
The benefits of storytelling
What are the benefits that drive the use of storytelling in social care services?
They can be imagined as a roof that shelters and protects the three pillars of storytelling practice. We’ve identified four key benefits:
- supporting attentive listening
- engaging head, hands and heart
- building relationships and community
- embracing complexity.
Supporting attentive listening
As people we may have a lot in common but we’re all unique, with different personalities and life stories that shape who we are. Tom Kitwood, a pioneer of person-centred dementia care, recognised how important it is to value each individual. He said: ‘When you have met one person with dementia, you have met one person with dementia.” (Kitwood, 1997).
It’s important that we listen to ‘what matters’ to each person from their perspective. For most people, this is framed in their stories – where they’ve come from, where they are now and where they want to go. A case study might offer us some understanding about a person, but a personal story gives us their own experience of the world.
‘When you have met one person with dementia, you have met one person with dementia.” (Kitwood, 1997).
It’s important that we listen to ‘what matters’ to each person from their perspective. For most people, this is framed in their stories – where they’ve come from, where they are now and where they want to go. A case study might offer us some understanding about a person, but a personal story gives us their own experience of the world.
Seeking stories can also help us listen attentively to the voices we don’t often hear. For example, this is an example of a digital story created by a young autistic man who does not communicate verbally.
Attentive listening allows for a personal outcomes-focused approach to assessment, care and support planning, and most importantly, makes people feel heard and validated. This means it can have an important therapeutic value.
Engaging head, heart and hands
Storytelling is powerful. It helps us learn because it engages our intellect (head) and our emotions (heart) and is grounded in real life or practical experiences (hands).
Engaging head, heart and hands
Storytelling is powerful. It helps us learn because it engages our intellect (head) and our emotions (heart) and is grounded in real life or practical experiences (hands).
The DEEP research project (Andrews et al, 2020), which focused on getting research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation programme A Better Life into practice, has a good example of engaging head, heart and hands. The programme was about what matters most to older people with high supports needs, which included the importance of ‘little things’:
“Often it is the simple things that bring the most pleasure (and the lack of them can bring a sense of sadness and loss) and services do not always seem to be very good at delivering ‘the ordinary.’” (Blood, 2013).

"Often it is the simple things that bring the most pleasure (and the lack of them can bring a sense of sadness and loss) and services do not always seem to be very good at delivering 'the ordinary.'" (Blood, 2013).
Carol shared her story as part of the DEEP research project. When staff in the nursing home heard Carol’s story it created an emotional as well as an intellectual response. They felt for Carol and understood her loss and came up with a practical solution, providing Carol with a mini fridge in her room. This meant she could have her prawn cocktail on a Friday, as well as a little prosecco and speciality cheese at the weekend. Storytelling helped engage head, heart, and hands in action.
“I am living in a care home and feel that I am just existing. Things were different when I lived in the community. When I lived in the community, I felt I had a life. A small part of that life was my Friday treat. I was disabled and could not do a lot, but on Friday mornings I would get a taxi to Waitrose and treat myself to a Heston Blumenthal prawn cocktail. It was something to look forward to. Now I am in the nursing home, I don’t get my prawn cocktail.”
– Carol, resident at a nursing home.
When staff in the nursing home heard Carol’s story it created an emotional as well as an intellectual response. They felt for Carol and understood her loss and came up with a practical solution, providing Carol with a mini fridge in her room. This meant she could have her prawn cocktail on a Friday, as well as a little prosecco and speciality cheese at the weekend. Storytelling helped engage head, heart, and hands in action.
Building relationships and community
Building meaningful relationships is essential in all aspects of social care, whether you’re a social worker supporting families, a commissioner working with providers, or a manager engaging with a team.
“I don’t form partnerships with organisations, I form relationships with people”- Karyn McCluskey, Chief Executive, Community Justice Scotland.
The importance of relationships in public services is summed up in a report by the Relationships project. Throughout history, good relationships have developed as people share and talk about their stories together. Storytelling helps promote empathy and an understanding of what matters to other people. This builds trust and ‘a common knowledge’ or shared understanding (Edwards, 2012).
“I don’t form partnerships with organisations, I form relationships with people”
- Karyn McCluskey, Chief Executive, Community Justice Scotland.
The importance of relationships in public services is summed up in a report by the Relationships project. Throughout history, good relationships have developed as people share and talk about their stories together. Storytelling helps promote empathy and an understanding of what matters to other people. This builds trust and ‘a common knowledge’ or shared understanding (Edwards, 2012).
Embracing complexity
We make sense of the world through stories, as pointed out by Jonathan Gotschall:
“We are, as a species, addicted to story. Even when the body goes to sleep, the mind stays up all night, telling itself stories.”
(Gotschall, 2013).
Embracing complexity
People’s lives are complex and constantly changing. The term ‘complex adaptive systems’ means systems that include interconnected, interacting parts that adapt to changing environments. It’s been used to describe the reality of the world we live in and the complex networks we create, such as our organisations (Health Foundation, 2010). Within complex adaptive systems it’s difficult to understand and plan in a logical and linear fashion.
People’s complex experiences are often best explored through their stories. Stories can simplify complexity and help us understand things that don’t make sense on their own. Human beings are natural storytellers. We make sense of the world through stories, as pointed out by Jonathan Gotschall: “We are, as a species, addicted to story. Even when the body goes to sleep, the mind stays up all night, telling itself stories.” (Gotschall, 2013).
Creating the right environment to learn from stories
Providing a safe space where people feel respected and heard encourages them to reflect on stories more openly, leading to richer and more meaningful exchanges. Approaches such as exploratory talk and collaborative communication are helpful tools for creating the conditions where people are encouraged to say what they think.
Exploratory talk is a reflective way of communicating that involves open-ended questioning and active listening (Mannion and McAllister, 2020). People are encouraged to say why they think, believe or feel as they do, about the stories being discussed. And others are encouraged to ask questions and offer alternative views.

Approaches such as exploratory talk and collaborative communication are helpful tools for creating the conditions where people are encouraged to say what they think.
Individuals can take part in thoughtful discussion that investigates, questions, and expands their understanding of a topic. This helps people engage meaningfully with the stories shared and learn from them.
Collaborative communication is a means of helping people work better together through fostering trust and encouraging people to actively listen, embrace feedback and tackle challenges together.
References -
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