Awards Archives - Antser

Recognised by EY as a Regional Finalist

Racha Hussein — Wed, 07 May 2025 14:51:49 +0000

Being shortlisted as a Midlands finalist for EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2025 is a proud moment and a meaningful point to pause and reflect.

The Antser Group was founded on the belief that innovation, applied with empathy and purpose, can drive real change. Our mission has always been to support professionals, children and families through practical, accessible and human-led solutions.

That vision is delivered through three core organisations:

Carter Brown Experts, providing multi-disciplinary assessments that support decision-making across local authorities, family, criminal, immigration law and more
Autism Assessment Hub, delivering independent person-centred autism and ADHD assessments with full pre and post diagnostic support, ensuring individuals and families have access to the right support and guidance from diagnosis and beyond
Cornerstone VR, our-award-winning, trauma-informed virtual reality programme designed to support professionals working with vulnerable children and their families.

Our work is guided by empathy, urgency, accuracy and a deep sense of responsibility. We believe that timely support should never come at the cost of quality. The services we offer are designed to be effective, evidence-based and shaped around the needs of the people they serve.

This recognition from EY is a reflection of the people behind Antser, and the collective effort it takes to create something that lasts.

We’re proud of what we’ve built, and even more committed to what comes next.

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Innovative VR Programme Wins National Award for Transforming Children’s Services

Corinna — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 09:07:00 +0000

A groundbreaking trauma-informed virtual reality (VR) solution has been recognised for its impact in children’s services at a prestigious national awards ceremony.

Cornerstone VR, who enhance training and interventions in health, education and social care through their powerful virtual reality programme, were honoured to be presented with the Excellence in Children’s Services award at this year’s Laingbuisson Awards.

Held on November 21st in London, the award ceremony honoured the innovative partnership between Cornerstone VR and Inspirations Children’s Residential Care Homes, Leicestershire.

The judges at the LaingBuisson Awards highlighted the initiative as, “Genuinely innovative and groundbreaking, offering a truly unique therapeutic approach that has the potential to make a real difference for some of our most vulnerable young people.”

Using Cornerstone VR’s virtual reality programme, Inspirations have enhanced their staff training, improved their recruitment process and retention rates, and empowered children to navigate complex risks in the digital age.

Professionals trained through the programme have reported a dramatic improvement in their ability to understand and support children’s needs. Following the VR training, 96% of participants reported having a deeper understanding of a child’s perspective, and left the training equipped to independently lead VR sessions with children and families.

The Deputy Manager of one residential home shared,

“The VR sessions that the children have taken part in have provided Outstanding practise for our recent OFSTED inspection. They were very impressed with the videos completed and how this has supported our children’s understanding on different topics to support them, their knowledge and wellbeing.”

Keywork sessions, which were previously brief or inconsistent, have become more engaging, with some lasting as long as two hours. One notable case involved a young person who had a history of absence. Following the VR sessions, they changed their social circle and stabilised their behaviour, with no missing incidents reported in over six months.

Parminder Basra, Director of Operations at Inspirations, expressed the significance of the initiative:

“The VR headsets have helped our staff provide a better service to our children, giving them more understanding of their needs.”

Serena Hadi, Head of Operations and Practice at Cornerstone VR, added:

“Winning the ‘Excellence in Children’s Services’ award is an incredible honour and reflects the dedication of our teams. The partnership with Inspirations demonstrates the power that virtual reality technology has in strengthening relationships, promoting safer choices, and improving outcomes for vulnerable children.”

Cornerstone VR continues to expand its impact across the health, education and social care sectors, delivering innovative solutions that transform how professionals connect with and support those in their care.

For more information about Cornerstone VR’s innovative programme and recent developments, please visit; www.cornerstonevr.co.uk  

To see the full list of 2024 LaingBuisson Award winners, visit: https://laingbuissonawards.com/2024-winners/

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Antser’s latest project to safeguard vulnerable children and young people across three London boroughs is ‘Highly Commended’

Corinna — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 14:03:54 +0000

The team at Antser were thrilled to see their partnership with the London tri-borough was recently “Highly Commended” at the prestigious MJ Awards.

