Step Inside a Secure Children’s Home – An Immersive Experience

Thursday 11th September 2025

10:00 - 16:00

We are delighted to invite you to a unique and thought-provoking research event that offers unprecedented access to life inside a secure children’s home. Using 360° video recordings and still photography in our immersion suite, participants will have the opportunity to virtually step inside an institution that is usually closed to the public.

This immersive experience challenges misconceptions about secure children’s homes and opens meaningful conversations about how society responds to children who are considered at risk or risk’.

A research event with impact

This event is part of an ongoing research project exploring how immersive technologies can shape public understanding of secure care. We are especially interested in finding out how experiencing this virtual environment may influence people’s perceptions of secure children’s homes and the children who live within them.

As part of the event, you may be invited to take part in short research activities, such as completing a brief survey or sharing your reflections in a discussion. Participation in these activities is entirely voluntary, and all responses will be anonymised. By contributing, you will help us build necessary evidence on how public perceptions of secure care can be shifted.

Who is this event for?

This event is open to anyone aged 16 and above, and may be of particular interest to:

• People considering a career in residential childcare

• Those interested in studying Social Sciences at university

• Individuals who would like to learn more about participatory and real-world research methodologies

• Social workers and other practitioners working with children and families

• Anyone with an interest in understanding how society supports and responds to children in secure care

Why attend?

• Experience an unprecedented virtual exploration of a secure children’s home.

• Gain insights into the realities of working in residential childcare at a time of national recruitment challenges.

• Contribute to new research on public perceptions of secure care and young people’s rights.

• Discover how immersive technologies can enhance participatory research and engagement.

• Join conversations about young people’s wellbeing and societal responses to vulnerability and risk. Why should social workers and professionals in social care attend?

• Deepen your understanding of the environments where some of the most vulnerable children live and are cared for

• Enhance your practice knowledge by exploring how residential childcare and secure care settings operate in real life.

• Reflect on the ethical, legal, and practical issues around the deprivation of liberty for children as young as 10

• Engage with cutting-edge participatory research methods that can inform and strengthen social work practice.

• Network with colleagues, researchers, and professionals from related fields, and contribute your expertise to the discussion Accessibility and inclusivity

The event will be delivered in both an immersion suite (shared large-screen experience) and through individual VR headsets, allowing us to adapt to different mobility and sensory needs. Both venues are fully accessible, and we welcome participants who may not usually engage with university events.

For further information on this event please contact skleipoedszus@bournemouth.ac.uk

How to get to BU:

Lansdowne campus is located in the city centre and is easily accessed via bus and train links. For more travel information please see this link. There is no parking on site, however if public transport isn't possible for you there are a number of local pay and display car parks at Cotlands Road and Madeira Road.

Bournemouth University’s Online Event Terms and Conditions

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