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RIVRT
Introducing RIVRT, groundbreaking training modules for UK social care professionals, in partnership with the University of Birmingham and Sandwell Children’s Trust. Cornerstone VR is proud to deliver this immersive, research-backed programme. Join our webinar and find out more below.
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Upcoming: Social Media VR Course
We're launching a new VR course on 28th November 2024 exploring our recent run of social media content, covering communication, content creation and emerging online risks for young people.
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Latest Headset Update Available!
Ensure your headset is using the latest software version (v.2.4P). Check your version at the Online Mode login screen. Click “How to Update” below for instructions. Questions? Contact us at vrsupport@cornerstonevr.co.uk.
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New VR Content
Our brand new series of social media VR content is available to download/view in Online Mode now. You can find the immersive content in the ‘Between Us (Adolescence)’ folder in the Cornerstone Room.
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Reminder! VR Evaluation Resources
Remember to submit evaluations when you use VR with individuals or groups, as this will allow us to measure the impact of VR on your service. Find the evaluation materials you need at the link below.
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Practice Areas
Below are the areas where VR is currently being used. We have a range of case studies for each area and will continue to develop our library of resources.
VR is being used to support direct work with adolescents and those known to youth offending services through the exploration of themes such as:
- Brain development
- Child sexual exploitation
- Child criminal exploitation
- Healthy relationships and consent
“The young person told the VR practitioner that he did not want to end up in the same situation as Joe (one of the VR characters). Since the VR session, alongside meetings with his youth worker, the young person is attending school every day and their punctuality is improving.”
VR use in parenting and domestic abuse programmes has been independently evaluated by Goldsmith’s University with promising results. Examples of use include:
- Developing awareness and understanding around exploitation with parents, young people and practitioners;
- Incorporating VR into domestic abuse programmes;
- Incorporating VR into parenting programmes;
- Mediation work between parents and young people.
“I felt this was her ‘penny drop moment’. This tool can support people by providing a visual experience and fresh perspective for those in crisis.”
VR is used across the whole of fostering services to strengthen foster carers’ understanding of trauma and its impact on child development.
It has been particularly useful in supporting emotionally fatigued special guardians to understand the benefits of therapeutic parenting styles.
“One experienced foster carer reported the VR course was the first time she stopped and thought about how her own behaviour and actions could directly affect children in her care. She also stressed that the visual element was more engaging than conventional learning approaches.”
VR is used in recruitment, assessment and support processes
to improve prospective adopters’ understanding of development trauma, enabling
them to better understand their child’s needs.
It is also used with panel members, adoption team members, as well
as with adoptive families and their wider networks.
“The VR was helpful [in allowing the adopters] to explore
their daughter’s trauma and how best to support her.”
VR is used with early years and childcare advisors to think about children’s brain development, the impact of trauma and therapeutic approaches.
“It definitely made it more impactful. You can really understand why the child was presenting the way she was due to the impact of what she had been through.”
One health trust has embedded VR intro their Level 3 Safeguarding Training for clinical staff and has since reported a significant increase in referrals to their children’s and adult’s safeguarding teams.
“There’s something about the VR medium that makes you feel it in a different way – physically, in your nervous system, and I think this is an important experiential element that will help my work with adoptive families, staff and my own professional development.”
VR has been used to raise awareness and empathy for police
officers dealing with domestic abuse incidents. It has enabled officers with
the means to view cases through the child’s eyes:
“I will definitely change my approach to dealing with
Domestic Incidents involving unborn children.”
The VR Programme has been embedded in trauma-informed training
across adult services.
“I now have a greater understanding of how childhood trauma has
impacted upon the adults we work with throughout our service.”
VR is currently being used across a number of education settings (early years, primary, secondary, post-16 & virtual schools) in the following ways:
- Whole school trauma-informed training;
- Incorporating into existing training;
- Support and coaching for individual teachers;
- Supporting changes in policy from behavioural to relational.
“One PRU
described a change in attitude and practice from experienced staff, noting they
were more reflective and took time to support the young people following dysregulation.”
