NEC Digital Studio working with Scottish Government to improve parents and carers experience of accessing childcare

NEC Digital Studio has been selected to scope and inform the design of a future digital childcare service to improve outcomes for children across Scotland.

A digital solution for accessing childcare 

We will work with community organisations, primarily Early Adopter Communities, to explore the benefits of a digital service that improves the Scottish Childcare system.  

NEC Digital Studio will identify the benefits for parents and carers, in finding, managing, and paying for childcare bookings, in a single system. We’ll explore how a national digital service can support people to take up or stay in work and complement activities that are already happening locally.  

Our multi-disciplinary project team of researchers, service designers, content designers, interaction designers and accessibility experts, will work in collaboration with stakeholders to understand and identify where and how national or local solutions can be employed. 

Prioritising those in most need 

In Scotland, 21% of all children live in absolute poverty. The Scottish Government has identified six priority family groups that, on average, are most likely to be living in poverty. These include lone and young parent families, black and minority ethnic families, and families with a disabled parent or child. To improve outcomes for those living in poverty by accessing suitable childcare, it is crucial to address the needs of parents and carers in these family groups.  

Bringing our experience 

With a long-standing history of working in Scotland, NEC Digital Studio supports the Government’s ambition to take children out of poverty by increasing access to employment opportunities for those who look after them.  

We have a wealth of experience producing evidence-based solutions to complex issues. This includes working for both Scottish local and central government to help families and children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. For example, we have worked with North Lanarkshire Council to help eligible families access free school meals, and, for central government, mapped the challenges of accessing school age childcare in rural and island areas.  Using our experience, NEC Digital studio will work closely with families, childcare providers, and other stakeholders to identify user-centred and place-based needs and opportunities. 

“We’re excited to be embarking on this project to better understand the experiences of those in the School Age Childcare landscape. We were impressed by the scope and ambition of the research proposed by NEC Digital Studio, and we look forward to gaining the insight required to inform future policy work related to the School Age Childcare programme.“ 

— Caroline Kennedy, Scottish Government, Contract Manager, Policy Lead 

“The Scottish Government loves the ambition of our research approach. Our researchers will be travelling all over Scotland, from the Central Belt to the Highlands and Islands. They’ll meet childcare providers, and parents and carers of school-aged children to find out about their experiences, problems and needs.

Our aim is to find out whether and how a new digital service could help parents and carers find and get childcare, to help them get into or stay in work, and ultimately help tackle childhood poverty in Scotland.” 

— Ali Wright, Project Director, NEC Digital Studio 

At NEC Digital Studio, we’re experts in user-centred research and design, connecting deep strategic thinking with design to tackle the most complex challenges. Find out more on our Research and Design webpage.