In 2011 we wrote about a then new virtual reality game produced by Kent University, designed to help train social workers called “Rosie, Virtually Safe”.

The idea was excellent – to simulate real life child protection scenarios, in a safe environment in order to train social workers. The reality was unfortunately very different. Poor graphics, terrible narratives and even more concerning multiple choice options which lacked depth and understanding left the ‘game’ really wanting.

Now, six years on, and with a new interactive experience under her belt, Rosie has made another appearance in ‘My Courtroom: Rosie’s Family Goes To Court‘.

In this virtual reality game, which outlines a private family law matter this time around involving Rosie and her biological father, social work professionals are invited to discuss solutions and look at potential issues arising from the scenario.

If early user experiences are anything to go by there appear to have been some encouraging improvements in the new game. Unlike the first game “Virtually Safe”, you now get to see Rosie and meet her. You can also hear her thoughts, which is clever and hopefully will foster empathy and a better awareness of how children feel, though much will depend on the quality of thought featured in the game.

Interestingly, several social workers said the new game triggered emotional responses from them which motivated them to engage better with the simulation – an important point, as emotion and its huge potential for problem solving when channelled properly, is often left out of the equation in social work.

Other fantastic additions include the highlighting of cultural variations within the family courts and the placement of subtle signs of neglect to test the ‘player’ in the ‘game’.

Researching Reform was kindly invited to Kent University in 2012 shortly after the first Rosie game was produced. We had played the game and we were very concerned by one particular aspect. We couldn’t see any ‘best practice’ scenarios or guidance within the game. When we asked the professors who had created the game whether best practice guidelines could be accessed within the game, the professors confirmed that there weren’t any. All the game required of its player was a text book defined ‘good enough’ response, which is currently nowhere near ‘good enough’ in real life. Whilst there is no indication that “My Courtroom” includes any best practice guidelines, information published suggests that at least discussions about best practice should be encouraged. It’s a start, but we hope the game also includes a very thorough set of options to the dilemmas it poses, which include cutting edge child protection responses.

Have you played “My Courtroom”? We’d love to know what you think of the game.

UPDATE 6TH APRIL, 2017 – It looks as if a second version of the game will be made for service users. We’ll keep you posted.

Prime Minister Theresa May has signed the letter which kick starts the UK’s departure from the EU. Whilst this is just a formality and we are unlikely to see big changes on the ground as a result of Article 50 being triggered, questions are now being asked about the impact of Brexit on families, and family law and policy.

At the moment most of the commentary is based on speculation. Last year concerns over what might happen to children being looked after by EU citizens were raised, with some fearing that carers or guardians would have to leave Britain and in so doing place children in precarious situations.  Bleak views suggesting that Brexit would lead to the erosion of children’s rights were also expressed.

Across social media platforms, family lawyers have suggested that things may not change as drastically as we imagine, with the UK simply enacting its own legislation and policies to mimic those currently shared with the EU, whilst others see Brexit as an opportunity to improve on existing family legislation in order to provide a much more tailored set of laws for families in the UK.

However the child protection debate after Brexit continues to raise concerns. Child trafficking in particular is a big issue, with a Parliamentary watchdog warning that the UK could place more children at risk  by leaving the EU, as it would effectively lose some very important legal protections for this group of vulnerable children.

The Children’s Society also published a report looking at the impact of Brexit on children’s rights,  which raised concerns over child safety and called on the government to clarify its position in relation to ensuring children were not placed at risk during and after the separation process. Some commentators though, have taken the view that the debate on trafficking and border control is not as clear cut as it might seem, offering thoughts on how Brexit could either aggravate trafficking, or reduce it, depending on where you stand in relation to border control and its effects on freedom of movement.

Although no one knows what the long term effects of Brexit will be on children, families and child welfare as a whole, worrying short term signs are already there. Theresa May has announced plans to make welfare cuts which are predicted to plunge more than a million children into poverty, no doubt a move to try to bolster the economy ahead of Brexit’s full implementation.

Researching Reform predicts a very serious economic downturn for the UK, as it tries to steady itself after leaving the EU. This will undoubtedly have a devastating effect on child welfare. What do you think?

Image courtesy of The Children’s Commissioner 

The BBC has produced a documentary featuring former Manchester United and England footballer Rio Ferdinand, who lost his wife to breast cancer in 2015. The programme, called “Being Mum and Dad”, looks in depth at the emotional as well as practical difficulties bereaved parents face after the death of a partner or spouse.

The programme is an effort at helping bereaved parents so that they feel they can come forward and seek help, perhaps more so fathers who are finding it hard to transition into primary carer roles and are unsure about who they can turn to. It also explores the kind of support children need when they lose a parent.

You can watch the documentary tonight on BBC 1 at 9pm.

We are also adding some organisations who help families, parents and children cope with the loss of a family member:

• Jigsaw4U – for parents and children
• Winston’s Wish – for children
• Child Bereavement UK – for parents and children

The Women and Equalities Committee have started looking at how fathers in the workplace are coping with juggling careers and parenthood.

For many single and lone fathers especially, this balance can prove hugely problematic. For an excellent summary of some of the problems please see our previous post, where you can read highlights from leading fathers’ charity DadsHouse’s report to the Committee.

And, find out more about the committee and the recent evidence session it held, below:

• Watch Parliament TV: Fathers and the workplace
• Inquiry: Fathers and the workplace
• Join the conversation on Twitter: #Fathers
• Women and Equalities Committee

Parliament’s website tells us the purpose of the first evidence session:

• Whether there is evidence that fathers—from different groups and backgrounds—have the support to balance work with caring responsibilities for children, and what evidence there is of demand for change;
• What is known about fathers’ current experiences of support for their caring responsibilities in the workplace;
• What factors and challenges might be contributing to any dissatisfaction among fathers about their current situations;
• How effectively government policies (particularly its flagship policy of Shared Parental Leave) support fathers in the workplace, what more can be done, and what the effects on workplaces and on mothers would be

For our part, we’d like to see more creches in the workplace, more options for flexible and remote working, and an egalitarian policy for both fathers and mothers which ensures parents can work and also be there for their children.

Some interesting stats from the Committee’s page:

Twice the number of fathers compared to mothers believe that working flexibly will have a negative impact on their career, and 44 per cent said they had lied or bent the truth to their employer about family-related responsibilities.

What do you think about this latest inquiry?