VCSE Networking Event - Digital Inclusion

Connected Voice – VCSE Networking Event Digital Inclusion 21st September 2022, 1pm – 3pm

Twitter: @ConnectedVoice_ Event: #ConnectWithDigitalNE LinkedIn: Connected-Voice Facebook: @ConnectedVoiceCharity Youtube: Connected Voice

Executive summary:

• Connected Voice brings together the voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations serving Newcastle and Gateshead with the 4th of our 2022 Networking Events.
• This event focused on digital inclusion and how VCSE organisations are delivering services to ensure that no one is left behind digitally. The pandemic shed light on the disparities in access to technology, skills, confidence, and data, and the need for digital inclusion to be a priority.
• Key themes that came out of the event were how digital inclusion can give people a voice, build confidence, improve access to education and make online content accessible to everyone.
• This report unpacks these themes and projects in more detail and will provide information on how you can get involved.

Introductions:

Connected Voice Impact Video 2022: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GczBmT2gBVY

Lisa Goodwin (CEO Connected Voice)

• Introduced the format of the day – presentations, breakout rooms, informal networking.  
• Shared information about the networking events – 6 a year themed around a topical issue.
• Thank you to Jack Summerside who is leaving in October and has organised the network event.  

Tracy Huitson (Trustee at Connected Voice)

• Tracy is a Practice Manager at West Road Medical Centre. She shared how going digital is helping the NHS provide more services for less money and collect real-time data.
• Downside of this is digital inclusion and widening inequalities between patients.
• Lack of IT equipment and lack of confidence can put people at risk.
• Digital Champions are helping people log on to online services to address inequalities.

 

Speakers:

Digital Voice for Communities: Julie Nicholson – Managing Director

Digital Voice for Communities is a CIC based in Gateshead who work to allow people to have a voice through digital media. This aims to increase self-confidence and digital skills. They work with marginalised people who are digitally excluded, including older people and those with learning difficulties.

• They share information about staying safe online and help people make appointments.
• Outlined the fears that people using their services had around technology including the fear of breaking the equipment or the internet, looking silly and being left behind.  
• Trying to do outreach work through the housing associations to reach those not currently accessing services.
• Intergenerational digital skills 6-week course so people can gain digital skills by stealth. People come for another reason but gain digital skills on the way. Have a buddy system with an older and younger person.  
• Run History clubs where people bring old photos and are shown how to scan them in. This encourages digital storytelling.
• 5 week virtual course for professionals to learn how to deliver storytelling services.
• DigitalMe helps people to draw themselves and cover a range of issues and is an anonymous way to give people a voice. Launching campaign on 4th October at Civic Centre.

julie@digitalvoice.org.uk / https://www.digitalvoice.org.uk/

Teakisi: Salha Kaitesi - Artistic Director and Executive

Teakisi is a platform for African women to share their stories and connect with other women sharing the same experiences.

• Having access to the internet can allow people to have a voice.
• Shared that she started writing blogs about life as an African woman and this gave her a space to share her experiences. The blog had 2 million views a year.
• Teakisi expanded to become a CIC in 2020 to create services to fill the gaps noticed in society.
• They offer digital skills lessons for free to the community in partnership with Good Things Foundation, after recognising a need for these.
• Things that stood out: most people in the community do not have phone contracts and have to top up with credit and some people cannot afford to call people back such as the doctors.
• Found that African communities are not hard to reach if services are delivered in a range of venues, like mosques.

https://teakisi.com/

Success4All: Stella Simbo – Volunteers Co-Ordinator and Lead Safeguarding Officer 

Success4All engage, equip and empower children, young people and families in the North East.

• Their longest-running service is the Learning Hubs for young people. These allow young people access computers and the internet. Volunteer tutor befrienders are available to teach digital skills.
• Run coding clubs and young person youth club to develop graphic design skills.
• In pandemic started an online learning support service. Used Google as all Google apps can be used for free. Could create learning resources, share these with volunteers and apps could be accessed offline. These were available in range of languages.
• Deliver 6 week Google training programme.
• Pandemic shed light on disparity in digital skills and they had to rethink their structure to make their services accessible.

