Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2024.2411528

this paper draws on a complex adaptive systems lens to develop an understanding of the staff practices that sup-ported the development of Virtual Disability services in ireland amid the cOViD-19 pandemic. the study involved twelve interviews with service providers, which were anal-ysed using Reflexive thematic analysis, leading to two over-arching themes. the first theme focuses on the logistics of constructing the response. this includes dynamic adaptive-ness, technological readiness, a positive attitude towards technology, resource availability, digital skills, and the level of take-up. the second theme centres on the enacted response, which encompasses sensemaking, developing technological expertise, managing upward, fostering creative innovation, cultivating a systems sensibility, and creating conditions for psychological safety and authentic engagement. We conclude that staff practices are key for creating conditions conducive to safe spaces, sustaining well-being, and reshaping power dynamics and emphasise the impor-=tance of embracing technology as a tool for innovation within complex operating environments.