YMCA England & Wales wanted to develop a digital service that their network could use to support local young people with their mental health and wellbeing. This will help them coordinate the development of a consistent and reliable online service that can be used by other YMCA branches that are delivering the Changing Futures programme. Not only will this fill the void left by the reduction in face to face services, it will also increase YMCA's overall capacity to impact positively on young people’s mental health.
User stories:
As National Council we need to be able to provide a co-ordinated, consistent and reliable digital offer to the network so that they in turn are better able to provide mental health services at scale whilst removing the geographic barriers that exist in service provision. We need to do this to avoid duplication of resources and products across the network.
As a local YMCA we need to be able to fill the gap left by our reduced ability (as a result of COVID-19) to deliver face to face services in schools. We need to be able to confidently direct young people to a central resource where they can access relevant and safe information, advice and guidance and digital interventions that operate at a preventative and early intervention level.
As a young person I need to be able to access more refined and relevant information, advice, guidance and digital interventions that are tailored to the main issues that affect me without having to navigate numerous websites that may or may not host safe information. I need to be confident enough in the product so that I am prepared to signpost my peers to it.