Hull City Council has become one of the latest local authorities to use pioneering virtual reality (VR) technology to raise awareness of the impact of adverse childhood experiences among social workers, to help improve outcomes for vulnerable adults and children.
The council partnered with Cornerstone VR, part of the Antser Group, a leading provider of trauma-informed virtual reality training, to deliver the immersive learning experience to social workers.
Those working directly with vulnerable adults and children underwent the training, which allowed them to experience, first-hand, the impact of trauma, abuse and neglect through the child’s perspective.
Serena Hadi, Head of Operations and Practice at Cornerstone VR, said:
“We are thrilled to partner with Hull City Council to equip their social workers with our VR training. The immersive nature of the VR experience allows participants to develop a deeper understanding of the impact of early-life trauma and its continued impact throughout childhood, adolescence and into adulthood.
This technology has already been a game changer for trauma-informed practice in Hull and we hope we can continue to facilitate this change in even more cities going forward.”
The VR training programme is a clinically-led behaviour change tool used by professionals who work with vulnerable children and their families, which has been developed with the insight of social care experienced individuals.
Following the training, the majority of participants (98%) said the experience gave them a deeper insight into a child’s perspective, made them think differently and consider alternative ways to respond while working with vulnerable individuals.
One attendee said: “The training highlighted the importance of recording your observations (of the child) and interactions with others so patterns can be identified.”
Another person said: “I plan to take the whole experience into my practice, ensuring that I consider the child’s perspective and try to understand how the young person sees the situation.”
The training was enabled by and funded through the Humber Social Work Teaching Partnership. Hull’s training was delivered by Learning and Development Specialist Trainers and a Family Practitioner, hosted with the council’s Social Work Academy.
Councillor Linda Tock, the portfolio holder for children’s services at Hull City Council, said:
“This training investment will aid our staff and partners in understanding trauma through the eyes of the child, helping us better support our children and young people in the long-term.”
Cornerstone VR is dedicated to delivering transformational solutions to the health, education and social care sectors, in partnership with local authorities and independent providers.