Antser and the tri-borough were given the title out of six finalists in the “Innovation in Children’s and Adults’ Services” category.

The winners were announced during a formal ceremony at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge on Friday, 23rd June.

Serena Hadi, Head of Operations and Practice at Antser / Cornerstone VR, said: “We are delighted to have our project recognised at The MJ Awards. Our VR-enabled behaviour-change programme aims to increase empathy and shift attitudes to support positive change. VR has been revolutionary in social care and we are glad to see it get the recognition it deserves.”

Back in 2021, Antser partnered with three London boroughs – Redbridge, Enfield and Waltham Forest – to use virtual reality with young people identified as being vulnerable to exploitation and at a significant risk of extra-familial harm (EFH) and their parents, carers and the professionals working with them.

Antser / Cornerstone VR has been used across public and private sectors to target several topical issues including child sexual exploitation (CSE), domestic abuse (DA), gangs and knife crime.

Seven months into the 12-month project, Antser had trained 40 practitioners across the three boroughs, assisting the teams to use VR as a tool to help bring to life the perspectives of children and young people at risk of exploitation through immersive storytelling.

The aim of the project has been twofold – firstly to increase young people’s awareness of harmful behaviour and exploitative relationships and to open up conversations with young people about their risk of EFH.

The second aim of the project helps to support, as well as educate, parents and professionals working with children at risk to better understand and empathise with the issues facing young people and experience them from their point of view.

Between January and March 2022, Antser / Cornerstone VR was used 52 times in interventions conducted across the three London boroughs directly with vulnerable adolescents or their parents – 34 times with children at risk of EFH and 18 times with parents.

The responses showed that the VR programme had a positive impact on practitioners in terms of improving their own understanding of exploitation.

All feedback from children and young people who have been exposed to VR has also been positive and the sessions have enabled them to recognise their vulnerability and consciously think about their behaviour in the community.

For more information about Antser / Cornerstone VR, click here.

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Antser wins National Technology Award for work providing better outcomes for children and young people across Northamptonshire

Corinna — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 09:09:22 +0000

It was a bright start to the long weekend for the team at Antser after they were named winners at the National Technology Awards last week for their partnership with Northamptonshire Children’s Trust (NCT), using virtual reality (VR) to support foster placement stability.

As one of the UK’s leading health and social care technology providers, Antser won in the ‘Best Public Sector Project’ category in recognition of its use of Antser VR to improve the lives of looked after children.

NCT used Antser VR to help raise awareness among social care workers and foster carers of the long-term impact an adverse background can have on a child’s behaviour. By putting the viewer directly in the position of a child, the VR aims to increase empathy and modify behaviours of people working with and caring for children.

The award was particularly timely for Antser as it coincided with the end of Foster Care Fortnight, the UK’s biggest foster care awareness raising campaign, run by The Fostering Network.

Richard Dooner, CEO of Antser, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have won this National Technology Award for our work with NCT. VR has been proven to be a consistently strong and effective tool for supporting foster carers, specifically where the team feels concerned about the progress or stability of placements and this award is recognition of the impact this technology can have and the achievements of all involved as a result of it being used.”

In one case, NCT managed to change the outcome of a placement facing potential disruption for the child due to the carer requiring a more therapeutic approach to their needs. Using VR, the carer was able to reflect, develop their understanding and change their behaviour resulting in better care of the foster child.

Following the training, 100 percent of respondents agreed the VR experience made them think differently and consider alternative ways to respond and make decisions in their approach to looked after children. In addition, 75% of new users said the VR provided them with a deeper understanding of issues from the child’s perspective.

