The document discusses how digital inclusion initiatives can help vulnerable groups like unpaid carers and those with health issues. It describes how the Tinder Foundation works with community organizations to provide digital skills training and support, helping over 1.8 million people since 2010. Their programs aim to improve employment, health, literacy and help people access services. They discuss partnerships with local authorities and how digital can support self-care, reduce health service demand, and help isolated unpaid carers.

1. Digital Inclusion, Health and Social Care
Adam Micklethwaite, Director of Business Development
James Richardson, Head of Research & Innovation
Emily Redmond, Research & Specialist Insight Manager
Tom French, Research & Data Manager
@TinderFdn
#BCLive16

2. ● We help the most vulnerable in society engage with technology and use it to
improve their lives: by combining digital with community action
● Use digital to drive positive outcomes in employment/skills, health/wellbeing,
literacy/numeracy
● Major Government programmes, now working with local authorities
● Over 1.8 million people helped since 2010, further 2 million by 2020
About us

5. ● Digital + local = deep impact at scale
● Network of 5,000 community organisations (UK online centres)
● Reach into vulnerable communities; holistic, person-centred support
● Resources, tools, expertise, advocacy and management of large-scale and
targeted programmes
Our model

7. ● Learn My Way
● Future Digital Inclusion (BIS)
● Widening Digital Participation (NHS England)
● English My Way (DCLG)
● Reboot UK (Big Lottery)
● Corporates: Lloyds Banking Group, ISPs
Our programmes

8. Tinder Foundation Learning and Development Strategy 2015
1.88m
People supported to
gain better basic
digital skills
92%
Have improved
their quality of
life
Have
progressed onto
jobs or feel more
employable
Feel more in charge
of their finances
and able to manage
their money
62%
48%

9. ● Activating community assets for digital
literacy (people and organisations)
● Learning targeted on social groups or
geographical areas; or reflecting and
supporting local policy
● Community-based digital programmes,
within or across local services
Working with local authorities

11. Digital Health Literacy:
A Community-Based Approach

12. ● Three year Widening Digital Participation programme funded by NHSE
● Aims to address the challenge of reducing health inequalities by increasing
digital inclusion and digital health literacy
● Grant funding provided to around 200 community organisations (UKOLCs) in
England and ‘Pathfinder’ organisations
● Over 300,000 people engaged over three years, of which over 200,000 were
supported through digital health courses
NHS WDP Overview

13. ● 41% learned to access health information online for the first time; a
further 32% have learned to do this better;
● 65% agreed that they are more informed about their health;
● 59% agreed that they are more confident using online tools to manage
their health;
● 52% agreed that they feel less lonely or isolated and 62% stated that they
felt happier as a result of more social contact.
Impact on Learners

14. ● Digital and community based activity helps people with LTCs to self-manage
through digital, community and peer support (on- and off-line)
● Reducing demand on acute/crisis health and social care services:
○ Of the 34% of learners who would have gone straight to their GP or A&E
for non-urgent medical advice, almost half (46%) have since said they
would first seek advice by visiting websites like NHS Choices (26%),
going to a pharmacy (16%) or calling 111 (4%)
Self-care

15. Funded centres and their audiences for digital health:
○ 72% older people;
○ 40% people with poor mental health;
○ 40% people with learning difficulties;
○ 28% disabled people;
○ 21% carers; with 18.25% stating ‘unpaid carers’ as their main audience;
○ 15% disadvantaged young people.
Audiences

16. ● Partnerships at a local level are successful but sometimes need scale to
engage certain partners:
○ Local authorities;
○ CCGs;
○ Health professionals;
○ Third sector.
● Challenges of data sharing
● The need for clear referral routes and language - e.g. Rotherham SPS
Partnership Working

17. Digital Inclusion
and Social Care

18. ● 6.5 million unpaid carers in the UK, 2011
● 1.5 people working in adult care, 2012
● £55 billion estimated value of informal care and support, 2011
● Impact of caring on health and wellbeing: social isolation, stress, tiredness
● Carers place more importance on the health and wellbeing of who they look
after, than their own
● Unpaid caring is a hidden issue; caring leaves little time to focus on health;
carers miss out on a life of their own; carers feel unsupported
Research with Unpaid Carers

19. ● National organisations: Carers Trust, Carers UK and Family Fund
● Community organisations: Carers Centres and UK online centres
● Local Authority partnerships
● Carers are hard to reach and identify
● Lack of awareness of support on offer
● Lack of holistic approach
● More emphasis on those being cared for? (hidden carers)
Current Carer Support Models

20. ● UK online centres model: community-based digital + social inclusion
● Local, informal, flexible
● Known and trusted venues
● Broad spectrum of integrated F2F support services
● Formal and informal learning
● Functional & employability skills
● A chance for socialisation, personal development & new opportunities
Supporting Carers in
Communities

21. ● Not a replacement for F2F support for carers...
● ...But it adds to what health and community-based services can offer:
○ Online forums
○ Health information
○ Leisure activities
○ Informal and accredited learning
○ Keeping in touch with family and friends
● Cost & time savings for carers and the organisations that support them;
leaving more time and money to get the job done
Importance of Digital

22. Gill uses her iPad to chat to people and get
support on the Alzheimer’s Society website. She
says: “It’s all like-minded people on there and
you can learn so much from it - that’s the most
important thing for me.
“Attending the centre has given me confidence.
I’ve passed the word around and quite a few of
my friends have gone to get some advice and
help too.”
Gill Brooker, Lincolnshire

23. ● Investment in support for unpaid carers is cost-effective and reduces burden
on paid care system
● Ideal is a service that integrates community delivery and digital to relieve
pressure points and streamline patient/carer support
● Close communication & data sharing vital to ensure support is joined-up and
consistent
● Incredibly important to measure outcomes, analyse support journeys,
understand theories of change
● Importance of individual assessment of needs, skills gaps etc. to establish
where community-based support can help
Steps to Success

24. ● Essential to build and maintain partnerships
● Get local support service providers in the same room
● Audit services, identify interdependencies & establish a working group
● Agree responsibilities for maintaining contact, establishing SLAs and co-
ordinating different organisations’ activities
● Agree purpose & desired outcome(s) of group & individual partnerships
The Challenge

25. ● Still not enough understanding of effective models
● Urgent need to identify and disseminate best practice
● Tools are already in place to achieve this: online learning, marketing
materials, network co-ordination, advice and advocacy
● Scope for further research and dissemination
● Please get in touch if you’d like to know more, or want to talk to us about
your work
Conclusion

26. ?
Questions

27. Group one: Digital Inclusion and Self-care
Group two: Digital Inclusion and Unpaid Carers
1. What do you currently do?
2. How could this model benefit you?
3. What are the barriers?
Workshops

28. Tinder Foundation: www.tinderfoundation.org / @TinderFdn
NHS Widening Digital Participation: http://nhs.tinderfoundation.org
UK online centres: www.ukonlinecentres.com
Thank you