VR is embedded in training across a range of service areas and with a broad range of partners. Examples include:
- With newly qualified social work practitioners and ASYEs to support trauma-informed practice and recording skills;
- Reflective supervision;
- Mandatory induction and training;
- Higher education (e.g. social work courses);
- VR training in higher education institutions as part of the social work assessment process;
- Staff recruitment.
“The most thought provoking training course I have attended. VR is such a strong way of feeling lived experience. It was emotive and emotionally exhausting but it has shaped my perspective. I cannot recommend this type of training enough.”
VR is being used to support direct work with adolescents, and those known to youth offending services, through the exploration of themes such as:
- Brain development
- Child sexual exploitation
- Child criminal exploitation
- Healthy relationships and consent
“The young person told the VR practitioner that he did not want to end up in the same situation as Joe (a character in VR). Since the VR session – alongside his meetings with his youth worker – the young person is attending school every day and his punctuality is improving.”
The VR Programme has been embedded throughout recruitment, assessment and support processes to increase understanding for prospective adopters around developmental trauma and contact, enabling them to better understand their child’s needs and their own strengths. It is also used with panel members, adoption team members and the adoptive family’s wider network.
Adoption preparation: “Using VR in Stage 2 helps bring to life children’s experiences of trauma. It also helps adoption applicants to have a deeper understanding of the reason they are asked to use the PACE model when adopting children.”
Post adoption support: “The VR was helpful [in allowing the adopters] to explore their daughter’s trauma and how best to support her.”
The VR Programme has been embedded in trauma-informed training across adult’s services.
Third party content hosted on the platform continues to raise awareness and change perspectives on dementia with carers, family members and professionals.
“I now have a greater understanding of how childhood trauma has impacted upon the adults we work with within our service.”
VR use in parenting and domestic abuse programmes has been evaluated by Goldsmith’s University. Examples of use include:
Developing awareness and understanding around exploitation with parents, young people and practitioners.
Incorporating VR into domestic abuse programmes
Incorporating VR into parenting programmes
Mediation work between parents and young people.
“I felt this was her ‘penny drop moment’. This tool can support people by providing a visual experience and fresh perspective for those in crisis.”
VR is used with early years and childcare advisors to think about children’s brain development, the impacts of trauma and therapeutic approaches.
“It definitely made it more impactful. You can really understand why the child was presenting the way she was due to the impact of what she had been through.”
The VR Programme has been embedded throughout the whole of fostering services from recruitment events to placement support. It is used in individual and group settings to support foster carers in understanding the impacts of trauma on children’s physical and emotional development throughout childhood, adolescence and beyond.
“One experienced foster carer reported that this [VR] course was the first time she stopped and thought about how her own behaviour and actions could directly affect children in her care. She also stressed that the visual element was more engaging than conventional learning approaches.”
VR is currently being used across all schools (early years, primary, secondary, post-16 & virtual schools) in the following ways:
Whole school trauma-informed training
Incorporating into existing training
Support and coaching for individual teachers
Supporting changes in policy from behavioural to relational.
“One PRU described a change in attitude and practice from experienced staff, noting they were more reflective and took time to support the young people following dysregulation.”
VR is embedded in training across a range of service areas and with a broad range of partners. Examples include:
With newly qualified social work practitioners and ASYEs to support trauma-informed practice and recording skills.
Reflective supervision
Mandatory induction and training
Higher education (e.g. social work courses).
VR training in higher education institutions as part of the social work assessment process.
Staff recruitment
“The most thought provoking training course I have attended. VR is such a strong way of feeling lived experience. It was emotive and emotionally exhausting but it has shaped my perspective. I cannot recommend this type of training enough.”
The VR is used in assessments and preparation groups for special guardians and connected persons. It has also been used to re-engage emotionally fatigued special guardians with a therapeutic approach to parenting.
“Both special guardians enjoyed the experience, learning from watching the PACE therapeutic parenting films and better understanding their grandson’s experience. They implemented a less pressured afterschool routine for him and started attending family therapy which they benefitted from.”
