Cornerstone VR to host virtual reality training for social workers

Tech for good firm Cornerstone VR has partnered with the University of Birmingham and Sandwell Children’s Trust (SCT) to host virtual child protection training for social care professionals. 

The immersive experience, called ‘research informed virtual relationship-based practice training’ (RIVRT), will be offered on the Cornerstone VR platform from 1 November 2024, allowing social workers to virtually engage with difficult situations in a safe and controlled environment.

Researchers at the University of Birmingham and SCT developed the RIVRT solution after two years of ethnographic research following social workers on home visits, in office environments and during face-to-face supervision.

Dr Tarsem Singh Cooner, associate professor of social work at the University of Birmingham, said: “I am thrilled to be collaborating with Cornerstone VR to share our research findings through this cutting-edge platform.

“Together, our goal is to bring this research-driven training to professionals, empowering them to create positive impacts in the lives of the children and families they support.”

Training participants wear VR headsets to experience a social worker’s 11-month journey with a fictional family, which mirrors real-world child protection cases.

The seven-module training package allows trainees to virtually observe body language, tone, and relational approaches, so they can develop skills to navigate complex situations effectively.

Serena Hadi, head of operations and practice at Cornerstone VR, said: “We’re proud to be the first provider to partner with the University of Birmingham and Sandwell Children’s Trust to bring the innovative RIVRT training to social workers across the UK.

“This immersive training equips social workers with the skills and confidence to navigate complex social work cases, ultimately contributing to a safer and more supportive environment for all.”

Commenting on the initiative, Vijay Patel, head of safeguarding at the Social Care Institute for Excellence, said: “I think the training videos are invaluable for newly qualified social workers and students, especially if they haven’t had a lot of experience with challenging behaviours or language.

“It’s also a very good tool for experienced social workers, because we can always learn and seeing somebody else might make you say, ‘oh hang on, I do that’, or ‘hang on, I should be doing that’. I think it can be helpful for any practitioner at any point in their career.”

Cornerstone VR told Digital Health News that it works with almost 50% of local authorities across the UK, including Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Hull and Northamptonshire Children’s Trust.

The RIVRT solution will be initially introduced as an option for the firm’s existing customers before being rolled out to new customers.

VR solutions have previously been used in health and care to train professionals for a diverse range of situations, such as educating clinicians about dementia, preparing surgeons to undertake heart surgery, developing shared decision-making skills for healthcare professionals, and providing nurses with a virtual experience of working in a prison.