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Rachel Oliphant works at Redcar and Cleveland Virtual School, which supports children who are looked after by the local authority, making sure they get the best possible outcomes from their education. Rachel has been attending our weekly music-making sessions, for babies and children aged five and under, and told us how the sessions are different from regular baby and toddler classes.
These sessions are designed especially for care experienced babies and children, and everything is focused around helping carers make connections with the children.
Unlike regular baby groups, which typically include a mix of parents and carers and provide more general support, these sessions cater specifically to the unique challenges and experiences of foster carers. They create a safe space for carers and their little ones to bond, develop attachments and support one another.
The other important factor is that the two artists who lead the sessions, Katie Doherty and Carol Bowden, carefully incorporate different sounds and actions that link with the children’s non-verbal communication and speech and language development.
We meet every week in term time and we always start off by singing the ‘hello song’. Then we explore our music bags, the artists get out different instruments and there’s just constant music and singing.
The artists create a sound bath which the children find relaxing and soothing but there are also moments of real excitement, like when the puppets come out!
Every child is given a music bag containing everything we use in the sessions, which is theirs to keep with them and take to any future placements. The carers get a bag as well which they can use at home and with any future children they care for.
I see real differences in the children every week as they start to recognise the songs, join in with the actions and look forward to particular things. I see their relationships developing and the relationships between the carers growing as well.
Ultimately, some of these children will be adopted and this gives the carers and children some core memories.
One of the carers is planning to teach the child’s adoptive parents the songs that the child particularly likes, and Lucy, This is The Place project manager from Blue Cabin, has been along and taken some polaroids which the children can keep.
We’re creating memories that can be passed on and we’re looking at how we can build these into the children’s life story work and their virtual memory boxes. It really is a key part of their development.
I absolutely love it and look forward to it all week. It’s so lovely to watch the children enjoy themselves and develop over the weeks.
We don’t always get to spend much time with the children as we don’t generally carry out direct work, so it’s nice to be a part of it and to see the differences in them as they learn. It gives me a real sense of worth.
Are you a carer for a care-experienced child in Redcar & Cleveland who’s aged 0 to five years? Come along to our free term-time, weekly music sessions. They are delivered by two musicians in a fun and supportive environment.
You can find out more about This is the Place here and, if you’d like to get involved in our music-making sessions, get in touch! Email Virtual.School@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk to find out more.
Find out how to get involved in our This is the Place sessions in Darlington – if you’re a carer for a care-experienced child in Darlington, aged 0 to five, email Nicola Andrews on Nicola.Andrews@darlington.gov.uk for more details.
