Digital Inclusion for older isolated

people; our learning journey

Frances Newell - NHS England

Martin Simpson, Andrea McLaughlin – Age UK South Tyneside

Heather Smith, Peter Blair, Don Slater – Age UK North Tyneside

Voluntary Sector Strategic Partners Programme

• Age UK

• FaithAction

• National Voices

• Men’s Health Forum

• LGB&T Partnership

• National Children’s Bureau

• Young People’s Health Partnership

• Race Equality Foundation

• NACRO and Clinks

• Women’s Health and Equality Consortium

• Disability Partnership

• Regional Voices

• Mental Health Providers Forum

• Carers Trust and Carers UK

• NAVCA

• NCPC, Help the Hospices and Marie Curie

• Volunteering Matters

• VODG, NCF and Sue Ryder

• UK Health Forum

• Win Win Alliance

• National Housing Federation

• Fit for Work

• Co-production and engagement forum for stronger policy making

• Route to reach wider voluntary sector – diverse range of networks and

communities

• Help sector build capacity to improve health and social care, reduce health

inequalities

What are we trying to do? • Work with Age UK to support isolated older people to

connect digitally

• 39% of people 65+ in social grades C/DE access internet

• Create a virtual network to reach seldom-heard voices

• Explore wider benefits to participants of this support

• Testing approaches via pilots with 5 local Age UK

partners

Age UK South Tyneside

Project set up

• Decide on appropriate delivery model(s)

• Identify partners

• Select and recruit volunteers

• Identify possible participants

• Engage with participants to confirm suitability

• Match participants with volunteers

• Begin delivery

Project delivery

• Initial contact – pre-assessment

• Create Individual Learning Plan

• Deliver training to meet participant’s needs

• Review learning achievements after each session

• Encourage participants to achieve – light touch from volunteers

• Provide support network – peer support & tutor / signposting support

• Post-assessment - improvements in confidence, knowledge & general well-being

Achieved outcomes

• Increase in confidence amongst participants

• Increase in knowledge amongst participants

• Participants much more likely to use online GP services for booking appointments, ordering prescriptions and accessing information

• Participants much more likely to use online NHS services (NHS Choices) for general information

• Participants much more informed about their condition and quality of consultations improved – Expert Patients Programme

Reflection

• Partnership between CCG and Age UK greatly increases flow of information

• Being able to hold ‘pop-up’ sessions within GP surgeries gave far more patients knowledge of and access to Digital Inclusion Service

• NHS campaigns and information can be better cascaded with access and ability to use technology, especially when embedded into learning

• Participants feel more in control and confident when they are involved in managing their condition; digital inclusion can reinforce this

Reflection

• Simple things like improved communication have a huge

impact particularly on isolated people

• Increased access encourages increased involvement, not just

in health but improved community involvement

• Improving digital skills of carers has a similar positive impact

on patients

• Patients should not be excluded based on a condition.

Age UK South Tyneside currently working with visually

impaired clients and people with dementia

(Pathfinder) and are making an impact on their

quality of life

Age UK County Durham

Presented by: Christine Fletcher Christine.Fletcher@ageukcountydurham.org.uk

Age UK North Tyneside’s

Seldom Heard Journey

‘To boldly go where no one has gone before’

Recruitment – Making Connections

Connecting to organisations who support people who are deaf or

hard of hearing

– Ho Ho, a support group run by and for people who are deaf or

hard of hearing

– North Tyneside Coalition of Disabled People

– Hearing Links

Volunteers

• Creating a volunteer profile

• Connecting to Age UK North Tyneside’s volunteer network

• Promoting externally

• Promoting via social networking

• Volunteer induction

Session Planning

• Induction

• Getting to know the tablet PC

• Using the camera

• Out and about

• Having your say about the NHS

• Evaluation and celebration

• Aims:

– To build confidence using the tablet and on board camera

– To build a stronger social interaction with participants and

volunteers

– To have fun!

A visit to Tynemouth Volunteer

Life Brigade Museum

Participant Experiences

Peter Blair

• Why did you want to be involved in the project?

• What did you learn about engaging with the NHS?

• What were the benefits of being involved in the project?

Volunteer Experiences

Don Slater

• Why did you want to be involved in the project?

• What did you learn about supporting people

who are deaf or hard of hearing?

• What did you learn about engaging with the NHS?

• What were the benefits of being a volunteer?

Reflections

• Issues

– Time

• Challenges

– Equipment

• Successes

– Engaging with NHS services

– Feedback

End of the journey?

Thanks for listening… Any questions for Don, Peter, Frances, Martin or Heather?

For more information please contact:

Heather Smith

Age UK North Tyneside

North Shields,

NE29 6QP

Tel: 0191 280 8484 Email:

Heather.Smith@ageuknorthtyneside.org.uk

Frances Newell

NHS England Public

Participation team Frances.newell@nhs.net

Martin Simpson

DI Co-ordinator

Age UK South Tyneside

Tel: 0191 4566903 Email:

Martin.Simpson@ageuksouthtyneside.org.uk

Andrea McLaughlin

DI Co-ordinator

Age UK South Tyneside

Tel: 0191 4566903 Email:

Andrea.McLaughlin@ageuksouthtyneside.org.uk