The VR Programme has been embedded into training courses for residential staff to raise awareness of contextual safeguarding, exploitation and to focus on relationship-based behaviour management.
“This course has given me an insight into exactly how the young people I work with feel in certain situations. All the information is going to make me a better care worker.”
One partner saw a measurable reduction in physical interventions in two of their education residential settings after using VR in relationship-based training sessions. The content allowed staff to ‘reduce difficult situations by applying their newfound knowledge and increased understanding of certain situations.’
One health trust partner has embedded VR into their Level 3 Safeguarding Training for clinical staff.
There has been a notable increase in referrals to their children’s safeguarding team from mental health professionals.
Their adult safeguarding team has also seen an increase in referrals when children or adults with support needs are part of the family home.
VR sessions have been delivered to frontline police with the aim of achieving better understanding of and responses to domestic abuse incidents.
“Incorporating VR into training will allow local officers to get a deeper understanding of the voice of a child and strengthen safeguarding opportunities.”
News & Events
NEWS
Innovative VR programme helps supports young people identified at risk of extra-familial harm
Kerstin Walby, Team Manager at Redbridge Council commented: “With the use of VR, our early intervention staff have gained an incredibly valuable tool for supporting young people and families affected by extra-familial harm. “All of the young people and families who have taken part in the VR intervention have given positive feedback about their experiences. The VR process has enabled deeper discussion and tailored support to be provided to meet the family’s needs.”
NEWS
Antser named winners in LaingBuisson Awards 2022
“We are absolutely thrilled to have won the Public Private Partnership Award at the highly prestigious LaingBuisson Awards this year. To have been shortlisted among some of the top organisations, which are all doing exemplary work throughout the sector, is an honour, so to have won is an absolute bonus.” Richard Dooner, Antser CEO
NEWS
The Metropolitan Police uses innovative VR technology training to improve officers’ understanding of domestic abuse
“Our aim was to open up discussions about what police practice was yielding good results, but also how these results could be further enhanced and strengthened as a result of VR perspective-taking. We are incredibly pleased with the feedback so far and glad that the training has made officers rethink their strategies when called out to incidents of domestic abuse, ensuring the best outcomes for children and victims.” Richard Dooner, Antser CEO
NEWS
Cambridgeshire Virtual School uses innovative VR programme to improve educational outcomes for children and young people
“Using the VR has enabled us to create the empathic shift that we need school colleagues to feel, so their understanding of the relational trauma our care-experienced young people have gone through is enhanced, in a way that talking and reading about it doesn’t provide. Feedback from schools and settings has consistently mentioned how moving the VR experience is and how it has given them the young person’s viewpoint powerfully. Using the VR headsets has enabled us to deliver memorable training which has had an impact on how schools support care-experienced young people.” Jo Lyness, Advisory Teacher at Cambridgeshire’s Virtual School for Care Experienced Children
NEWS
Antser’s pioneering VR wins two awards at Health Tech Digital Awards 2022
“To be recognised twice at the prestigious Health Tech Digital Awards is absolutely outstanding and something that we are all tremendously proud of. Our team at Antser work incredibly hard to ensure we are continually innovating for change with just one aim in mind – to deliver only the very best outcomes for vulnerable children, young people and adults.” Richard Dooner, Antser CEO
NEWS
Antser named finalists in the LaingBuisson Awards for second year running
“We are absolutely delighted to have once again been shortlisted in the LaingBuisson Awards, having been recognised this year for our work with the Met Police’s EA BCU and the London tri-borough project. “Our innovative VR programme aims to increase empathy and establish a deeper understanding of incidents, such as domestic abuse, by giving those on the frontline an insight into the impact it has on its victims and immersing them into the footsteps of vulnerable individuals. “Our work with the London tri-borough also demonstrates how VR is an effective and efficient way to educate young people and the individuals supporting them, offering ‘perspective-taking’ and simulating real-life experiences with a highly engaging piece of technology.” Richard Dooner, Antser CEO
NEWS
How Antser VR can improve teachers’ understanding of childhood trauma
There has never been a more crucial time to listen to the voice of children and young people.
