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Help build our community of practice

The digital landscape is evolving all the time, and we are keen to support each other to develop our digital skills so that we can evolve our practice alongside it. That is why we have created our bank of ‘How-to Guides’ as a means to share digital best practice and learn from each other.

This page provides an overview of what our How-to Guides are, how you can submit one, and how you’ll benefit from sharing your work.

What are How-to Guides?

Aye Mind has an ever-growing bank of ‘How-to Guides’ written by local organisations that are using digital tools to support children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. These guides share best practice examples of what works. They outline simple step-by-step instructions that allow individuals to apply the learnings in their own local context.

Anyone can submit a How-to Guide and contribute to our growing community of practice. When you share a guide, your work will then join others in being showcased as an example of best practice in the digital space.

What we are looking for

We are looking for examples of people doing interesting things with digital tools to support children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing.

You could be using a digital tool:

  • To deliver an online service
  • In a routine way to help you in your daily practice
  • To engage with children and young people around their mental health and wellbeing.

Most organisations have something that is worth sharing, you might just not realise it yet! Below we have included examples of things we are looking to hear about to provide you with some inspiration. This is to give a flavour of some of the approaches we’d be looking for - it isn’t an exhaustive list.

Accessibility Accessible and inclusive uses of digital tools to engage with children and young people e.g. efforts to overcome digital exclusion Any digital tool or software
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use of AI to engage with children and young people or support their mental health and wellbeing Any AI tool
Blending Online and Face-to-face support Interesting ways of combining face-to-face support with online elements Any digital tool or software
Chatbots Use of chatbots to provide triaging, signposting, or mental health support Any chatbot
Data Analysing data and insights to improve a service or intervention targeted at children and young people Any digital tool or software
Delivering online services Innovative ways of using digital tools to deliver online services Any digital tool or software e.g. video calling platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom
Engaging with young people Using digital tools as part of youth engagement initiatives Any digital tool or software that facilitates engagement with young people e.g. Social Media Platforms, or messaging services
Online Peer Support Innovative use of platforms to promote online peer support Any digital tool or software
Online Safety Improving children and young people’s knowledge of a range of online safety topics and their mental health and wellbeing impacts. Any digital tool or software e.g. Online educational / ‘scenario-based’ games
Providing online information Innovative ways to share information about mental health and wellbeing online, including resources, signposting information, and lived experience case studies Any digital tool or software e.g. Videos, Podcasts
Support your own working practice New ways of using digital tools to improve your working practice, such as to improve efficiency or internal processes Any digital tool or software e.g. Microsoft Forms

How you can submit a ‘How-to Guide’

  • Let us know about the project you want to share, either by emailing us at ggc.mhead@ggc.scot.nhs.uk or by filling in our online form
  • We will then hold a short Teams call with you to chat through the project, including asking what key learnings you want to share with others
  • We’ll draft a step-by-step Guide together
  • You can approve it before it goes live
  • We’ll then promote it to our wide range of partners and networks

The benefits to your organisation

  • Our ‘How-to Guides’ showcase best practice examples of organisations doing innovative and interesting things with digital tools. Featuring on our site will help you to build your reputation as a leader in this space.
  • You can also demonstrate to Funders that you are sharing examples of best practice. This might either help with reporting your impact and reach to those you have already received funding from. Or, it could also support you with writing funding applications by showing your work has been verified by a third-party site.
  • Your profile will also be raised as we will share your Guide in our Aye Mind newsletter. This newsletter is shared on Twitter and sent out to our wide range of partners and colleagues across Greater Glasgow and Clyde and beyond.

The benefits to others

  • Sharing your learnings not only benefits your organisation, but it benefits others too. Including:
    • Supporting others to develop their digital skills, helping them to fill in gaps they might have in their own practice.
    • Developing the confidence of others, supporting them to learn from and build upon what has been done before them.
    • Eliminating any time that is wasted by adopting a trial and error approach.

    If you have any questions about our How-to Guides or would like support in sharing your own Guide, please email us at ggc.mhead@ggc.scot.nhs.uk