We are looking for VCSE’s in Salford to take part in a DfE pilot to test some digital products which have been developed to improve how professionals, young people and families connect with support services in their local Family Hub network.
There are three products:
- “Find” support for your family – A directory of support services and activities a family can access to see what is available within their local Family Hub network.
- “Connect” families to support - Local authority professionals (such as social workers and early help practitioners) who work with families and young people can search for relevant support services and make requests on their behalf. This product allows professionals to share information about a family with a service provider more efficiently and securely.
- “Manage” - A portal allowing local authorities (LAs) and voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFES) organisations to add and manage the details of their services.
VCFSE’s would be provided with log in details and would receive training on how to:
- access the websites
- upload their service information
- accept or decline “requests for support” from LA practitioners.
VCFSE’s will be paid £200 for their engagement, which can be used to support with delivery, cover any administration costs arising from the use of the digital service or for purchasing equipment etc.
Your engagement and honest feedback will help the DfE to improve their digital products by gathering local insights and will support with plans to scale up the project with further local authorities in the future.
VCFSE Working Group – additional £500 incentive
There is an opportunity for three VCFSE’s to take part in the above pilot and provide further feedback via a new VCFSE working group with the DfE for an additional £500 (£700 in total). The group will meet monthly for 1.5 hours with the aim of providing more in-depth feedback on your experiences of the products (approximately 4-5 times during the pilot which runs from June to September 24). Discussing barriers, challenges and ways to enhance user experience. Additional time may also be required for administration and communication with DfE project team. Please do let us know if you are interested in being part of the working group.
How the DfE work: The DfE work using an ‘agile’ approach to project management, meaning they conduct user research, build, test and update the products as they go. Rather than conducting initial research, building the product and then releasing it for testing.
What you need to do:
If you would like more information or are interested, please email familyhubs@salford.gov.uk
Once you’ve received your account log in details, you will need to log into the Manage portal to upload your service information, which will be advertised on Connect. Your group/service will receive full training on how to use the products and ongoing support. Your organisation will then be able to accept requests for support from Salford City Council practitioners. There is an option to turn off requests for support if for example your organisation became oversubscribed or there were issues with capacity.