Posts by this team
Summary of the family hubs digital project
The project team worked to understand the problems faced by families in accessing support services, and design solutions to address these.
Local family support services directory
4 April 2025
Single directory: understanding how parents find family services
We needed to understand how parents look for local services, what information they needed, and what would make the single directory valuable to them.
Local family support services directory
2 April 2025
Naming the single directory
We looked at what the directory should be called and how different options performed in user research.
Local family support services directory
2 April 2025
Single directory: creating the MVP and thinking about post-MVP
We explored what to prioritise for the MVP of the single directory and what design questions, constraints and features we’d want to focus on.
Local family support services directory
2 April 2025
Investigating using Open Referral data for the single directory
We explored the option of importing service data using the Open Referral standard and what this would mean for features, usability and design.
Local family support services directory
2 April 2025
Single directory: initial testing with practitioners
We tested the single directory with practitioners to better understand how they find and signpost parents, carers and children to services. This post covers key insights, design changes, and next steps.
Local family support services directory
14 February 2025
Creating a single directory: reasons why and initial design thinking
The family digital project team has begun work on merging the two directories, 'Find' and 'Connect'. A single directory will help to improve the user experience and reduce maintenance efforts. This article explains our reasoning and initial planning.
Local family support services directory
19 December 2024
Allowing local authority account managers to delete services
Our team decided to implement a delete functionality to allow users to remove services from the directory.
Local family support services directory
26 September 2024
Allowing LA account managers to view VCS services
We identified the need for local authority (LA) account managers to have more oversight of services added by volunteer and community sector (VCS) organisations.
Local family support services directory
4 July 2024
Allowing account managers to hide services
Our team identified a user need to either delete or hide existing services from the directory.
Local family support services directory
5 June 2024
Providing key performance indicator (KPI) metrics
We wanted to find a way to display KPIs on ‘Manage family support services and accounts’ (Manage).
Local family support services directory
16 April 2024
Updating the add a service journey
We identified some improvements that could be made to the way services were added in ‘Manage family support services’ (Manage) to make it easier for end users to find the support they need.
Local family support services directory
27 March 2024
Replacing family hubs with locations
User research showed that we needed to change the way locations were added to ‘Manage family support services’ in order to improve the family hubs products.
Local family support services directory
4 March 2024
Allowing VCS organisations to pause requests
We have given more control to VCS users to allow them to pause incoming requests.
Local family support services directory
29 September 2023
Designing changes to the word ‘family’
We needed to cut down on the use of the word ‘family’ across our service to be more inclusive and relevant to users.
Local family support services directory
28 September 2023
Consolidating start pages and URLs
We are providing a single URL and start page for Connect families to support and our Manage family support services and accounts.
Local family support services directory
8 September 2023
Improving the professional request journey
We improved the support request form in ‘Connect families to support’ so that it’s clearer and more helpful.
Local family support services directory
9 August 2023
Softening our language for VCS professionals
Our service relies on voluntary and community sector professionals using it to support families. Without them we have no service. So, we made our language softer and kinder.
Local family support services directory
28 July 2023
Improving the ‘add a service’ journey
Users can add services to our directory. User research showed that the ‘add a service’ journey was confusing, and gave us ideas for improving it. This post outlines what we changed and why.
Local family support services directory
25 July 2023
Creating a variable option for costs
When users add services to 'Manage family support services', they provide details about what the service costs. User research showed that binary options for ‘it costs money’ and ‘it does not cost money' were not enough for some users.
Local family support services directory
24 July 2023
Changing how users add information about when a service takes place
Users of ‘Manage family support services’ need to add information about when their services happen. However, user research showed that we needed to improve our service so they could.
Local family support services directory
24 July 2023
Designing how users manage account permissions
We needed to design a way to change, update and delete account permissions for our services.
Local family support services directory
19 July 2023
Adding privacy statements
We need to tell users about the data we collect, how we use it, store it and how long we keep it.
Local family support services directory
4 July 2023
Collecting contact numbers
We needed to design how to collect local authority professionals' phone numbers and contact preferences, so voluntary and community sector organisations could get in touch about their requests.
Local family support services directory
26 June 2023
Designing what happens when users do not have access
Our services, ‘Manage family support services and accounts’ and ‘Manage connection requests’, use permissions to allow users access. We needed a way to tell users who do not have permissions why they cannot access the services.
Local family support services directory
30 May 2023
Adding permissions for ‘Manage’ and ‘Manage connection requests’
Our users need permissions for Manage family support services and accounts and Manage connection requests services. To integrate our service with GOV.UK One Login, we changed ‘add user’ functionality to ‘add permissions’.
Local family support services directory
24 May 2023
Notifying VCS organisations about a new connection request
We’re using Notify to let voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisation users know they have a new connection request. We’ve considered anonymisation to keep the family’s details secure.
Local family support services directory
10 May 2023
Giving a warning on Connect families to support start page
We’ve used the warning component on the start page to tell users not to use the service to report safeguarding concerns. We considered ‘before you start’ text but learned users tend to ignore anything under the start button.
Local family support services directory
28 April 2023
A dashboard for professional users
We’ve designed a dashboard to show users a list of connection requests they’ve sent. We’ve considered the search, sort and filter options we provide to help users find a connection request.
