Sorting out Separation Web app: evaluation of effectiveness
Research evaluating the web app for separating and separated couples, measuring its effectiveness and identifying potential enhancements.
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The Sorting Out Separation Web app (Web app), was launched in November 2012. The Web app offers a range of advice, help and support, as well as signposting to additional expert support sources, for parents who are separating or have separated.
This research was commissioned to evaluate whether the Web app meets the information, support and signposting needs of separating and separated couples (including the harder to reach), and to identify any potential changes which would enhance its value and usefulness.
This research took place between February and June 2013. The findings and recommendations in this report relate to the Web app at that period of time. It is based on qualitative research. Initially, 9 focus groups were conducted with parents, or couples without children, to explore the appeal of the Web app. Focus groups were reconvened to consider the usefulness and usability of the Web app. These issues were also discussed in single session focus groups held with grandparents and a further 14 individual in-depth interviews with existing Web app users.
The research identified a number of areas for improvement in the Web app such as the need for more detailed and wide ranging content and problems in accessing the Web app. The report contains recommendations for improvement and as a result DWP have used the findings from this research and the report’s recommendations to inform a revised home page which was launched in November 2013. This includes a new design to enable users to understand what the Web app is, and why they should use and trust it.
See also the statistics for the Sorting out Separation web app.