Why I wrote a book about building bricks

Working with carers and support workers in residential children's care, I've seen how building together can open up communication, especially through times of change. Here's why I wrote it down.

For some time now, much of my work has been with carers and support workers in residential children's care. I train them, I work alongside them, and I help families and teams think about one question: how do we help a young person communicate, especially when life is changing around them?

Many of the young people I hear about have complex needs, and trauma-informed practice sits at the heart of how their carers work. Moving in, moving on, a new member of staff, a change of school: transitions are exactly when words can be hardest to find, and when adults most want to help.

Why bricks?

A face-to-face conversation can feel like an interview, and for a young person who has had too many of those, it can feel like pressure. Building together changes that. There is something to do with your hands and something to look at that isn't each other. People ask for a piece, explain an idea, wait their turn, cope when a tower falls down, and try again. Conversation can then develop at the young person's pace, and if they don't want to talk about what they've built, that is fine.

The idea of using building bricks to support communication isn't new. Structured approaches grew out of the work of neuropsychologist Daniel LeGoff, who introduced collaborative roles: one person guides, one finds the pieces and one builds. I've drawn on that principle and adapted it for the settings I work in.

How I use it in practice

I've supported workers and families to use brick-based activities in two main ways: as a club, in a small group, and as direct work within key work sessions, one to one. The same ideas flex between the two. The session fits the person, not the other way round, and I encourage everyone I train to notice the little wins, such as asking for help instead of giving up, waiting for a turn, or trying again.

What I see most in training is that new workers are fascinated by it. Many aren't after a theory. They simply want to know how to engage with a young person in a way that is gentle, patient and trauma-informed, and a shared building task gives them a way in.

Why I put it in a book

Training reaches the people in the room. A book can reach everyone else. This one is part of the work I now do through Elevate Care Insights CIC, which exists to make useful knowledge and practical resources more accessible to the people who make a difference every day.

The Brick-Based Support Club gives you:

• A simple structure for running a club, in a group or one to one
• Three clear roles (Engineer, Supplier and Builder) with useful phrases for each
• Five ready-to-run starter sessions, each with a structured challenge and a creative one
• Conversation prompts that follow the person rather than turning the session into an interview
• A printable toolkit: role cards, club agreements, a session planner and a "helpful words" sheet

What it isn't

It is not a clinical therapy programme, and it doesn't replace professional assessment, safeguarding procedures, individual support plans or qualified therapeutic support. You don't need any particular brand of bricks. It is a practical resource for creating opportunities to communicate, take part and feel proud.

Where to find it

If you've ever wondered what to do this week with the young person in front of you, I wrote it for you.

Get your copy on Amazon

Gradle