Supporting the creative use of technology to improve life story work for vulnerable children- trove as a case example from REACT

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

This proposal is intended to enhance the value and wider benefit of the knowledge exchange originally funded under AHRC REACT- trove. Trove is a digitally enabled memory box that allows children to attach stories to their precious objects and to take control over the telling of their life story through their precious objects, underpinned by Watson's work on life story books for adopted children. The original REACT funding provided the opportunity to rapidly develop a prototype and to test it with a small cohort of children. The project gave a positive indication that this type of technology could have transformative potential. However, it became apparent that the potential of such a technological intervention would have an implication on social and family worker practice and their role in supporting children to construct their own identity narrative using trove. It also highlighted key concerns around such solutions, namely security and affordability. Trove has the potential to inform more positive outcomes for society's most vulnerable children and young people but for it to become purchased and used the value it offers needs to be better understood by the sector. Such a change in practice requires an in-depth understandings of the importance of material objects to identity: how the technological life story solution might work in the most challenging social care spaces for children and what the barriers and therapeutic benefits are. This is why it is essential to widen the skills and knowledge in this creative economy partnership. The proposal therefore combines new academic partnerships (with computer science and industrial design) and new sector partnerships (Mulberry Bush School and Bristol Children and Families Services) with existing sector partner Coram and creative partner Studio Meineck. The partnership will focus on addressing the known challenges for the prototype and further our understanding of the sector needs and route forward for this technology based intervention to be adopted. This intelligence will enable the creative partner to progress the prototype and position it within the social care market. The proposal is also supported with an in kind donation from the Hadley Trust and with academic and sector specific knowledge provided through the team's association with the Hadley Centre- world renown research centre on adoption and fostering. These partnerships would not be enabled through any other funding mechanism and represent an unparalleled opportunity to embed the technology within the sector and positively enhance the creative partner's ambition to get the trove solution to market.The aims for the proposal are:-To support children who have been taken into care to capture their early childhood stories and memories and to keep objects of meaning securely -To support children to have advocacy over their story and to communicate and share this with their adopted families or carers where they wish to-To support social workers and care organisations to best support children in care-To create a sustainable business model and ensure the uptake of the solutionThese aims will be addressed by 6 concurrent work packages with user centred design and co-production principles underpinning the work: Understanding system, mapping networks, and stakeholder needs; Developing Academic justification for technologies in life story work; Co-designed digital intervention development; User trials and analysis; Sector engagement event; Developed and extended evidence-based business plan including route to market. There are a number of planned outputs: a scalable, maintainable, secure and trial ready prototype; a short film dedicated to capturing trove developments and sector endorsements; a good practice guide for social workers; a toolkit for adults supporting children's use of trove; a policy briefing; a sector seminar in Bristol; a joint sector engagement event in the Foundling Museum or Coram Headquarters.