Julian Wooster, Chair of Northamptonshire Children’s Trust said: “It is fantastic to be part of an award winning initiative helping both young people and foster carers across Northamptonshire form stronger relationships and develop resilience.
“Our carers do an incredible job of supporting our children to understand their past experiences and behaviour, whilst working with them to utilise therapeutic strategies, giving them firm foundations for their future. Together, we can make a real difference to a child or young person’s life.”

Antser currently works with 25 local authority fostering and adoption teams and four independent fostering and adoption agencies.

Richard said: “Our work with NCT proves the benefits of using immersive VR technology to provide better outcomes for children and young people. So many foster care placements can fall apart simply due to a lack of understanding, but by placing people directly in the shoes of the child, it can make a huge difference to people’s relationships.

“The examples we have had from NCT are outstanding and it just goes to show the power of empathy and a slight behaviour change can literally change lives. A huge congratulations to all involved in making this project such a success.”

For more information about Antser VR, click here.

To see the full list of 2023 National Technology Award winners, click here.

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Antser and London Tri-borough partnership shortlisted in prestigious industry awards

Corinna — Wed, 05 Apr 2023 15:09:32 +0000

Antser, one of the UK’s leading providers of health and social care technology, has been shortlisted in the prestigious MJ Awards for its work with three London boroughs using virtual reality (VR) to reduce the risk of child exploitation and extra-familial harm (EFH).

The partnership with Redbridge Council, Waltham Forest Council and Enfield Council has been shortlisted in the ‘Innovation in Children’s and Adults’ Services’ category in this year’s awards.

Figures published by the Department of Education (DfE) revealed that in London between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021, 3,500 children were identified as being at risk as a result of involvement with gangs, while an additional 2,650 children were identified as being at risk as a result of child sexual exploitation.

Specifically, in the London Borough of Enfield, 181 young people were identified as either experiencing or being at significant risk of child exploitation, including 14 repeat referrals. Across the borough, 100 young people were at risk of child sexual exploitation, 72 at risk of child criminal exploitation and nine were at risk of both.

In response to these statistics, the three London boroughs partnered together and worked with Antser.

Young people identified as being vulnerable to exploitation and at significant risk of EFH, experienced VR which allowed for them to either share their own experiences, have a conversation about the risks and protective factors or to increase their understanding of the grooming process. The parents, carers and any health and social care professionals working with the young people, also used the innovative VR programme with their local council in order to increase empathy, raise awareness and improve outcomes.

Antser VR immerses viewers into real-life scenarios, enabling them to experience the real-life impact of trauma, abuse and neglect.

Between January and March 2022, Antser VR had been used 52 times in interventions conducted across the Redbridge, Enfield and Waltham Forest boroughs directly with vulnerable adolescents or their parents

Following the interventions, nearly 89 per cent of parents had a better understanding of the experiences their child may be going through. Crucially, 17 out of the 18 felt more able to discuss how to protect/support their child with practitioners since experiencing the VR.

In Redbridge alone, from February to August 2022, over 100 young people benefitted from VR during group work sessions with the Junior Family Intervention Team (JFIT).

Kerstin Walby, Team Manager at Redbridge Council said: “With the use of VR, our early intervention staff have gained an incredibly valuable tool for supporting young people and families affected by EFH.
“All of the young people and families who have taken part in the VR intervention have given positive feedback about their experiences. The VR process has enabled deeper discussion and tailored support to be provided to meet the family’s needs.”

Richard Dooner, Chief Executive Officer at Antser, said of the partnership: “Nationally, over 36 local authorities have signed up to use and implement Antser VR within its services, but this is the first time our films have been used across a tri-borough partnership.

“We are so pleased to see that our innovative VR programme has shown the power of stepping into the world of the child. By utilising technology and communication across boroughs like Redbridge, Waltham Forest and Enfield, it is showing that professionals can enter a virtual space and engage children effectively, opening conversations in a new way.

“We are thoroughly looking forward to continuing to support the three boroughs in their overall mission to deliver better outcomes for vulnerable young people across London.”

