Rethinking Digital
Following on from Choosing Digital, this DFE funded project suggests a pause for reflection in digital practice in children’s social care.
We sit at a precise moment in time where we have the opportunity to take an informed, considered approach to the integration of digital practice into children's social care, in which we harbour the full potential of digital to enhance relational practice and prioritise the voice of the child. Rather than embed an approach based on an emergency response to a global pandemic, with a tendency to be routed in transactions, compliance, convenience and efficiency.
Role
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User Researcher
Listening to people. Designing ways to hear people. Understanding what people are saying.
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Service Designer
Understanding the problem space from every angle. Finding clarity in the complex. Designing the service users need.
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Content Designer
Creating a visual identity. Creating form. Creating function.
Research
Research takes a user-centred approach. We talk to all stakeholders; young people, families, social care practitioners, supervisors, workforce development leads and principal social workers. But we’ve prioritised the voice of the young person, because we think they’ve got the best view point when it comes to designing child-focused services, and in using digital. So we’ve applied what we learnt from young people and digital practice during Choosing Digital to create child-centred, considered research techniques.
Understanding
There’s much understanding to be done in this problem space; it’s a rich, complex, multi-layered environment. We’re learning, simplifying and iterating all the time.
Resources
We are currently working on the content, tools and resources for the Rethinking Digital website. Where will support Local Authorities to enable successful, child-centred digital practice.
