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Digital Life Story Work (DLSW) has emerged as a critical way to support children and young people in piecing together their past, understanding their present, and shaping their future. In recent years, numerous DLSW platforms have been launched that seek to provide a secure online space to preserve memories. However, rolling out digital platforms is not straightforward. There are intricacies that are not understood and that need to be examined.
Lead by Dr Simon P Hammond, as part of a wider programme called of work examining low-intensity approaches to life story work, this project had the opportunity to get ahead of the curve in relation to potential widespread role out of digital services and applications is very rare. This study represents the world’s first extensive theory-driven evaluation of a DLSW platform in children’s state care. Our analysis provides knowledge of how, why, for whom and in what circumstances Digital Life Story Work platforms may (and may not) work.
We provide initial practice guidelines for commissioners (i.e. Directors of Services) and implementers (i.e. social workers and carers) and offer key learnings for practitioners. to consider prior to rolling out DLSW platforms. These resources can be found here.