The winners of The MJ Awards 2023 will be announced at a ceremony at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London on 23rd June.

For more information about Antser VR, click here.

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Antser shortlisted in National Technology Awards for work providing better outcomes for children and young people across Northamptonshire

Corinna — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 08:51:43 +0000

One of the UK’s leading health and social care technology providers has been shortlisted in this year’s National Technology Awards for its partnership with Northamptonshire Children’s Trust (NCT) to support foster placement stability.

Antser was named a finalist in the ‘Best Public Sector Project’ category, having worked with NCT to improve the lives of looked after children using its immersive virtual reality (VR) technology.

VR has been proven to be a consistently strong and effective tool for supporting foster carers, specifically where the team feels concerned about the progress or stability of placements.

Reflecting on the power of VR, one social worker said:
“The difference VR has made to the fostering household I worked with was the difference between placement stability and placement breakdown. Carers can really use this tool to reflect upon the impact their responses have for a child and it has really helped to repair and reconstruct the carer/child relationship to a much more therapeutic and positive approach.”

Using Antser VR provided prospective fostering parents with an insight into what a child might be experiencing at home and in foster care. It has now become a key talking point for applicants within NCT’s assessment and fostering panel.

Richard Dooner, CEO of Antser, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been shortlisted in the National Technology Awards for our work with Northamptonshire Children’s Trust. As always, it will no doubt be a hard fought category but we are proud to be in it alongside the other finalists.

“Our work with NCT proves the benefits of using immersive VR technology to provide better outcomes for children and young people. So many foster care placements can fall apart simply due to a lack of understanding, but by placing people directly in the shoes of the child, it can make a huge difference to people’s relationships.

The winners of the National Technology Awards 2023 will be announced during an awards ceremony on 25th May at the London Marriott Hotel in Grosvenor Square.

For more information about Antser VR, click here.

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London Borough of Redbridge recognised for VR partnership to tackle domestic abuse in prestigious awards

Corinna — Wed, 15 Sep 2021 08:38:11 +0000

Following its success with a leading provider of transformational solutions, London Borough of Redbridge have become finalists in several prestigious awards for its work towards tackling domestic abuse.

The nominations come after their ground-breaking project with Antser, one of the UK’s leading providers of transformational solutions to develop a new intervention tool aimed at preventing perpetrators of domestic abuse from re-offending.

Using Antser’s Virtual Reality as a tool to disrupt and reduce domestic abuse incidents, the aim of the partnership was to improve outcomes for victims and help perpetrators understand the impact of trauma, through the eyes of a child.

Based on its innovative work with Antser, London Borough of Redbridge has not only been shortlisted as finalists at the LGC Awards for the ‘Children Service’s’ category but have also made the finals at the MJ Awards in the ‘Innovation in Children Services’ category.

Judges from the MJ Awards shared their thoughts on the project and said: “This project showed an innovative use of VR in the work of the perpetrator programme, with powerful quotes from service users and excellent outcomes with demonstrated cost efficiencies.”

Evidence from this partnership identified that 85% of the perpetrators who took part in the VR study said it made them think differently about their behaviour. In the 14-months following their participation, 90% of the perpetrators had not been involved in any incidents requiring intervention.

With the LGC Awards due to be announced later in November, the MJ Awards will be holding their awards ceremony this Friday, the 17th September.

For more information about the project, click here.

To find out more about Antser VR, click here.

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Antser’s pioneering VR is shortlisted in the LaingBuisson Awards 2021

Corinna — Thu, 09 Sep 2021 15:09:40 +0000

Following its success with several partnership projects over the past year, Antser, a leading provider of transformational solutions for the health, education, and social care sector, has become a finalist in the LaingBuisson Awards 2021.

After a record-breaking year of submissions in every category, with 490 in total, Antser is one of 5 shortlisted for the Public Private Partnership category.

