A social care eLearning success story

ImaginAge and Somerset Council case study

ImaginAge films is a UK-based production company that specialises in creating films and documentaries about social issues, particularly those related to aging, health, and social care. In 2018, ImaginAge films completed production on a feature-length film called ‘Care As You Are’, which explored the emotional impact of caring for a loved one with dementia. The film received critical acclaim and was praised for its realistic portrayal of the challenges faced by family caregivers.

Challenge

While the film was successful, the ImaginAge films team realised that it had the potential to be used as a tool to support and educate care professionals who work with family caregivers. The team approached Somerset County Council, a local authority responsible for social care and support in Somerset, to explore the possibility of converting the film into an eLearning program that could be used by care professionals across the country. The challenge was to create a multi-media, modular eLearning package that would help care professionals to understand the experiences of carers better, develop skills and strategies to support their emotional well-being, and provide them with tools and resources to make every conversation count.

Solution

Somerset County Council worked with Disrupt, a digital learning agency that specialises in creating custom eLearning programs for corporate and public sector clients. The team at Disrupt worked closely with ImaginAge films and Somerset County Council to understand the requirements for the eLearning program and how best to use the film as a basis for the training.

Disrupt created a multi-media, modular eLearning programme as well as a fully interactive learning journal, each of which covered a different aspect of caring for a loved one with dementia. The eLearning program included video clips from the “Care As You Are” film, interactive quizzes, case studies, and other multimedia elements that helped to engage and educate learners.

The eLearning program was designed to be flexible and accessible, so care professionals could complete it in their own time, at their own pace. The program was also designed to be cost-effective, as it could be accessed remotely, without the need for travel or face-to-face training sessions.

“The feedback from the Team on the benefits from the training has been very positive. Following the learning we have had requests from more staff to access the programme…”

Learning and Development Head | Somerset Council

Outcome

The “Care As You Are” eLearning program was launched in 2021 and has been well-received by care professionals across the country. The program has been praised for its engaging and informative content, and for its ability to help care professionals develop the skills and strategies they need to support the emotional well-being of family caregivers. The program has also been commended for its cost-effectiveness, which has helped to ensure that more care professionals have access to the training.

The success of the “Care As You Are” eLearning program has led to increased interest in using films and documentaries as the basis for eLearning programs in the social care sector. The collaboration between ImaginAge films, Somerset County Council, and Disrupt has shown that eLearning can be an effective and engaging way to support the professional development of care professionals, and to improve the quality of care for family caregivers.

eLearning introductory explainer video

Instructional design expertise

Do you fancy a brew? Let’s chat through your requirements

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to create a powerful and effective eLearning experience for your organisation! Book an appointment today with one of our expert instructional designers to discuss your project and take the first step towards achieving your learning objectives.