Digital Friendly York is a collaboration of organisations and individuals working together to maximise opportunities for all in York to access digital technology and equip them to access information, services, and support in the right way for them by recognizing individual needs as well as the needs of communities.
Background
From the workshop held in August 2020 we created the 100% Digital York network, through all our discussions since then, we have expanded our definition and talked about tackling digital exclusion and facilitating digital inclusion by providing access, connectivity, hardware, software, training, support, confidence-building, etc.
In 2021 York Community Furniture lead on develop the IT Reuse scheme for the City. Taking donated IT devices – laptops, PC’s, tablets and mobile phones, cleaning and securely setting them up and for re-use to people referred by support workers across the city. Since then, the scheme has extended to provide wi-fi hubs and data sims to ensure people are connected.
We have been successful in securing funding to begin to develop and coordinate digital advice and support over the last three years, including a part-time Digital Co-Ordinator hosted by initially by York Explore and now York Learning, who has worked alongside partners to
- raise awareness, to gain access to communities and venues to promote awareness of digital offer around York, to find individuals/groups in need of support and signpost them to that support and to provide practical resolutions eg provision of SIM cards with data on for free for those who are in need and do not have financial capacity of their own.
- to establish Digital Café offer in multiple locations across York. These cafes are run by Keeping Digital Foundation volunteers, are completely free for any of the public to attend and are spaces where people can access support with any digital technology.
- on scoping out, designing and researching Coder DoJo offer which will be implemented in 24-25 to allow young people to access coding skills whilst simultaneously promoting digital confidence/pathways to qualifications/availability of digital support to the parents who are attending with their young people beginning summer 2024.
During 2024 the network has reviewed the work so far. We have developed new Terms of Reference and a strategic plan focusing on the vision of Digital Friendly York. These will enable the network to work together to target existing resources and secure additional funding and resources to deliver the shared goals for our City.
The Digital Friendly York terms of reference sets out three key objectives:
● To build a co-ordinated, connective, and collaborative approach to digital inclusion across York
● To enable people of York to get information, advice, and guidance to the services they need via digital solutions, whilst acknowledging the place and need for non-digital solutions and to promote informed choice.
● To focus on digital inclusivity needs for the City of York, to identify areas of digital exclusion and to collectively work to provide possible solutions to support digital inclusivity.
Our priorities are to reduce the barriers to accessing devices and equipment to get online, such as laptops, phones, broadband and data; and building skills, knowledge and confidence within the City for people to be able to make the best use of everyday technologies and digital services and the opportunities these provide.
We will take a test and learn approach to all aspects of the work, developing through collaboration and co-production and using ongoing monitoring and evaluation. The project is structured with a small steering group and wider partnership network from a range of organisations across the city both delivering digital services and supporting residents. This means that the project is resident wish focussed and user led.
We want to create a vision for a Digital
Friendly York where all parts of our community feel confident using
and have access to essential everyday technologies. We want
businesses, organisations and individuals to get involved, for
their employees, customers, participants, friends and family.
Working together to understand the importance technology plays in
good quality of life and ensure all York residents are able to
benefit from the opportunities and make informed choices about if
and how they use digital within their everyday and working
lives.
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Objectives & activities
Note: we recognise that some of these objectives/subobjectives may change their priority either because of new objectives becoming apparent as the project develops or because timescales are flexible. The priority list is not set in stone this is a working document. |
Timescale/priority 1 - Short term - aiming at Year 1/2 2 - Medium term - aiming at Year 3/4 3 – Long term - aiming at Year 5 and beyond |
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Objective 1: To build a co-ordinated, connective, and collaborative approach to digital inclusion across York |
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Explore the key barriers and issues facing residents in embracing and using everyday technologies, and the best ways to engage and support people, through conversations and utilizing the range of existing forums and community activities in the city. |
1 |
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Create Digital Friendly York campaign - Develop a scheme for organisations, businesses, services, community groups, etc. to join to support being digitally friendly |
1 |
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o Publicity campaign to promote the benefits of being digitally confident, where, and how to get support if needed. |
2 |
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o Digital Friendly York pledge/accreditation to promote good practice and so people know where and how they can ask for advice and support to use digital services and technology. |
2 |
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o Digital Friendly York awards to showcase and share good practice. |
3 |
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Promote and continue to develop a range of training on using everyday technologies and building IT skills for life and work. |
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- Develop a central resource toolkit for supporting people to build people’s access, digital skills, knowledge, and confidence. ⮚ Collate existing resources ⮚ Create Trello buckets |
1 |
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- Identify gaps and develop new resources |
2 |
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Collate and develop good practice and training for organisations, businesses and individuals to confidently provide advice and support to people on using digital services and technologies. |
2 |
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Objective 2:To enable people of York to get information, advice, and guidance to the services they need via digital solutions, whilst acknowledging the place and need for non-digital solutions and to promote informed choice. |
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Promote and support online safety and security, to build skills and confidence to access and use online tools and access services digitally. |
Ongoing throughout |
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Promote and expand support with using devices and practical applications, such as NHS ap, GP services, online shopping, etc., including - digital cafes, - work- place and community support. |
1 |
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Map and promote free access to computers, wi-fi, advice and support. |
1 |
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Continue to develop and promote access to equipment and data |
Ongoing throughout |
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- Develop the IT Reuse scheme |
1 |
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o Maintaining and increasing donations |
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o Promoting the scheme to support workers to make applications for support |
1 |
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- Developing options for repairs, mending workshop/Phone Dr |
2 |
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- Map, and increase coordination and promotion of free data sim cards |
1 |
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- Develop IT equipment loan scheme to build confidence, highlight benefits and enable people to try before they buy |
2 |
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Objective 3: To focus on digital inclusivity needs for the City of York, to identify areas of digital exclusion and to collectively work to provide possible solutions to support digital inclusivity. |
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Use feedback from consultation and conversation to understand where people are particularly affected by digital exclusion, the issues faced and how these can be combatted; and use this to |
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- support people to with access to devices and data and developing confidence and skills to actively participate in a digital world. |
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- influence policies and planning of provision in the city to reduce barriers |
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Develop and promote good practice policy for organisations to include digital inclusion assessments to consider how people will use digital options and provide support at service or project development and planning stage. |
2 |
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Share good practice and training for organisations, businesses, and individuals to confidently provide advice and support to people on using digital services and technologies. - Collate and promote available resources |
2 |
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- Identify gaps and source/develop resources to address these |
3 |