evaluation findings from digital deal challenge fund - social housing & digital inclusion (uk)
DESCRIPTION
The UK Government invested over £400,000 on 12 Digital Deal Challenge Fund projects to establish best practice and lessons for social/public housing providers looking to introduce digital inclusion programmes. Our ambition is to help 100% of the UK population to use the internet to benefit their lives; 9.5 million people don't have basic internet skills in the UK and around 4 million of these people live in social housing. This presentation was first done for the Social Digital Research Symposium in London 22nd October 2014TRANSCRIPT
Digital Deal: Evaluation
Helen Milner, @helenmilner22 October 2014
Tinder Foundation makes these good things happen:
Why does the Housing Sector care about digital inclusion?
• Social Justice– Equality, improving lives– Educational attainment for children, employment,
lower household bills, reduced social isolation• Financial Security
– Make cost savings and focus spend on priorities– Universal Credit: £6.844m next three years
increased arrears predicted for a medium sized Housing Association
# DigiHousing #DigitalDeal
Social Housing: Strategic Objectives• Be a digital and successful business
– Have delightful online services and transactions that customers want to use
– Using digital to save you costs• With digital customers with better lives
– Inspire customers to use the internet– Support them to make best use of the web– Help them with access at home and elsewhere
• And digital staff – Staff empowered to help deliver a better business and
included customers through digital# DigiHousing #DigitalDeal
digitalhousinghub.ning.com#digihousing
digitalhousinghub.ning.com
# DigiHousing #DigitalDeal
Digital Deal Challenge Fund• 12 Exemplar projects funded with a Challenge
Fund• All had to address three barriers of Motivation,
Skills, & Access in some way• Wide range of conditions and approaches
• Urban & Rural• Infrastructure vs Marketing vs Training
• Tinder Foundation as project manager and collation of project evaluation
# DigiHousing #DigitalDeal
Digital Deal – 12 ‘exemplars’• A2 Dominion, London• Bron Afon Community
Housing, Torfaen• Camden Council, London• Cottsway Housing,
Oxfordshire• Fabrick Housing,
Middlesbrough (Now 13)• Golden Gates Housing
Association, Warrington
• Leeds Federated Housing “HUGO”
• Magenta Living, Wirral• Progress Housing, Lancs• Queens Cross Housing
Association, Glasgow• South Essex Homes,
Southend• Yarlington Housing
Group, Somerset
# DigiHousing #DigitalDeal
Evaluation Framework
Digital Deal: Overview of Impact
64,000 tenants engaged and made aware of new digital services
5,500 tenants undertook structured, supported learning
2,000 tenants transacted online for the first time
3,000 tenants newly able to transact independently
# DigiHousing #DigitalDeal
Quantitative Summary Data
Cross Cutting Findings
Integration• Cross organisation working with other teams, including
housing officers, financial inclusion • Internal signposting and referrals• Training for key workers and other front line staff• Targeting support on those who were most excluded• Ensuring digital inclusion is embedded not bolt-on
# DigiHousing #DigitalDeal
Partnerships• Wider community partners helped with
technology, training and promotion• Partnerships helps with sustainability• Strong support for job seekers
# DigiHousing #DigitalDeal
Assisted Digital
• Access and skills training ≠ Digital by Default• Online tenants can’t do all online transactions• Some online services need a (re) design to
consider the needs of low-skilled users
# DigiHousing #DigitalDeal
Technology
• Technology ….. Argh!!• Infrastructure essential but problematic• Long timescales• Not easy to make the right choices
# DigiHousing #DigitalDeal
Technological solutions require careful planning
● South Essex Homes hoped to get high-rise tenants online quickly via the Southend Cloud WiFi network managed by the Local Authority, but delays resulted from irregular communications and slow movement on the part of the LA. This caused frustration and created unforeseen risk, with volunteers trained, equipment in place and provision promoted, but no connectivity available.
● Golden Gates Housing Trust experienced technical problems with the signal penetration of the estate-wide WiFi installed as part of their Digital Deal project, with the final solution - a complete redesign of the WiFi mast network in consultation with technology partner Social Telecoms - causing unavoidable delays to delivery.
# DigiHousing #DigitalDeal
Project Overviews
● Low-cost broadband offer for all tenants● Home access improved with donations of
new and refurbished devices● Partnerships with expert training provider,
with cascade training to embed sustainable skills training
● 7 open-access IT suites set up● New online training portal● Communal and 1-to-1 classes
● 4 communal kiosk devices installed● Outreach targeting extremely isolated and
excluded communities● Focus on digital employability skills● 2-way referrals with local support partners● Provided support to non-tenants● Informal drop-in sessions
● Invested in Looking Local internet TV service● Mobile outreach to engage highly rural
population● Focus on reducing loneliness and isolation● Popular device lending scheme● Digital Champion training for frontline staff● Innovative work with youth forum
● Rascal mini-PC for all beneficiaries with at-home induction and training sessions
● Internet TV with homepage menu of online services● Installation of estate-wide wifi● Informal classes delivered by local learning partner● Partnership to assure recruitment and training of
volunteer Digital Champions● Academic involvement on long-term project
evaluation● Major re-design of online services portal
#DigitalDeal
● Strong approach to branding● 2 digitally equipped buses with free wifi● Links with GP surgeries and medical centres● 1-to-1 support in sheltered schemes● Employability support for non-tenants● Partnership with JCP work experience
programme
#DigitalDeal
● Activity directed at older tenants● Strong emphasis on social inclusion● Well-planned engagement campaign with high
conversion rate from engagements to learners● ‘Digital Friend’ tenants volunteering role for
advocacy and encouragement● Provision of recycled devices, with credit union
partnership to make buying more affordable● Evaluation of impact using the Wellbeing
Valuation method
● Project launch with digital bus roadshow● 4 new open-access IT suites● Informal drop-in built around tenants’ interests● Tenant Digital Champion training and
coordination● Integration with provider’s employability
provision for jobseekers● Upgrade of online services portal
● Digital Advice Officer and Advisors● Five new Digital Community Hubs● Integration with wider frontline support● Training for youth and family workers● Employability support for wider community● Regional advocate for digital inclusion
● 25 Digital Lead tenant volunteers● Innovative, intensive volunteer support offer● Community wifi in ten high-rise blocks, sheltered
schemes and community centres● Ten new IT suites installed, with reconditioned
devices● Internal referrals from Tenancy Services team to
reduce failed tenancies● Two-way referrals with local advice and
employability support organisations, including support for non-tenants
● Was Fabric Housing● 12 self-serve kiosks in high-rise and rural
properties, providing access to 2000 tenants● 3 ICT apprentices supporting the use of kiosks and
delivering basic skills training● Training at-home, 4 new UK online centres● Referrals to social and financial inclusion teams● Close partnership with local independent UK online
centre, who have trained 47 Digital Champions and accepted referrals to provide intensive support
● Volunteers delivering classes for the wider community in local library UK online centres
● Rural delivery, with a focus on community outreach● Embedding skills in isolated communities through
structured volunteer training● Specialist support sessions for jobseekers● At-home support by local charity for housebound
tenants● Device loan scheme● Referrals from Welfare and Benefits &
Employability Support teams● Financial welfare/benefits advice by web chat● Volunteers supporting internal employment
services to train jobseekers
#DigitalDeal
digitalhousinghub.ning.com
# DigiHousing #DigitalDeal
Final Report is available here
http://social-digitalresearch.ning.com/
Thank You
[email protected]@helenmilner on twitterhttp://digitalhousinghub.ning.com/
#Digihousing #DigitalDeal