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Transforming Family Support for the people of Medway through the new Family Hub

Medway Council - Family Hubs App

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The Brief

In early 2024 Medway Council's brief to Focusgov was simple: the creation of a digital family hub to support Medway families at all stages of a child's development. Working in collaboration with Medway, Focusgov developed a dual solution: a digital platform accessible both as a mobile app and via the web at Medway Family Hub. The platform provides access to comprehensive information, useful links, and events specifically tailored for expectant parents, parents, and their children, from birth to age 11+. This initiative was part of Medway Council's broader strategy to enhance family support services through innovative digital solutions. 

Our Approach

Our approach to developing the Medway Family Hub was rooted in a deep understanding of the wants and needs of parents in the Medway community. From the outset, we engaged closely with Medway Council to ensure that every aspect of the app and web platform aligned with their vision and objectives. 

Key elements of our approach included: 

  • Collaborative Design and Development: We conducted multiple sessions with Medway to understand their and their users' requirements for the app's design, layout, and functionality. Regular check-ins were held with key stakeholders, including design iterations and feature reviews, to ensure that the app and web platform were evolving in line with expectations. 
  • User-Friendly Experience: Emphasis was placed on creating an engaging and intuitive user experience. This involved designing age-specific user journeys to cater to different parenting stages. We incorporated a straightforward app management system allowing the council team to easily create events, amend links, and send out push notifications. 
  • Responsive Support and Training: To ensure the app and web platform remained dynamic and current, we provided comprehensive training to the Medway Council team. This empowered them to autonomously update content and manage the app effectively. Our team was always on hand to respond promptly to support requests and provide updates on new features, ensuring the app's smooth operation. 
  • Agile Project Management: We adopted an agile project management approach, which included rapid development cycles and quick turnarounds for additional pages and features, particularly to meet strict advertising deadlines. 

The Results

The Medway Family Hub launched successfully in spring 2024 and already has delivered promising engagement metrics: 

  • Total Users / Active Users: 1,415 
  • New Users: 1,410 
  • Total Sessions: 1,965 
  • Page Views: 2,682 
  • Pages per Session: 1.36 
  • Average Session Duration: 00:02:22 

Marketing efforts and strategies between Focusgov and Medway in early May show a spike in activity, suggesting effective user acquisition and engagement. These initial results demonstrate that the app is not only attracting new users but also maintaining active engagement among its audience. 

  1. “A Vision Transformed into Reality” Our journey with Focusgov was nothing short of transformative. What began as a simple idea for an app blossomed into a unique, engaging, and user-friendly experience for parents in Medway, thanks to their expertise and dedication. The team at Focusgov truly listened to our vision, whether it was about the design, layout, or age-specific user journeys. Michael consistently checked in with us, offering ample opportunities to amend pages and elements, ensuring our vision was accurately translated into the final product. We had the pleasure of meeting many team members, each playing a crucial role in building our app. Melissa, who was prompt in responding to support requests, updating us on new features, and providing periodic reports of app activity. What impressed us most was the balance they struck between creativity and simplicity. The app management system they developed gives us the freedom to create events, amend links, and send out push notifications, all while maintaining a simplified and easy experience for our team. Their commitment to our project was evident when they turned around additional pages at short notice due to strict advertising deadlines. They reassured us every step of the way, making us feel valued and heard. In conclusion, our experience with Focusgov was exceptional. They transformed our vision into a reality, and have provided us with an app that we can really be proud of and will hopefully change the lives of many of our residents and our little future residents to come.
    Natalie Beaumont-Robson, Marketing Manager, Medway Council
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