up about my care-experience until my late twenties, such was the stigma. So it means everything that the next generation of children in care and care leavers will see themselves proudly represented in bookshops, by people who really get it.”

Emma Lewell-Buck, MP for South Shields, and a former social worker, said: “So often, care-experienced people are not listened to, their exclusion from policy setting and decision making is ever apparent. Often those who have experienced care are spoken about as though they are all one homogenous group. They aren’t. Their diverse experiences are brought to life in this book. Please do read Free Loaves on Fridays, it’s an emotional journey that will make you cry and laugh. But most of all understand the reality of our care system and why it absolutely must change.”

Maris Stratulis, the national director for BASW (England) added: Free Loaves is an incredibly poignant and powerful book and shines a light on the courage, bravery, creativity and individual uniqueness of each care-experienced child, young person and adult contributor. It has been a privilege and honour to read this book.

“This is a must-read for every social worker, we must hear and learn from the voices of the care-experienced community, and influence and change practice and systems for the better.”

Free Loaves on Fridays is available to order online and in buy in mainstream bookshops with proceeds going to Article 39 and The Together Trust: https://unbound.com/books/free-loaves-on-fridays

Source:
www.cypnow.co.uk/news/