26 Feb 2024
by Simona Mazza

Innovating for Social Good: Design Thinking as a Catalyst for Change

Tackling Economic Inequality - Create new businesses, jobs and skills, and increase supply chain resilience and capacity.

In today's digital era, where proficiency in technology and soft skills are crucial, Microsoft and UBDS have embarked on an ambitious initiative called 'Care to Succeed' This programme is dedicated to empowering young people in England who have experienced the care system, involving participants from Trafford Council, London Borough of Haringey, and Northampton Children’s Trust.

Understanding the diverse needs of these youth, 'Care to Succeed' transcends the traditional training model. It incorporates personalised mentorship, career development workshops, access to digital learning resources, and the practical application of design thinking. This holistic approach not only arms participants with the skills to innovate but also fosters their personal and professional growth. It guides them in identifying their career goals, harnessing their unique talents, and enhancing their employability and self-assurance in the job market.

Empowering Through Design Thinking

A key component of the programme is the immersive experience of learning and applying design thinking, a human centred approach to innovation, teaching participants how to tackle complex problems by understanding the needs of those they are designing solutions for, collectively brainstorming and testing new ideas.

The design thinking journey involves key stages:

1. Empathy Phase: This initial stage involves design thinking workshops, led by UBDS consultants, where participants and their mentors delve into understanding and expressing their needs and aspirations. It’s a deep dive into their experiences and challenges, aiming to identify specific, solvable problems.

2. Ideation Phase: In this brainstorming stage, a wealth of ideas are generated, collaboratively honed, and tested. This process is crucial in developing innovative solutions to transform the care system.

The culmination of this journey is an interactive Hackathon, where theoretical concepts are morphed into practical, impactful applications. This event brings together participants, councils, and UBDS developers to create solutions that provide continuous support, education, and skill development, specifically addressing the challenges faced by young people.

Progress and Insights

The ‘Care to Succeed’ programme is now in full swing, and we have successfully conducted all design thinking workshop with participants from Trafford Council, London Borough of Haringey and Northamptonshire Children’s Trust, and their mentors. In these session we opened the dialogue by asking participants ‘What are the biggest fears or barriers you face when thinking about your future?’ The responses highlighted concerns such as uncertainty about career choices, the daunting tasks of finding and securing a job, lack of clarity on necessary skills, and financial hurdles.

Throughout engaging dialogue, we pinpointed a pivotal challenge: the overwhelming uncertainty of how to effectively stand out when applying for job opportunities. Reflecting on this collective insight, we moved into the ideation phase where creativity and problem-solving led us to identify a novel solution – an application designed to simplify the job application process, offering tangible support and empowering young people to navigate each phase with confidence.

This solution epitomises the essence of 'Care to Succeed' – not just educating, but providing practical tools that directly address the challenges faced by participants. The insights gained are invaluable, laying a solid groundwork for a solution that truly resonates with these young individuals.

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Insights from the design thinking workshops with the care experienced

Looking Ahead

Our journey in applying design thinking extends beyond fostering innovation. As Microsoft and UBDS progress with this transformative initiative, our goal is clear – to make a lasting impact on the lives of young people who have experienced care. We aim to ensure they complete the programme not only with enhanced skills but also with a renewed sense of confidence and purpose. Our collective effort is focused on empowering them to surmount challenges, seize opportunities, and lay a solid foundation for success in the digital world.

You can read more about the UBDS Digital Consulting Practice and the services we provide to our clients here.


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Heather Cover-Kus

Heather Cover-Kus

Head of Central Government Programme, techUK

Heather is Head of Central Government Programme at techUK, working to represent the supplier community of tech products and services to Central Government.

Prior to joining techUK in April 2022, Heather worked in the Economic Policy and Small States Section at the Commonwealth Secretariat.  She led the organisation’s FinTech programme and worked to create an enabling environment for developing countries to take advantage of the socio-economic benefits of FinTech.

Before moving to the UK, Heather worked at the Office of the Prime Minister of The Bahamas and the Central Bank of The Bahamas.

Heather holds a Graduate Diploma in Law from BPP, a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) from LSE, and a BA in Economics and Sociology from Macalester College.

Email:
[email protected]
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-cover-kus-ba636538

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Ellie Huckle

Ellie Huckle

Programme Manager, Central Government, techUK

Ellie joined techUK in March 2018 as a Programme Assistant to the Public Sector team and now works as a Programme Manager for the Central Government Programme.

The programme represents the supplier community of technology products and services in Central Government – in summary working to make Government a more informed buyer, increasing supplier visibility in order to improve their chances of supplying to Government Departments, and fostering better engagement between the public sector and industry. To find out more about what we do, how we do this and how you can get involved – make sure to get in touch!

Prior to joining techUK, Ellie completed Sixth Form in June 2015 and went on to work in Waitrose, moved on swiftly to walking dogs and finally, got an office job working for a small local business in North London, where she lives with her family and their two Bengal cats Kai and Nova.

When she isn’t working Ellie likes to spend time with her family and friends, her cats, and enjoys volunteering for diabetes charities. She has a keen interest in writing, escaping with a good book and expanding her knowledge watching far too many quiz shows!

Email:
[email protected]
Phone:
020 7331 2015
Twitter:
@techUK,@techUK
Website:
www.techuk.org,www.techuk.org
LinkedIn:
https://bit.ly/3mtQ7Jx,https://bit.ly/3mtQ7Jx

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Annie Collings

Annie Collings

Programme Manager, Cyber Security and Central Government, techUK

Annie joined techUK as the Programme Manager for Cyber Security and Central Government in September 2023.

Prior to joining techUK, Annie worked as an Account Manager at PLMR Healthcomms, a specialist healthcare agency providing public affairs support to a wide range of medical technology clients. Annie also spent time as an Intern in an MPs constituency office and as an Intern at the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed. 

Annie graduated from Nottingham Trent University, where she was an active member of the lacrosse society. 

Email:
[email protected]
Twitter:
anniecollings24
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-collings-270150158/

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Ella Gago-Brookes

Ella Gago-Brookes

Team Assistant, Markets, techUK

Ella joined techUK in November 2023 as a Markets Team Assistant, supporting the Justice and Emergency Services, Central Government and Financial Services Programmes.  

Before joining the team, she was working at the Magistrates' Courts in legal administration and graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2022.  Ella attained an undergraduate degree in History and Politics, and a master's degree in International Relations and Security Studies, with a particular interest in studying asylum rights and gendered violence.  

In her spare time she enjoys going to the gym, watching true crime documentaries, travelling, and making her best attempts to become a better cook.  

Email:
[email protected]

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Authors

Simona Mazza

Simona Mazza

Digital Consulting Practice Leader , UBDS