Email / https://www.s4a.org.uk/                  

Your Homes Newcastle and Newcastle City Council: Lisa Dawson – Digital Inclusion Programme Coordinator

Get Online Newcastle is a partnership between Your Homes Newcastle and Newcastle City Council that supports people to get online.

• 5500 volunteer hours have been given to make the programme happen.
• Realised that social housing tenants needed help getting online so started delivering digital skills courses in 2015.
• They deliver programmes in Newcastle City Library. Free computing courses are available which give participants 5 hours of free one-to-one support from a volunteer.
• Techy tea parties allow people who have a device to come along to upskill themselves and feel confident in using their device.
• Both volunteers and service users gain employability skills and build confidence.
• Have helped 1,000 people get online.

Email / https://www.newcastle.gov.uk/services/libraries-culture/using-library-computer/get-online-newcastle

Connected Voice Advocacy: Melissa Girling – Information Officer

Connected Voice Advocacy is a free and confidential service that helps people be heard and understand their rights.

• Connected Voice have been thinking about how to improve accessibility.
• Added features like Recite Me to the website and are developing guidance on accessibility to share internally with colleagues and more widely.
• Promoting digital inclusion to advocacy service users, particularly after the pandemic.
• Developed app DIY Advocate which gives people the tools they need to have a voice and find information about problem.  

melissa.girling@connectedvoice.org.uk / https://www.connectedvoice.org.uk/services/advocacy.

Charity Digital: Zoe Amar – Chair

Charity Digital aim to help organisations achieve more by using digital technology.

Watch Zoe’s video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmYAb3d3vj8

• Shared insights about the sector and how to plan for the future.
• The Charity Digital Skills report is annual report on the progress made in the sector over the past year. The latest report was published in July.
• 2/3 of small charities reported that they are planning to make progress with digital this year.
• Data showed that small charities need support with this, particularly to improve their website, digital presence and social media.
• Charities need time to work out what support they need and how improvements can be made.
• Need to set aside time to reflect on what went well, what improvements can be made and how to plan this for the future.
• Need funding to invest in devices and training so funders should support small charities with this. Charities want training for staff and volunteers but need funding to do this.
• When the survey opens in the Spring, fill it in to gather information and allow them to lobby for change.

Email / https://charitydigital.org.uk/home

Breakout Group Questions: Feedback

Volunteering

Successes:

• Volunteering is a good way of upskilling in digital, especially if they are looking to get into employment or test a different career.  

Challenges:

• Beware of myths around digital exclusion.  Not always older people – can be any age.  It had been noted that research had found that the biggest consumers of digital content during the pandemic were the over 50s.  More about digital poverty, than age.
• People are using different kinds of technology to communicate and have different preferences.  It’s often difficult to keep volunteers informed and engaged when trying to meet individuals’ wishes and abilities – using different formats helps.
• There are layers of technology also needed in some circumstances in terms of supported volunteering – including the need for accessible technology for volunteers with a range of disabilities or languages. Access to this specialist technology can be problematic.
• Still a need for a blended approach –a face to face approach alongside technology.  Finding the balance between offline and online communication.
• Volunteers are giving their time and sometimes see it as a chore to have to do training, e.g. on volunteer online platforms, especially if they don’t want to or are not confident in engaging with technology.  Training online can further deter some volunteers.
• Might be useful to find out, at induction, how digitally included volunteers are, finding ways to support needs may help with retention.
• May be useful to look at EDI policy to see whether it includes digital inclusion.
• Volunteers who may benefit most from volunteering, may be those less likely to volunteer, digital exclusion being one reason. Under-representation in volunteering?
• Volunteering is a good way of upskilling in digital, especially if they are looking to get into employment or test a different career.  

 

Connected Voice can help:

• Advocate for specific funding for digital inclusion.
• Look at training in digital skills, specifically for volunteers.
• Connect good practice amongst VCSE organisations.
• Connect skills based volunteering to those in need.

Vulnerable People

Successes:

• Getting lots of health literacy materials online on organisation’s website.
• Teaching people digital skills to support them to get online [6 week course].
• Getting funding from Good Things Foundation to provide people with devices, including portable internet devices.
• Getting people engaged by stealth.