Based on its work with London Borough of Redbridge to pilot the use of virtual reality (VR), Antser used immersive storytelling as a tool to disrupt domestic abuse and improve outcomes for victims, children and perpetrators.

As one of the UK’s leading providers of transformational solutions, Antser works with professionals on the front line in supporting children, young people and vulnerable adults.

Antser VR is one of the first VR-enabled behaviour change programmes designed for children’s and adults’ social care, as well as health and education. Using in-house designed, hard-hitting VR films as case studies, the pilot aimed to disrupt perpetrators’ behaviour and encourage survivors of abuse to remove themselves from abusive situations by giving them the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of an unborn child or 18-month-old.

Richard Dooner, Chief Executive Officer at Antser, said: “We’re delighted to have been recognised for our innovative work with London Borough of Redbridge. We have worked incredibly hard this past year to ensure that we have upheld the highest standards of achieving better outcomes for vulnerable individuals across the country and this shortlisting is a testament to that.”

Councillor Jas Athwal, Leader of Redbridge Council said: “Tackling domestic abuse is a priority for Redbridge council, as we want all residents to feel safe in their homes. Our frontline staff identified that we needed to work directly with the perpetrators of abuse to tackle the root causes.

“The partnership with Antser VR enabled us to do this, as their technology permits perpetrators of abuse to see first-hand how their actions can have a lasting impact on children.

“We will continue to explore how this technology can be used to reduce domestic abuse in Redbridge and improve the lives of children and young people.”

As global pioneers of the first VR enabled behaviour change programme for children’s services, Antser delivers transformational solutions to the health, education and social care sectors, in partnership with local authority and independent providers.

The awards ceremony is planned to be held on the 8th of November 2021 at Park Plaza Westminster, London.

Since the pilot, Antser has continued to expand the use of VR, positively impacting on the lives of many children and young people across the UK and internationally. As a ground-breaking intervention tool, Antser VR is showing significant results and impact not only across its partnership with The London Borough of Redbridge, but also within new sectors such as healthcare, education and the police.

For more information about Antser VR, click here.

For more information about our pilot with the London Borough of Redbridge, click here.

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Antser’s Pioneering VR Recognised as ‘Product of The Year’ in National Awards

Corinna — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 09:36:15 +0000

Thanks to its success in a number of partnership schemes over the past year, Antser’s pioneering virtual reality (VR) technology has now been shortlisted in the National Technology Awards 2021.

Based on its work with organisations such as the East Metropolitan Police and Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust over the past year, Antser VR has been shortlisted in the Virtual or Augmented Reality Product of the Year category, having been recognised for its innovative approach.

As one of the UK’s leading providers of transformational solutions, Antser works with professionals on the front line in supporting children, young people and vulnerable adults.

Antser VR is one of the first VR-enabled behaviour change programmes designed for children’s and adults’ social care, as well as health and education. Using in-house designed, hard-hitting VR films as case studies, they immerse users into the lives of three characters from pre-birth to adolescence to give participants the chance to experience real life situations, like abuse, neglect and exploitation, directly through the eyes of a child.

Richard Dooner, Chief Executive Officer at Antser, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have been shortlisted for a National Technology Award. In the face of the pandemic, our teams have worked incredibly hard over the past year, working with the relevant organisations and those on the frontline to ensure the very best outcomes for vulnerable children, young people and adults. Our VR films have been instrumental in doing that; raising further awareness of ongoing issues exacerbated by lockdown and other restrictions.
“This in itself has been an incredible achievement and to have this recognised by an external panel is fantastic, given this challenging, albeit rewarding, year.”

Antser VR aims to enhance the understanding of professionals within these key sectors and challenge the “standard responses”, with topics covering a range of sector issues including safeguarding, domestic abuse (DA) and working with dangerous and evasive behaviours in a bid to deliver positive change and improved outcomes for vulnerable children, adults, families and communities.

For more information about Antser VR, click here.

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