How can that best help you?
Professional onboarding pack
“Without NS, the student would have become further disengaged from learning and ultimately society, as he felt undervalued and did not see himself as a learner or someone who could be taught by teachers. NS is
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Noise Solution: Digital Story Onboarding
Pack for Professionals
1. Welcome & Introduction
Why You’ve Been Included
You’re receiving this pack because a young person you support is working with Noise Solution — Because of our digital story investment we can work in a way that uniquely allows us to include all the important adults around them this makes you a key part of their journey. This allows you to see what’s happening and improves our outcomes - The more people around the participant that engage with the story the better the outcomes we see.
What This Is
This guide explains what the digital story is, why it matters, and how it can help you play a simple, powerful (yet low time/demand) role in helping a young person feel seen, valued, and supported. Improving their outcomes.
2. What is a Digital Story?
A digital story is a private, secure, evolving online journal created by them of a young person’s creative journey with Noise Solution. It includes:
• Weekly short video reflections from the young person
• Snippets of creative work – beats, lyrics, session highlights
• Comments from family and professionals who are important to them (Thats you!)
This is not a monitoring tool — it’s a relationship-building tool. Where family, professionals, Noise Solution and the participant can all come together to celebrate something positive - and where the voice of the participant is genuinely front and centre.
3. Why It Matters: The Psychology Behind It
Our approach is based on Self-Determination Theory (SDT) — a leading model for understanding well-being. It shows that we all need to feel:
Need What it means
Autonomy
“I have a voice and choices”
Competence “I’m good at things”
Relatedness
“People care about me”
What your comments do
Respects their input and identity
Celebrates progress and effort
Shows someone is watching and genuinely interested
While it seems simple, as a theory, it has the weight of 1.8 million academic citations behind the fact that these three feelings are the three basic psychological needs that have to be in place for people to flourish. The way Noise Solution’s mentoring and it’s use of digital stories within that - is all designed to encourage those three feelings. And you are a part of that through your ability to make your participant ‘feel seen’ through your comments on the story.
The bottom line:
The more people who engage with a young person’s digital story, the better the outcomes. That’s not a slogan — it’s supported by our evidence and data.
Your voice helps unlock identity, motivation, and trust.
4. What You Can Do
• Watch the story
You’ll receive a secure weekly link to the young person’s digital story and a brief session summary.
• Leave a short comment
A line or two is enough — just let them know you saw and appreciated their effort (there are some tips in section 6 on what might be good to say).
• Encourage others to join
If the young person is happy with it, invite other trusted adults (e.g. a keyworker or teacher). All we need is their email address.
• Visit a session
We love it when professionals come along. Come to the studio or drop in — it’s a great way to deepen engagement and connection. Get in touch with your musician and organise it
5. What Can Get in the Way (And How to Avoid It)
Inconsistent attendance
We can’t just replace one young person with another when someone doesn’t turn up. It undermines the consistency we’re trying to build. Please support full attendance across all booked sessions.
Late cancellations
If we’re not told about a cancellation 24 hours in advance, the musician and possibly studio still needs to be paid for. Please let us know as early as possible to avoid unnecessary costs.
Weekly updates not being read
We send session summaries and story links every week. If they’re not opened, it’s harder to work together and harder for the young person to feel supported. Please prioritise checking the update each week. As a professional you will also have access to these session summaries from within the digital story (but they will also be automatically emailed to you.
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6. How to Write a Supportive Comment on a Digital Story
We often hear: “I’m not sure what to say.”
That’s completely normal. This isn’t about being perfect — it’s about being real.
The goal:
Help the young person feel seen, supported, and encouraged.
What makes a good comment?
• It’s clear you’ve watched or listened
• It’s sincere and informal
• It’s encouraging without over-praising
Use what you noticed.
Mention something specific from the video or session. For example:
“I liked it when you explained how you layered the beat — that sounded really creative.”
“You looked much more confident in how you described things this week — great to see.”
“That lyric you shared was powerful — I could see it meant something to you.”
Tips for writing comments
• Be yourself — don’t write it like a report
• Echo something they said
• Notice the effort as well as the result
• Ask a curious question if you like
• Keep it short — a sentence or two is enough
Don’t just watch — comment
If you’ve been invited into the digital story, it’s because your perspective matters. Watching without responding can feel like being observed, not supported.
Even one sentence shows you’ve taken the time to care. And that can be a gamechanger.
Final Thought
Your engagement won’t take much time but it isn’t small. It builds trust. It helps young people feel safe enough to grow.
Final Final Thought, Other Things To Note
A strong referral sets participants up for success with Noise Solution. Below are some simple tips to ensure the young person feels prepared, supported, and excited about the opportunity.
Ask Them First
It’s vital that each participant is asked the question:
“Do you want to hang out with a musician and make whatever music you want?”
Noise Solution is a voluntary programme. Engagement and outcomes are strongest when the young person has chosen to take part themselves.
We’ve created a short film you can share with anyone considering sessions. It explains what to expect and helps build reassurance from the start:
Film to show participants about what to expect
Musical Experience and Interests
• No experience needed. We work with participants at every level – from complete beginners to those already making music.
• Led by their interests. Whether it’s beats, piano, rap, guitar, or any other style or instrument, we always start from their music of choice. There are no limits to genre or style.
Age Range
• Ideal starting age: 11+
• We have worked with children as young as 7, but please contact us to discuss younger referrals.
Contact Details
Having direct participant contact information is essential:
• A personal phone number that they can access during sessions is crucial. SMS codes are often needed for logging into their secure digital story.
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• An email address for the participant is also required – this is the main way we’ll communicate about their sessions.
Once logged in, each participant is greeted with a personalised video message from their musician, helping them feel reassured and welcomed.
Our Approach to Lyrics and Expression
Relationship-building is central to our model. That means we do not censor lyrical content – censorship risks shutting down developing trust.
• This does not mean we ignore harmful content. Musicians will sensitively challenge and reflect where appropriate.
• The focus is always on creating a safe, supportive space that fosters honest expression.
Any other questions let us know: info@noisesolution.org