In the ever-evolving landscape of children’s services, the Adoption East Midlands (AEM) and Antser (Cornerstone) partnership is pioneering a ground-breaking approach to support adoptive parents from assessment through to adoption support.
Since its inception in 2019, the Regional Adoption Agency has been utilising Antser (Cornerstone)’s immersive Virtual Reality (VR) technology to transform the adoption process, with an objective to foster empathy and enhance understanding, particularly when dealing with the complexities of adoption and developmental trauma.
Initially, AEM utilised VR on a needs-led basis, assisting families struggling to connect with their adopted children's experiences and complex concepts like brain development and internal working models. Witnessing positive results, AEM's commitment to VR deepened, with practitioners leading its integration into assessments, matching, and support for all families.
Furthermore, AEM embedded the VR into a new trauma-informed Therapeutic Parenting Course, promoting not only understanding of therapeutic parenting but also fostering peer connections among parents. In parallel AEM developed a trauma-informed Adoption Placement Report and Adoption Support Planning process, which follows the journey of one of the children in the VR films, allowing practitioners to bring the child’s experiences to life, facilitating discussion from the child’s perspective.
One adopter who experienced the VR shared the following feedback:
“It was useful to get a background understanding of some of the potential reasons children may have reluctant attitudes to things like personal hygiene and hair washing. What seems like a day-to-day simplicity for us could be a genuine trigger for them. It’s important to bear this in mind if any such behaviours are displayed, it’s not just the child being “naughty”.”
The partnership has proved highly successful. One notable case study portrays how VR was used to help two people parenting very differently from one another in the same household. This had a negative impact on the family’s environment and children’s behaviour. This difficult situation was further exacerbated as the children had complex needs, which caused additional stress and dysfunction. The insight from the VR training enabled both parents to better co-parent. It allowed
them to see things from a different perspective, moving from an antagonistic style of co-parenting to a complimentary style of co-parenting; improving their personal relationship as well as their relationship with the children. They were able to identify and remedy problems and changes were seen almost instantly. The improved environment meant their placement remained stable, avoiding further distress or trauma.
As the adoption landscape advances, AEM stands at the forefront, using VR to transform not only the adoption process but also the lives of aspiring adoptive parents and the children they welcome into their homes. With their innovative approach, AEM and Antser (Cornerstone) are creating a more empathetic, informed, and supportive adoption community.
To find out more, visit: www.antser.com/antser-virtual-reality/