The case study on survivors of Sexual Violence and Abuse (SVA) was developed by Sarah West (Coventry University) after attending the first UK Pilot Course. The SVA rely on survivors’ informal support networks, comprising friends, family, and partners, for enduring assistance. However, the emotional toll on these ‘informal supporters’ can be challenging as they grapple with understanding the most effective ways to respond and evaluate the helpfulness of their actions. This project aimed to address these challenges by collaboratively developing a digital intervention to guide informal supporters in conjunction with survivors, supporters, and professionals in the SVA field.
The project adopted a three-cos approach (Pearce & Magee, 2024), providing a clear framework for the co-creation process, acknowledging the constraints of limited time and resources inherent in this PhD study. This constraint has been communicated transparently to co-creators since the project’s inception. So far, eight co-creators (4 survivors and 4 supporters) have engaged with co-define workshops. Critical to the intervention’s success, professionals contribute separately to manage potential power differentials and the sensitive nature of the subject matter. Workshops have been conducted face-to-face and online, enabling participation from co-creators from across the UK and those facing challenges attending in person due to health issues and other responsibilities.
Both workshop formats incorporated innovative tools such as card sort activities to understand co-creator priorities and guide subsequent sessions, as well as a snakes and ladders game to explore the barriers and facilitators associated with addressing these issues through digital tools. In person, the CUbe facilitated an energy boost for reflective and generative discussion on the qualitative study findings and the antecedents for the identified issues.
Feedback from the workshops has been very positive, with co-creators keen to engage in the subsequent phases.
In-person facilitation demanded strong people management skills to balance relationship building while keeping co-creators focused and progressing through activities within the allotted time. Conversely, online sessions featured less chatting, but co-creators contended with external distractions and required additional support to overcome technical challenges.
