In this webinar we explored what we can learn from the COVID-19 pandemic about how to support people to get online and stay online. Find out more: https://www.ageing-better.org.uk/events/road-recovery-bridging-digital-divide

1. ageing-better.org.uk
The Road to Recovery:
Bridging the digital divide
Kristina Leonnet
Senior Innovation and Change Manager

2. Centre for Ageing Better
The context
Recent internet use in those
aged 65 to 74 increased from
52% in 2011 to 83% in 2019
Recent internet users, UK, 2011 and 2019
Source: ONS Internet users, UK:2019

3. Centre for Ageing Better
But many people are still not
online…
– In 2019, there were 4 million people who
had never used the internet. Of these,
the vast majority (3.7 million) are aged
55 and over
Sources: ONS Internet Users, UK: 2019

4. Centre for Ageing Better
While age does play a part, it’s
not the only indicator of who’s
online
Source: Lloyds Bank UK Consumer Digital Index 2019
– A fifth of those who have not used the
internet within the past three months
are under the age of 50
– 71% of those offline have no more
than a secondary education
– Nearly half of those offline [47%] are
from low-income households

5. Centre for Ageing Better
– Almost 4 in 5 people agree that COVID-19 has
escalated the need for digital skills
Being online has been especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic
4 out of 5
78%
Source: Lloyds Bank UK Consumer Digital Index 2020
– Almost 4 in 5 people agree that COVID-19 has
escalated the need for digital skills

6. Centre for Ageing Better
Impact of
COVID-19
How has COVID-19 changed the
landscape of digital inclusion for
people in mid to later life?

7. Centre for Ageing Better
Homes
– Internet connectivity
– Access to internet in the home during the
pandemic has been fundamental to our
ability to daily lives
– Yet many older people live in homes that
still don’t have internet access

8. Centre for Ageing Better
Work
– Searching for work: Applying to jobs online from
home has been crucial. Yet many over 50s still
rely on offline methods and less digitally confident
jobseekers, as well as those without online
access, will struggle
– Employment support and claiming benefits:
those without online access and digital skills will
have received the least support to search for and
apply to jobs and yet will be at highest risk of
losing their benefits
– Reskilling: if unemployment continues to rise
and industries that were already in decline do not
recover, access to digital skills will be even more
important for those seeking to retrain

9. Centre for Ageing Better
Health
– Physical activity: social distancing measures
have meant many more people becoming less
physically active. Offline resources to support
people to remain active are significantly more
limited and harder to access
– Telehealth: the pandemic has moved many more
health consultations with GPs or specialists online.
– COVID-19 health information: the information
and guidance about how we should act in
response to Covid-19 is largely online, potentially
excluding people from accessing information and
services

10. Centre for Ageing Better
– Access to equipment and internet: With libraries and other
sources of free Wi-Fi closed during lockdown, some people
without a device or access to the internet have lost their
online access
– Community participation: When the pandemic first hit,
many local community groups switched to supporting people
virtually. This risks further excluding those who cannot get
online
– Move to online only services: The move to virtual banking,
shopping and public services was already occurring, but has
been massively accelerated during the outbreak. As many
services move to ‘digital by default’, it’s important service
providers remember their responsibility to people offline
Communities

11. Centre for Ageing Better
Addressing the digital divide:
recommendations
Source: Lloyds Bank UK Consumer Digital Index 2019
– Make provisions for those not online
– Make technology accessible
– Provide equipment and internet access
– Invest in building digital skills
– Provide a central resource bank for
digital champions
– Integrate digital skills assessments into
other support

12. Centre for Ageing Better

13. Centre for Ageing Better
What enables and what prevents people in later life from getting
online?

14. Centre for Ageing Better
8 principles
1. Flexibility and relevance: structured, skills-focused
courses won’t work. Concentrate on helping people to
do the things they need and want to do online.
2. The right pace: older learners will pick up information
and will progress their learning at different paces –
responsive approach is key
3. Repetition and reflection: creating space for repetition
and reflection on success is vital to success
4. The right language: avoid jargon and focus on the
task, not the tech
5. One-to-one support: a strong tutor-pupil relationship is
key to building confidence.
6. Time to build relationships: time to build
communication and trust helps to maintain learners’
interest in digital and increase their self efficacy.
7. Ongoing support: support needs to be open-ended,
allowing learners to return with questions and problems.
8. Co-design: involve a wide range of users in the
shaping and design of all services, new and existing, to
ensure their relevance and effectiveness.

