Click and Connect (360G-SCVO-a133z00000KKwGUAA1)

At the moment the digital inclusion activities that we are delivering comprise of two computer drop ins every week. These are in Leith and Stenhouse. They are accompanied by one-to-ones for people looking for more intensive or confidential support with a staff member. We are able to do this as we own our own Learning Centre in Leith with ten laptops. We then take these laptops to Stenhouse where a church there allows us to use their hall to run the group and they actively promote this in the area for us. People are welcomed to participate at the group at any stage in their digital journey with an emphasis on addressing digital exclusion by auditing how digitally aware they would like to be and where they currently see themselves in relation to this. Existing worksheets will continue to be used by staff and volunteers to guide participants through accessing health and wellbeing resources online and other digital skills. The hope would be that we would have continued funding through this programme to provide individuals without their own device a laptop and a data top up to support them in their digital journey. Such provision would be made once the individual has grasped an understanding of what is possible digitally such as accessing health services and websites like https://www.aliss.org/ , https://www.nhsinform.scot/ and https://ithriveedinburgh.org.uk/. Part of the introductory process to a new device would also be to support the individual to use web searches to manage conditions and use their GP website to order repeat prescriptions and use video functions for such things as Attend Anywhere consultancy. If participants wish, they can bring their own device to the group to aid their confidence while learning new skills.Some of the individuals attending the group will have internet access at home in the form of a prepaid dongle or hotspot. Others will have smart phones or tablets but with limited internet connection due to insufficient funds for the necessary data or unreliable connectivity due to the area in which they live. Many people we support found the closure of libraries due to Covid restrictions had an enormous impact on their wellbeing and connections to digital communities.As well as distributing more devices and data we would like to be able to offer the opportunity to participants to complete a Computer Driving License qualification with us if they would like to and for the principal staff member running the group to be trained as a Digital Champion.