NEWS
Antser collaborates with social work teaching partnership to prepare a new generation of social workers
Zoe Yeomans, Lecturer in Practice Learning at Staffordshire University Social Work said: “Real-life placements help prepare practitioners for life as social workers. Throughout the pandemic, unfortunately, our students and NQSWs have had very few opportunities to experience placements. The knowledge that comes with that is invaluable, and so many students have not been able to access these real scenarios. Our students have primarily been focusing on situations they may face and learning how to understand their emotions whilst remaining professional. This partnership with Antser has been so beneficial to us as our social workers have been able to gain the vital knowledge and skills needed to carry out their jobs correctly and safely” .
NEWS
Understanding trauma and exploitation through the eyes of the child
Dr Mica Douglas, Managing Director and Clinical Leader at Flourish Fostering added: “Over the last eighteen months Antser VR has been extremely beneficial to us. It’s a really quick way of providing a powerful experience to foster parents, particularly of the inner world of the child, increasing their understanding of adverse childhood experiences and childhood trauma.”
NEWS
How virtual reality is helping tackle domestic abuse
A Lancet report published in 2022, the largest of its kind, revealed that more than one in four women worldwide experience domestic abuse (DA) before the age of 50, and that roughly one in seven women (13%) – almost 500 million globally – had experienced domestic violence within the last year of the research being conducted.
NEWS
Antser’s pioneering VR nominated in three awards at National Technology Awards
“To be recognised not just once but three times at the National Technology Awards is absolutely outstanding. Our team at Antser all pulled together throughout the pandemic and worked incredibly hard to continue working with key partners and those on the frontline to ensure the very best outcomes for vulnerable children, young people and adults. Being shortlisted for our work with East Metropolitan Police, Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust and London Borough of Hillingdon has been an incredible achievement, and we are so proud that our VR tool is being recognised for the tremendous impact it can have on changing the lives of vulnerable people in our society.” Richard Dooner, Antser CEO
NEWS
Virtual reality technology used to train staff and foster carers to improve understanding of child trauma
Antser has been working with Hampshire County Council and Isle of Wight Council (IOW) Children’s Services to trial pioneering virtual reality (VR) technology, to improve both staff and their foster carers’ understanding of the impact trauma, child exploitation and trigger trio issues can have on the outcomes for children and young people.
NEWS
Four Foster Parents share their experience of Antser virtual reality technology as a training tool
Flourish Fostering, an Ofsted rated ‘Outstanding’ independent fostering organisation, has become one of the first in the UK to pioneer virtual reality to tackle prevalent topics, such as child sexual exploitation (CSE).
About Cornerstone VR, part of The Antser Group
The Antser Group was founded with the aim to achieve positive change for children and families.
Our pioneering VR films allow the viewer to engage with several scenarios that provide insight into the lives of children who have experienced abuse, neglect, and trauma.
Allowing users to step into the shoes of a vulnerable child, our VR Programme accelerates learning as compared to similar non-VR training methods.
Why Virtual Reality?
Virtual Reality (VR) is a transformative technology that immerses users in various experiences, enabling them to step into the shoes of vulnerable individuals and explore different environments.
The PwC report “Seeing is Believing” found that compared to traditional learners, VR learners are:
- 4x more focused
- 4x faster learners
- 275% more confident
For a more in-depth understanding of VR’s impact, explore our library of qualitative reports and Case Studies.
— Harper Lee
Meet the Team
Serena Hadi
Head of Service
Shalene Lemmie
VR Service Manager
Abby Cooke
VR Service Manager
Mandy Miranda
Lead Trainer
Neil
VR Operations Officer
Into gaming from a young age, Neil discovered a passion for VR in 2017, running a VR arcade where he realised the potential for VR’s application beyond entertainment. Recently joining the Cornerstone team, Neil is looking forward to pushing VR in new and exciting ways.
