Bridges
South Gloucestershire Council - Care Leavers App
The Brief
focusgov’s collaboration with South Gloucestershire Council began in 2020 as part of our commitment to support care leavers through innovative digital solutions.
The Bridges Care Leavers App, developed in co-production with Care Leavers and the leaving care team in South Gloucestershire serves as a critical touchstone for young adults transitioning out of care.
In October 2023, the team at focusgov, together with the Care Leaver Project Manager, aimed to uplift the application's engagement and ensure the content met the evolving needs of its users.
During the initial phase, while the app provided essential services, the analysis indicated room for improvement in both user engagement and the depth and frequency of content offered. The challenge was to elevate the app from a simple information portal to an essential daily resource for South Gloucestershire's care leavers.
Our Approach
Our strategy was twofold: enhance user engagement and enrich the app’s content through methodical and collaborative approaches. Recognising the power of data-driven decision-making, we established regular meetings between focusgov and the South Gloucestershire team to analyse app usage and user feedback. This allowed us to identify areas for improvement and measure the impact of our changes in real-time.
To empower the South Gloucestershire team, we provided comprehensive training, equipping them with the skills to update content autonomously and ensuring the app remained dynamic and current. The training focused on not just the technical aspects of content management but also on best practices for engaging young adults through the app.
A key element of our approach was the utilisation of push notifications. This powerful tool was used to re-engage users, inform them of new content, and ensure that the Bridges Care Leavers App remained a constant in their daily lives.
By promoting a strategic partnership and focusing on capacity building, we ensured that enhancements to the app were sustainable and that the South Gloucestershire team could continue to deliver valuable, timely content to their young people.
The Results
- New devices increased by 57.14% in comparison to the previous quarter.
- Active devices/day saw a substantial rise of 38.46% comparison to the previous quarter.
- Downloads on iOS went up by 28.57%, and on Android by 26.67%.
- Sessions per day grew by 2.02%, while the median session duration increased by 16.35%.
These metrics not only signify a boost in engagement but also suggest that the content revisions and push notifications made the app more relevant and useful to its users. It’s a testament to the app becoming an integral resource in the lives of South Gloucestershire's care leavers.
Moving Forward
Encouraged by the positive trends, our focus now shifts to sustaining the momentum. We are exploring strategies and new tools such as the Digital Community Platform to ensure young people can keep in touch and communicate their wishes and feelings to the team. Simultaneously, we will continue to update the application and improve content which will support the care leavers of South Gloucestershire, ensuring the Care Leavers App is not just as a resource, but a companion in their journey towards independence.
As we continue to refine and support development of the Bridges Care Leavers App, we remain dedicated to ensuring that the young adults transitioning out of care have a reliable, responsive, and empowering tool at their fingertips.
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