Designing Opportunities for Reciprocity in the Care System
COLLABORATED WITH
CrossReach, Glasgow
Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow
THE TEAM
5 Student Members
ROLE
Service Designer
OVERVIEW
The project focused on enhancing the experiences of young people in educational care by incorporating the insights of past pupils. During a meeting with representatives from Crossreach, one of Scotland's largest care providers, they emphasized the importance of integrating firsthand experiences of past pupils to address the unique needs of young people. They highlighted how this approach could validate the challenges faced by those in care while providing relatable and impactful support.
The proposed service offers non-institutionalized support fostering creative expression, relationship-building, and mutual growth for current students and past pupils. By creating spaces for shared experiences and mentorship, the service empowers young people in care to feel understood and supported while equipping them for their futures.
INTENDED OUTCOMES
Peer-Led Support & Community Engagement – Proposed a network connecting past and current pupils, using community spaces to share guidance and experiences.
Enhanced Independence & Readiness – Aimed to equip care leavers with confidence, social skills, and real-world exposure to ease their transition to independent living.
MY ROLE
As part of a five-member team assigned to this project, I played a key role in project planning, desk research, and shaping the conceptualization and ideation of the service structure and touchpoints. I took the lead in mapping out the service users' journey, ensuring that our proposed solutions aligned with the project's scope and adhered to its constraints.
BREAKING DOWN THE BRIEF
Digging into the provided research question
KEY INSIGHTS FROM INITIAL STAKEHOLDER MEETING
The council lacks funding to adequately support long-term residential education for children
The chances of a care-experienced individuals leading a healthy, fulfilling life outside the care system are minimal
Care leavers aged 16-25 possess autonomy but lack the necessary information to make well-informed decisions about their future
Past Pupils face a risk of traumatization when recalling their experiences
UNDERSTANDING THE LANDSCAPE
Mapping the Journey of a Young Person in Care
Initial System and Journey Maps
Transition Period
Transition Period Timeline
STATISTICS & STORIES
Delving into the Lived Experiences of Care-Experienced People
Phase 1 research aimed to uncover firsthand accounts and narratives shared by care-experienced individuals regarding their experiences within the care system. We also looked at previous case studies showcasing how care leavers have contributed to or been facilitated in giving back to the care system.
Desk Research
Desk Research
Clustering Data
Research suggested that many struggle to adjust to life outside the care system. Tasks like finding housing, managing bills, and everyday responsibilities become challenging because they aren’t taught these skills and often lack parental figures to learn from. Consequently, many end up homeless.
Socially, care leavers feel isolated and struggle to reintegrate into society after living in controlled and protected environments.
Clustering Data
Analyzing these experiences, we identified gaps where design interventions could aid care leavers. All opportunities centered on the often-overlooked phase of ‘Preparing For Adulthood,’ which is especially daunting for care leavers who face unique challenges without sufficient support. We chose to focus on this critical aspect of their journey.
Identifying Opportunities
PHASE 2 RESEARCH FOCUS
How can we facilitate connections between past pupils and current pupils to improve support for care leavers transitioning to independent living?
The ‘Preparing for Adulthood’ Framework
From our research, we gathered 25 distinct experience clusters of care leavers and aligned them with the four pillars framework. We opted to concentrate on the less represented experiences within ‘Participating in Society’ and ‘Independent Living’. We observed that the ‘Self’ and ‘Circle of Trust’ played a more prominent role in these underrepresented pillars.
Balancing the Pillars
Narrowing Down
Primary Research
We were able to conduct interviews with a care leaver and staff members of a program that helps young people from under-represented communities access information and experience they need to apply to art school, through portfolio courses, workshops, taster sessions etc. They provided valuable insights into the mindsets of current pupils, especially in relation to our chosen concepts of ‘Self’ and ‘Circle of Trust’.
We also conducted workshops with current pupils at Crossreach to gain insight into their self-perception and peer dynamics, as well as their trust building and relationship building processes. We aimed to engage them in activities that encouraged metaphorical representations of their perceptions and role-playing of scenarios. These activities were designed to provide a hands on approach to exploring their inner experiences and interpersonal interactions and fostering self-awareness in a supportive environment.
Workshop Cards
Workshop Images
MAJOR INSIGHTS
Care-experienced individuals rely on consistent communication and familiar relationships to build trust and a sense of security in their support network.
Frequent replacement often lead to social isolation and distant friendships, making ongoing connections vital.
Young people in care lacked opportunities for creative self-expression or creating art for its own sake. The workshop also felt like just another school-assigned obligation.
Engaging with past pupils should not be confined to addressing issues when things go wrong for current students. It highlights the importance of valuing casual conversations, which can foster connection and provide meaningful support.
CONCEPTUALIZING IDEAS
Opportunities for Intervention
Opportunities for Intervention
Enabling Creative Expression
Our intervention aimed to encourage current pupils to express themselves openly and delve into their interests. We wanted to provide a platform for them to explore their creativity, articulate their thoughts and feelings, and engage with subjects that resonate with them on a personal level.
Providing Non-Institutionalized form of Support
Exposing students to activities in unfamiliar environments outside their protective school setting, while prioritizing their safety, can create an intriguing atmosphere and motivate them to develop social skills and interact with individuals beyond their immediate support network.
Fostering Engagement and Building Relationships
Fostering direct communication between past and current pupils can benefit current pupils by allowing them to share their experiences with someone who has shared similar challenges as them, and gain perspectives that are relatable and helpful.
A Purpose-Driven Intervention
The overarching objective of this process of self-expression and exploration outside the regular academic setting is for pupils to develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their unique identities, creating a sense of empowerment and agency in their overall personality development.
Furthermore, this platform also provides opportunities for care-experienced individuals to network with one another, establishing community connections and support systems within the care community.
CONCEPT IDEA
Providing current and past pupils with a space outside the institution to freely engage and share experiences while expressing themselves creatively
VISUALIZING THE SERVICE
Visualizing the Service
Creating Journey Maps
With a comprehensive understanding of our stakeholders, their activities, and the value exchanges among them, we proceeded to develop journey maps with varying levels of detail.
Service Phases
Initial Journey Maps
Complete Journey Map
Future Scope
STORYBOARD
Awareness
Current pupils and past pupils are made aware of the creative workshops by Crossreach.
Phase 1: Awareness
Pre-Service
A pre-testing workshop is conducted with current pupils to gauge their interests, while past pupils are recruited, trained, and engaged in workshop organization. Crossreach collaborates with creative organizations to secure community spaces for workshops.
Phase 2: Pre-Service
The pre-testing workshop, organized by Crossreach for its care-leaving pupils over a span of five days, serves as an opportunity for current pupils to engage in various sensory activities. These activities aim to encourage exploration of creative expressions, subjects, and activities aligned with their interests.
Additionally, the workshop acts as a non-intrusive cultural probe and icebreaker, facilitating the pupils' transition into the main workshops by creating a conducive environment for experimentation and self-expression.
The pre-testing workshop toolkit comprises an activity booklet or creative diary designed to guide participants through a series of activities, one for each day of the workshop. Once completed, these booklets will then be collected from the pupils, and workshops can be organised based on the pupils interest areas.
Pre-Testing Workshop Booklet
In-Service
Workshops occur in creative spaces once in two weeks, where current and former pupils connect, exchange experiences, and participate in creative activities relevant to the space.
Phase 3: In-Service
Post-Service
Current pupils leave the school with some experience of engaging with people outside of the institution, along with a stronger sense of their interests and their identity. The past pupils gain volunteer experience, build their own network and have the satisfaction of giving back.
Phase 4: Post-Service
