For organisations
Immersive support alongside services
By Amanda Haigh, Founder and CEO · 5 min read
Where immersive technology helps, where it does not, and why a person must always be reachable.
Immersive technology attracts big claims, and the domestic abuse sector has been offered enough shiny solutions to be rightly sceptical. So it is worth being precise about what UKind XR is for.
It helps with the immediate. A headset placed in a refuge, workplace wellness room or community hub gives someone a way to steady themselves without booking anything or explaining anything. In our Phase 1 and Phase 2 evaluation sessions: 4.0/5 overall average therapeutic benefit rating; 4.6/5 rating from the addiction recovery group only. Phase 2 participants: 100% positive experience; 80% said it made them more ready for further support. Early research with small groups. Not a clinical trial.
It does not replace therapy, clinical care or a trained human being. We do not describe UKind XR as VR therapy, because it is not. It is support alongside therapy, and a bridge towards it for people who are not ready or not yet able to access it.
It works best inside a service, not instead of one. That is why partnership includes setup, staff training and a safeguarding view for the team — so the people responsible for someone's wellbeing stay informed rather than bypassed.
And it needs an everyday counterpart. UKind Ally, in development, is what carries between sessions: grounding, mindfulness and goals a partnered service can send through, so progress does not depend on being in the room.
If you are considering this for your service, the honest starting point is a conversation about your setting, your safeguarding processes and what your team can realistically hold. We would rather scope that carefully than place a headset somewhere it cannot be supported.