Local family support services directory
26 April 2023
Updating professional users on their requests
We’re using Notify to email users to let them know that their connection request has been updated. We’ve also designed how the connection request is displayed in the service.
Local family support services directory
26 April 2023
Navigation on the Family Hubs services
We’re adding a global navigation on Connect families to support and Manage connection requests.
Local family support services directory
26 April 2023
Advising users about safeguarding concerns
We’ve replaced a question with an interruption page to tell users not to use the service to report safeguarding concerns.
Local family support services directory
21 April 2023
Capturing permission to share personal information
We’ve explored the language we should use around sharing personal information and learned ‘consent’ causes confusion for our users, and ‘permission’ is much clearer.
Local family support services directory
21 April 2023
Capturing contact preferences and details
We’ve iterated the pattern we’re using to capture families’ contact details. We're using a free text box to collect information about additional needs, best time of day to contact and if they’d prefer messages over WhatsApp.
Local family support services directory
21 April 2023
Designing reference numbers for connection requests
We’ve investigated what format to use for transaction numbers that prevent duplication of work by developers as well as being accessible for users. We’re using a 6 digit hexadecimal number.
Local family support services directory
21 April 2023
A dashboard for VCS organisation users
We’ve designed a dashboard to show users a list of connection requests they’ve received. We’ve considered the search, sort and filter options we provide to help users find a connection request.
Local family support services directory
21 April 2023
Enabling VCS organisation users to respond to requests
We’ve designed how connection request details are shown to VCS organisation users, and how they can respond to accept or decline.
Local family support services directory
21 April 2023
Capturing the reason for a connection request
We’ve iterated the text we use to prompt users to provide the right detail in the free text entry box for ‘reason for a connection request’.
Local family support services directory
20 April 2023
Filtering by age in ‘Find’ and ‘Connect’
We redesigned and moved the age filter, used by the ‘Find’ and ‘Connect’ services, to make it more obvious and useful.
Local family support services directory
6 April 2023
Adding new user journeys to the ‘Manage’ prototype
We added ways for local authority users to add and manage family support services, and to create new user accounts.
Local family support services directory
17 February 2023
Building a prototype to test the 'request for support' journey
We built a prototype so we could test the 'request for support' journey with users who work at voluntary and community sector organisations.
Local family support services directory
10 February 2023
Aligning the prototypes for ‘Connect’ and ‘Find’
When the design and research teams for the Information Sharing and Family Experience services joined together, we aligned the prototypes for 'Find support for your family' and 'Connect families to support'.
Local family support services directory
6 January 2023
Redesigning how professionals search for support for families
We redesigned the journey for professionals to search for, and connect families to, support.
Local family support services directory
17 December 2022
Naming Find, Connect and Manage
We decided, in groups and in consultation with product managers, on service names and domains for Find, Connect and Manage.
Local family support services directory
16 December 2022
Evolving categories for 'Connect' and 'Find'
We iterated the categories that services in 'Find' and 'Connect' can use to identify what they offer.
Local family support services directory
10 November 2022
Iterating how users search in 'Find'
We added a secondary start page to 'Find support for your family', and redesigned the search filters, categories and results pages.
Local family support services directory
28 October 2022
Building a new user journey for 'Find'
How we designed our second user journey for testing.
Local family support services directory
12 October 2022
Building the first user journey for 'Find'
How we designed our first user journey for testing.
Local family support services directory
22 September 2022
Designing a form to add services - 'Manage' version 5
We iterated the way voluntary and community sector organisations add services to 'Manage'.
Local family support services directory
15 September 2022
Designing a form to add services - 'Manage' version 3
We iterated the way voluntary and community sector organisations add services to 'Manage'.
Local family support services directory
31 August 2022
Scoping the 'Find' MVP
We made design choices to inform the scope of our minimum viable product (MVP) for 'Find'.
Local family support services directory
22 August 2022
Find support for your family alpha version 1
This is the first version of the prototype we tested with families to help them find support from family hubs and services in their local area.
Local family support services directory
12 August 2022
Find support for your family alpha version 2
This is the second version of the prototype we tested with families to help them find support from family hubs and services in their local area.
Local family support services directory
12 August 2022
Find support for your family alpha version 3
This is the third version of the prototype we tested with families to help them find support from family hubs and services in their local area.
Local family support services directory
12 August 2022
Find support for your family alpha version 4
This is the fourth version of the prototype we tested with families to help them find support from family hubs and services in their local area.
Local family support services directory
12 August 2022
Find support for your family alpha version 5
This is the fifth version of the prototype we tested with families to help them find support from family hubs and services in their local area.
Local family support services directory
12 August 2022
Collecting voluntary and community sector organisation information
Iterating the data we collect from voluntary and community sector organisations to display in a directory of services for professionals working with families.
Local family support services directory
31 July 2022
Developing the professional 'search and refer' a family
Testing and iterating the language we use to describe the service professionals will use to search for support services for families.
Local family support services directory
19 July 2022
Form for admin users to list VCS organisation services
The first version of the form for admin users to list their voluntary and community sector organisation support service in a directory for professionals working with families to search.
Local family support services directory
5 July 2022
Form for admin users from local authorities to list services
We are creating a directory of family hub services for families to search for support in their local area.
Local family support services directory
5 July 2022