Local authority for West Yorkshire city spends buys wearable tech that can be used by the likes of social workers and teachers with the aim of increasing their understanding and empathy

Leeds City Council has invested £60,000 in immersive virtual reality technologies to help public servants better understand the trauma experienced by children going through the adoption process.

A recently published commercial notice reveals that, on 1 August, the local authority entered into an initial three-year deal with Cornerstone – a Birmingham-based tech firm which, according to its website provides “immersive VR films [that] allow users to experience life from the perspective of an abused, neglected, or exploited child, fostering empathy and deepening understanding of trauma and its triggers”.

These films will be screened via specialist kit that provided to council workers, as well as citizens involved in an adoption process.

Related content

• Leeds looks to robotics to help transform services despite ‘significant financial challenges’
• Leeds seeks partner to build ‘community cloud’ for use across public sector
• Leeds picks suppliers for £26m IT deal

The contract notice says: “VR headsets are being provided so that foster carers, social workers, teachers, and judges understand the impact of attachment-related trauma on a child going through the fostering and adoption process and is designed to help adopters understand this. The service helps adopters understand the experience of an abused, neglected or exploited child, the programme is designed to enhance empathy and understanding of early-life trauma and its continued influence throughout childhood, adolescence and into adulthood.”

The deal with Cornerstone can be extended for up to two years, which would take its ultimate end date to summer 2030.

The council’s digital strategy reveals that Leeds has previously deployed VR as part of a trial intended to better support 800 people with dementia and those that care for them.

“VR headsets were loaned to care homes and carers groups to trial how they might enhance the existing dementia programme by offering residents the chance to experience new virtual reality, immersive environments,” the strategy said. “The trial provided people living with dementia and carers the opportunity to escape reality and enjoy experiences such as National Geographic, visit places across the world they’d never seen before and take virtual museum tours exploring arts and culture. Carers expressed how they enjoyed exploring different places and experiences and explained that they it appeared to relieve symptoms of their loved one’s dementia such as agitation and disorientation.”