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When LiveWest approached us to help improve the way they support young people transitioning to independent living, we knew this was a project where we could truly have an impact. The goal was to empower young people and streamline the work of support workers, creating a space where meaningful conversations and progress could happen without the usual administrative roadblocks.
Problem
Young people can be with LiveWest for up to two years as they prepare to transition into independent living. Support workers were relying on paper forms and tick-box exercises to track progress, but this system was clunky, outdated. Despite their best efforts, support workers found it difficult to monitor real progress and often spent too much time re-entering data into various systems. This process wasn’t just inefficient—it also made it hard to have deep and meaningful conversations that are crucial for understanding a young person’s journey.
The vision: a digital platform that would remove these barriers and encourage better interactions, helping young people make the most of their time with LiveWest and giving support workers the tools they needed to track progress in one place.
...we wanted to create a digital version that would be interactive and make it clearer and easier to measure progress over time...
- Jenny Edean, Young Person Service Development Manager
Process
Our first step was to collaborate closely with LiveWest and the young people they support. We wanted to ensure that their voices were central to the project. Through a series of research sessions, we spoke with young people to understand their experiences, challenges, and aspirations. Together, we identified seven key measurement topics that could capture their progress: health, support skills, personal growth, housing, finance, learning, and employability.
The young people helped us create a list of ‘ingredients’—specific steps they would take to achieve their goals. For example, in health, they might aim to follow a regular sleep and exercise routine, or for finance, the goal could be to save money regularly. We noticed a clear correlation between these topics; progress in one area often had a ripple effect on the others.
Next, we worked with support workers to refine the questions they asked during check-ins. We designed prompts to encourage deeper conversations, helping them to gain a better understanding of each individual’s unique situation. The platform we envisioned would be tailored to each young person’s needs, giving them more control over their progress while providing their support worker with actionable insights.
Solution
We designed and developed a digital platform that acted as a compass for young people on their journey to independent living. The dashboard became the heart of the system, where both support workers and young people could monitor progress across the seven key areas.
One of the key features we introduced was a ranged slider in the question flow. If a young person’s response indicated they were falling behind in a particular area, the platform offered prompts to the support worker to create an action step. This ensured both parties could follow up and stay accountable, improving engagement week after week.
This approach not only gave young people a clearer picture of how far they had come but also gave LiveWest the information they needed to help meet Ofsted standards, allowing them to showcase their commitment to providing tailored, impactful support.
We also knew that support workers often had to hand off their cases to others, so we built the system in a way that allowed for seamless collaboration and communication between staff. Information could be easily shared, ensuring that no young person’s progress would be lost in transition.
Outcome
It was when we started to receive feedback from Support Workers and young people, that we realised that we had delivered a digital compass that met their vision and more.
The platform is now being rolled out to over 300 young people, allowing them to take control of their journey. By reducing admin work, support workers now have more time to focus on what really matters in helping young people thrive. Together with LiveWest, the Compass platform has transformed how they support young people, empowering them to take meaningful steps toward independence.
We’re proud of what we’ve achieved together with LiveWest, and we look forward to continuing our mission of creating digital solutions that truly matter.
"When we first looked at moving away from a paper-based compass, we wanted something innovative and flexible, a digital solution that would work for our customers and our colleagues. The Compass offers us that. It gives our young people a clear picture of where they are on their journey with us, and what is needed for them to complete their journey."
- Jenny Edean, Young Person Service Development Manager
