Fostering and adoption are deeply rewarding, but they’re also some of the most challenging roles in social care.
A crucial part of working with children in care is developing empathy, insight, and a deep understanding of their experiences, yet turning that understanding into effective practice is never simple.
To support this, Norfolk County Council have been using our virtual reality experiences with their fostering and adoption team, helping carers step into a child’s perspective and begin transforming understanding, reflection, and practice.
Making the Invisible Visible
From early trauma, to complex home dynamics, the Cornerstone VR programme allows carers to witness scenarios from a child’s perspective, helping them to see triggers, emotional responses and the impact of adult interventions in a way traditional training can’t replicate.
child is feeling or what they are experiencing more easily.”
Although some of the films can be emotional, carers found the experience thought-provoking and deeply informative.
It sparked meaningful conversations about the children they care for, and how to best respond to their needs.
Early Years and Trauma: A Powerful Lens
The series of VR films that focused on early brain development stood out to the team, as it allowed carers to see how trauma affects behaviour and how different adult responses can shape outcomes
It enabled foster carers to adopt a more therapeutic approach, building both their empathy and practical understanding. As for the films exploring Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE), carers felt more encouraged to reflect on the risks young people face and how to safeguard them more effectively.
Reflection Beyond the Screen
Norfolk staff chose to combine immersive sessions with reflective logs, prompting carers to think critically about what they’ve learned and how they’ll apply it in real-life situations.
This approach works especially well for visual learners and helps embed learning in a meaningful way.
Why This Matters
Training that builds empathy and reflection is central to fostering and adoption practice. Letting carers experience the world from a child’s perspective, VR provides insight that can:
Improve safeguarding awareness
Encourage therapeutic responses to behaviour
Support better preparedness for real-life scenarios
Inspire ongoing reflective practice
Looking Forward
Norfolk’s experience shows that immersive technology can be a powerful addition to fostering and adoption training.
The combination of using traditional approaches with the immersive nature of VR means that services can elevate their ability to equip carers with the insight, empathy, and confidence they need to support children effectively.
As the team at Cornerstone VR work on creating new content, new scenarios and helping our partners with reflective exercises, we have the opportunity to continue aiding carers and the teams that support them into helping them step up in their role.