A mixed methods realist evaluation of a Digital Life Story Work platform: What works, for whom, under what circumstances and how?

Life Story Work is a fundamental in children's state care. It is a process of helping chil dren make sense of their experiences to promote their well-being. As society increas ingly uses online repositories to store digital artefacts, interest in commissioning Digital Life Story Work (DLSW) platforms grows. However, why, how, when, for whom, and in what circumstances such platforms may help support children with ex perience of living in state care is unknown. Addressing this gap, we report on the first widespread rollout of a DLSW platform across one English Local Authority. Utilizing a participatory realist evaluation approach, we collected data from 119 participants and involved peer-researchers throughout. This article presents our final programme the ory. This illustrates that DLSW is more likely to be optimal when it is: flexible and person-centred; provides future storytelling prompts; starts early; begins in the present; involves children, and constantly offers participation choices; records all aspects of everyday experiences and; when appropriate training and support is avail able. Findings provide key considerations for commissioners and implementers and be gin to build a picture of how DLSW platforms may become embedded in supporting children with experience of living in state care.