Challenges:

• Ensuring materials on website aren’t digitally discriminating.
• Internet poverty.
• People don’t have devices.
• People don’t have data.
• People sometimes have only one device per family and/or insufficient data to cover all the family’s needs.
• Getting people engaged.
• Digital exclusion denies people access to fundamental rights e.g. benefits claims online – prevents people without online access from claiming benefits causing poverty.
• People forgetting what they’ve learnt - providing short digital literacy courses is good, but people need access to continuing learning to practise and improve skills.
• Reaching people with limited/no ability to leave their homes.

 

Connected Voice can help:

• Devices to give to people.
• Data to give to people.
• More resources and devices.
• Funding.
• Capacity to support digital literacy and inclusion e.g. within Local Authorities to provide resources and staff in libraries, community centres etc.
• Community drop-ins to improve accessibility for people living locally.
• Follow-on courses which people can re-access to continue learning and practise and improve skills.
• Take devices to people’s homes to help them engage.
• Resources to support people to practise and use devices etc regularly
• Gateshead Library are providing support.
• Connected Voice advocating for all the above e.g. secure/help to secure funding.
• Reach people with limited/no ability to leave their homes e.g. through home carers, OTs, health visitors, health workers.
• More Digital Champions – formalise network of DCs across VCSE and public sectors e.g. place them in every GP surgery [Experiment in Gateshead – DGs in education settings].

Funding

• Digital inclusion should be factored into funding bids. For example, any digital training for staff/ trustees/ volunteers, provision of IT equipment etc. can be built into project costs. 

Successes:

• Offering funding for skills for businesses.
• Money for Chromebooks and different projects and support to families with internet connectivity.
• Looking at businesses/ charities and where the skills gaps are and understand the training needs.
• Organisations are starting to develop more of a funding strategy and a funding log.

Challenges:

• Wanting to raise money for volunteers training and skills development, though not sure where to look.
• Wanting to become more sustainable to deliver digital projects.
• Starting from scratch with funding each year.
• Funding for support with CRM. Digital stuff is costly.
• Funding to digitise training for volunteers- generating their own income.
• Difficult to budget and stick to the outlined costs in bids because of cost of living crisis- finding that money goes on supporting service users and staff and volunteers with the basic needs.

Connected Voice can help:

• Can help organisations secure more funding for sustainable future (smaller pots over time).
• Look for funding opportunities and do searches.
• Review funding bids and offer feedback.

Organisational Development

Successes:

• Made use of corporate support/funding available to introduce digital. Accenture tech-for-good scheme meant that training was received on how to effectively use Teams.
• Catalysing Innovation funding used for introducing EasyFundraising and providing training to support organisations raise money via the platform.
• Hybrid work has meant that engagement has improved. Focus groups and consultations to support organisational development have been better attended.
• There is a cost-saving element to introducing digital, from room hire/refreshment savings to improving workplace efficiency. It was also recognised that there is a positive environmental impact.
• There is a domino effect of introducing digital solutions on organisational development. Streamlining work and reducing admin burdens reduces the likelihood of burn out and provides space and time for people to look at organisational development.
• Data has become so much more important since we’ve become more digital. It’s now a key part of internal and external reporting and funding monitoring.

Challenges:

• Buy-in can be difficult with both staff and beneficiaries, and can often be the greatest barrier to using digital for organisational development.

Disadvantaged Communities

Successes:

• A few organisations got funding from Good Things Foundation to provide digital skills training and this has been very successful although everyone mentioned more funding and more devices were needed.
• People who have gotten hardware and data have benefitted.
• Listening and meeting the needs of communities.
• Connecting with different communities and understand cultural needs.
• Successful projects where people are already congregating or feel comfortable e.g. mosque, food bank, community centre.
• Individual/1:1 tailored support has been key in engaging people to learn.
• Volunteers or other service users who speak multiple languages can support learners and also gain digital skills themselves.
• Teaching digital skills but also internet safety.

Challenges:

• Not everyone has been given a device.
• People who have no recourse to public funds need more support.
• Intersecting needs such as mental health, disability, language skills, literacy, and poverty.
• Many learners don’t have English as a first language and there is no funding for interpreters or money for the increase in time. This means many people are excluded.
• Lack of funding.
• Lack of access to data.
• Accessibility.

Sara closes session

Additional information

Good Things Foundation – https://www.goodthingsfoundation.org/the-digital-divide/