The most common challenges people face when attempting to get online is a lack of access, limited digital skills and low levels of motivation and trust. Around 29 percent of the UK population has very low digital engagement, which includes 54 percent of elderly people aged 75+.
To tackle these challenges in Kent, we got to work on EMPOWERCARE, a three-year technological and social innovation research project implemented across the county to build resilient communities and reduce individual frailty and loneliness for those aged 65 and above, and those aged 50 and above with at least one chronic condition.
Building resilient communities
The EMPOWERCARE team at Kent County Council worked with steering groups, and people with lived experience, to analyse the needs of Kent’s residents that were digitally excluded. The team then decided that loaning devices such as tablet and smart speakers, and providing support on how best to use them to vulnerable citizens, could have a large positive impact on their lives. We decided to make the loan scheme the focus of the project and worked with Cantium Business Solutions to deliver the service.
Valuable insight for the future
As part of the project, we also put in place Digital Ambassadors that supported people on a 1-1 and group basis to help them get the most out of their devices – approximately 50 percent of participants were supported this way.
Overall, the digital device loan scheme has been a success for the Council. The project has provided valuable insight used to inform future digital inclusion projects in Kent. Some of the work from EMPOWERCARE, such as the digital champions, will be sustained through Digital Kent, a service created as a response to the Covid19 pandemic, and works to improve digital inclusion and capabilities in the county.
The learnings from EMPOWERCARE have also informed the procurement of a county-wide Technology Enabled Care Service.
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Delivering digital support
The pilot taught us some valuable lessons in delivering a digital support scheme. We found out that volunteers often become involved in these projects for the social aspect as well as to give something back, so connecting them to other volunteers and ensuring they feel personally involved is important.
We found that working alongside and listening to people and keeping an open channel of communication was a vital step in the project’s success. We made sure we regularly reviewed our offer, asking; does it meet the needs of the target group? Remaining attentive to volunteer needs and taking a flexible approach to supporting them, changing methods based on feedback is a great way to keep them engaged. It’s also a good idea to utilise your existing network – making the most of existing organisations to help with promotion, expertise and resources.
Training virtually can be effective, but meeting everyone’s schedules can be a challenge, so it is important to be flexible, and paperwork and processes need to be as clear as possible and planned in advance, and it’s important to make contact and referrals easy.
Finally, we’d always advise considering connectivity, devices and skills level when developing your plans.
Playing our key role
Councils play a key role in helping people to get online and learn digital skills. By working in partnership with Cantium, we have delivered a service to Kent residents that enabled them to feel more connected, more independent, and less socially isolated while developing new digital skills.
