Groundbreaking VR Solution Recognised for Impact in Children’s Services
On Wednesday 27 November, 2024, Cornerstone VR, a tech-for-good company based in Birmingham, was honored with the Excellence in Children’s Services award at the prestigious Laingbuisson Awards in London. The award ceremony recognized the innovative partnership between Cornerstone VR and Inspirations Children’s Residential Care Homes in Leicestershire.
Cornerstone VR specializes in enhancing training and interventions in health, education, and social care through their powerful virtual reality program. Their partnership with Inspirations has resulted in significant improvements in staff training, recruitment processes, and retention rates, as well as empowering children to navigate complex risks in the digital age.
The judges at the LaingBuisson Awards praised the initiative as “genuinely innovative and groundbreaking,” offering a unique therapeutic approach that has the potential to make a real difference for vulnerable young people. Professionals trained through the program have reported a dramatic improvement in their ability to support children’s needs. After completing the VR training, 96% of participants reported having a deeper understanding of a child’s perspective and were equipped to independently lead VR sessions with children and families.
The impact of the VR training has been evident in Inspirations’ staff and children. The Deputy Manager of one residential home shared, “The VR sessions that the children have taken part in have provided outstanding practice for our recent OFSTED inspection. They were very impressed with the videos completed and how this has supported our children’s understanding on different topics to support them, their knowledge and wellbeing.”
Keywork sessions, which were previously brief or inconsistent, have become more engaging, with some lasting up to two hours. One notable case involved a young person who had a history of absence. After participating in VR sessions, they changed their social circle and stabilized their behavior, with no reported missing incidents in over six months.
Parminder Basra, Director of Operations at Inspirations, expressed the significance of the initiative, stating, “The VR headsets have helped our staff provide a better service to our children, giving them more understanding of their needs.” Serena Hadi, Head of Operations and Practice at Cornerstone VR, added, “Winning the ‘Excellence in Children’s Services’ award is an incredible honor and reflects the dedication of our teams. The partnership with Inspirations demonstrates the power that virtual reality technology has in strengthening relationships, promoting safer choices, and improving outcomes for vulnerable children.”
Cornerstone VR continues to expand its impact across the health, education, and social care sectors, delivering innovative solutions that transform how professionals connect with and support those in their care. For more information about Cornerstone VR’s program and recent developments, please visit their website at www.cornerstonevr.co.uk.
To see the full list of 2024 LaingBuisson Award winners, visit: https://laingbuissonawards.com/2024-winners/.
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Notes to Editors:
About Cornerstone VR: Cornerstone VR, part of The Antser Group, is a Birmingham-based tech-for-good company at the forefront of providing trauma-informed virtual reality solutions across the health, education, and social care sectors. With a mission to improve outcomes for society’s most vulnerable, Cornerstone VR empowers professionals and caregivers with immersive experiences that enhance empathy and understanding of early-life trauma and societal influences. For all media enquiries, please contact Corinna Leaning or Stacey Cox at Cornerstone VR on corinna.leaning@cornerstonevr.co.uk or Stacey.cox@cornerstonevr.co.uk. Alternatively, call 0808 1756 414.
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.