Client

Imagine a bustling hive of professional care focused solely on young people. That’s what Off the Record (OTR) Youth Counselling Croydon offers. It’s a remarkable non-profit organization providing free, professional and accessible mental health support to young people, young carers, refugees, and school-based mental health initiatives in London. With such a great cause, we just couldn’t help but build the coolest app there is in non-profit.

Challenge

There were two main challenges that OTR faced:

  • A platform that couldn’t store all the personal data, and manage profiles, contacts, activities, NHS tests, and reporting.
  • A cumbersome use of the current app.

    • Crafting comprehensive profiles for each youth was no small feat, but we happily rolled up our sleeves. What OTR needed was:

  • Basic personal data and contact information, along with their preferred communication methods.
  • School information and GP details.
  • The full referral chain from the source to OTR.
  • Logs of all communications, including channels used and responses.
  • Emergency contacts and detailed relationships with family and friends.
  • Complete medical records featuring dietary needs, allergies, illnesses, mental health issues, and medications.
  • A record of individual or group activities they participated in, along with session details, participation records, and outcomes.

    • The Tech Backdrop

    Our mission was to take OTR’s noble cause and supercharge it with technology. OTR’s vibrant support system runs on a tech stack that’s as cool as it sounds:

  • Laravel framework with a splash of Laravel Orchid for sprucing up admin applications.
  • A bit of Stimulus (the JavaScript kind, not the economic version).
  • Hosted on Azure with Laravel Forge to keep the CI/CD smooth.
  • All data chilling in a trusty MySQL database.

    • Our tech overhaul translates to a multitude of benefits:

  • Rapid Processing: Cases move faster, profiles are more manageable, and the processing capacity? It’s skyrocketed.
  • Better Reputation: No more slow days, and OTR shines brightly with their superior organization and timely reports.

    • The team

    Behind every great project, there's a stellar team. For OTR, it was two of our rock stars:

  • Full-Stack / Tech Lead: leading the tech charge and building features that made the platform sing. From front-end fluency to back-end brilliance, he did it all and then some!
  • Project Manager: With 18 years of project management prowess and a PSPO-I certification, he really put the pro in “project”, making sure everything was on track and running smoothly.

    • Together, our dynamic duo turned OTR’s tech challenge into a total triumph, creating a platform that's as effective as it is innovative.

    What we accomplished together

  • Database Overhaul:

    • We transformed the old, clunky database—extracting, preparing, merging, and migrating it into a sleek, efficient system.

  • Smarter Assessments:

    • Developed an outcome assessment tool with top-notch standard questionnaires from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, like CORE-10, YP-CORE, GAD-7, and more.

  • Seamless NHS Reporting:

    • Automated the monthly report generation and upload to meet all NHS requirements effortlessly.

  • Smooth Self-Referrals:

    • Integrated the organization’s website, so self-referred youth could dive straight into the platform.

  • Connected Care:

    • Linked up with a third-party online counseling platform to extend personal and group therapy options.

  • Ultimate Customization:

    • Made the platform as customizable as a chameleon, adapting to every unique need of OTR.

    Impact

    The benefits? Astronomical, but let’s highlight the top 4:

  • Speed: Gone are the days of waiting eons for a new screen to load. The new platform is lightning-fast.
  • Capacity: Unlimited staff can now work with an unlimited number of profiles. Yes, you heard that right.
  • Data Consistency: No more data duplicates, and everything’s validated for top-notch accuracy.
  • Effortless NHS Reporting: Timely and correct reports bolster OTR’s reputation and efficiency.

    • Some Final Thoughts

    As a community that always gets excited to create #tech4good, we loved every minute of our experience with OTR.  We enjoyed the process as much as the result. And the outcome in a nutshell? A vibrant and efficient counseling platform that’s ready to support and empower the London youth in need more effectively than ever before. So, here's to faster screens, seamless processes, and a brighter future for OTR!

    Why stop here? Whether you're a non-profit looking to revolutionize your services or a business aiming for the next big tech leap, we've got the skills and passion to help you succeed. Reach out to us at blooming@looming.tech and let's create something amazing together!