Aurora Counselling

VCSE organisation: Aurora Counselling

Social Challenge: Aurora aims to equip parents with knowledge and tools to support their child’s emotional health and wellbeing at home while awaiting counselling

Parents often recognise that their children are struggling emotionally but once added to the NHS waiting list parents struggle to know how to help during this period in limbo. Although there is a wealth of information online Aurora’s research indicated that parents have difficulty implementing the information in a practical way to help support their child at home. The reality is many still prefer “human contact” for guidance and reassurance and parents may also need therapeutic support for themselves.

Techie: Kippie

Tech Solution: Watch the demonstration video of the prototype digital solution; Kids Xpress.

Francesca Kelly from Aurora Counselling

“This app will effectively interact with and support parents using a combined approach of digital and face to face platforms. The content of the app will include information and strategies, a personal section where they can monitor their place on the waiting list, and videos that can be utilized at home by parents to act as conversation prompts. However, most importantly there must be potential for human connection whether that be as simple as Q & A email section, request for a call or perhaps at a more advanced stage the virtual person support promptly. What is important is that parents do not feel alone, feeling supported and guided this builds confidence, motivation and helps reduce stress levels so they can “hold” children until support available.

Aurora believes wholeheartedly in the importance of early intervention and that meaningful relationships and connections can facilitate great change, hence the move to use technology engaging parents and children at home so they can begin to have those important and often difficult conversations early.”

Following participation in the programme, Aurora Counselling pitched for and received a Seed Fund award of £12,000 to enable them to further develop, test and launch their prototype project. You can watch their pitch at the TiR 2021 showcase event here

The Seed Fund award will be used to

Create a ” Family of Feeling ” characters such as Anger, Anxiety, Sadness
Personalise the experience for the child by facilitating the creation of an avatar to represent themselves
Create an interactive therapeutic story for Anger and Anxiety with a gaming element
Support the engagement of a Clinical Psychologist to ensure a sound clinical foundation to the content
Finalise content and communication features within Parentland section

For more information on this TiR project contact:

Francesca Kelly – Aurora Counselling

Kippie – https://www.kippie.org.uk/