Building partnerships with carers

Consultant David Kendall carried out a project for West Sussex Library Services, supported by Launchpad, to develop links with young people in residential homes. He set up regular visits over eight months to talk to young people about books and to listen to their comments about reading.

He was told that one child, John, had "learning difficulties" and "couldn't read". John's two interests were fishing and Star Wars, and on every visit he would take his books to his room. Eventually, he began to stay during Kendall's visits and listen to the books being read out loud. Close to the end of the visits, John asked Kendall to read to him and to the whole group of care workers and young people, and handed him a Star Wars graphic novel.

When Kendall stopped for a tea-break, he says: "I told John he could carry on with it later, expecting him to vanish to his bedroom. Instead he picked up the book and began to read, and he read perfectly. It was a joy to see the wonder on the faces of the care workers and hear the confidence in John's voice."

Kendall also encourages the care workers to take up reading, because they are, after all, role models for the young people. "At one care home a worker was more than happy to take the kids fishing but was never seen reading, other than the occasional newspaper." Eventually, Kendall found an area the care worker liked, biography. "The boys really liked the fact that he was reading alongside them."