15. Centre for Ageing Better
Thank you
Kristina Leonnet
Kristina.leonnet@ageing-better.org.uk

16. The Road to
Recovery:
Bridging the
digital divide
Dr Al Mathers
@Al_Mathers

17. Our world used to look
like this

18. And then it changedAnd then it was silent

19. “They keep asking me, ‘what's going to happen
after this?’ ‘are you still going to be there for us?’ It’s
so hard.”
- Good Things Foundation community partner

20. Need during lockdown
Two distinct audience groups:
● Group 1: digitally excluded, vulnerable, shielding,
accessing critical support.
● Group 2: higher digital skills, in work, furloughed,
motivated, educated.

21. Older people
● Health and isolation - people aged over 70 were
recommended to self-isolate accounting for 13% of the UK
population, or over 8.6 million people.
● Digital exclusion - people age 55+ remain less likely to go
online; of which 77% of over 70’s have low digital
engagement; 51% of people aged 75+ do not use the
internet at all, through lack of access, skills, or confidence.

22. Lack of personal access
● 1.9m UK households are
without access to internet
and devices
● Cost is a big problem
● Data poverty
● Lack of suitable devices
● Smart phone only users

23. Older people advised to self-
isolate from friends and
relatives were often doing so
without the ability to:
- buy groceries online
- video call relatives
- do other tasks the online
population was doing
more of since lockdown
started.
Impact on older people

24. Our Collective Response
● Community organisations adapted to provide
critical frontline support and remote delivery.
● DevicesDotNow was launched to get data
enabled devices to people who need them most.

26. ● 29% delivered food and medicines
to people self-isolating
● 64% made emotional support
calls
● 71% provided advice
● 72% delivered learning and
technical support to help people
get online and remain online,
including helping them learn how
to work remotely.
The community frontline

27. Age UK Gateshead
Shifted to online delivery, and continue to support their learners with
digital skills. They reach around 3000 - 4000 people per week,
offering respite and hot meals. They are now helping with Zoom GP
calls and a friendship group scheme, where they have groups of up
to 10 people connecting on a weekly basis. Alongside this, they are
also bringing digital training in-house and are upskilling their staff
and volunteers via Zoom so that even more people will be able to
support digital inclusion in their community.
Community innovation case studies

28. Disability Resource Centre in Birmingham
Cancelled all face-to-face support, but continue to deliver digital
support via telephone and video calls. They have created a PDF of
helpful tips for their learners which covers recognising fraud, using
Skype and ordering shopping online so that they are better equipped
to stay safe and connected. They have been helping people in their
community with setting up online banking and setting up bill
payment reminders through apps and calendars so that they have
better control of their finances.
Community innovation case studies

29. Aspire Sussex
"COVID-19 has made us develop an online delivery model...the
pandemic has made us face that challenge head on and it is
something we want to continue. We realise that it will make many of
our courses more accessible in future, especially for those on shift
patterns and those who are more isolated and for whom face to
face provision is more challenging."
Community innovation case studies

30. Final thoughts
Personal access. Digital has instantly become a universal need.
Digital exclusion is more than being offline. Lack of personal access
to suitable devices and data poverty must be addressed.
Leaving no one behind. COVID-19 and lockdown has unfairly
affected older people who were already struggling and digitally
excluded. Age is no longer an excuse for us not to act.
Community innovation. Community partners on the front line have
responded to the COVID-19 crisis with speed, compassion and
intelligence. We need to sustain innovation at a community level to
be future proof.

31. Further reading
● Good Things Foundation COVID-19
Response Report
● DevicesDotNow Interim Impact Report
#3
● Lloyds UK Consumer Digital Index 2020
● Ofcom Adults' Media Use & Attitudes
Report 2020
● ONS, Internet Users, UK: 2019
● Digital Motivation: Exploring the
reasons people are offline

32. Find out more about our Covid-19
response work and DevicesDotNow
Thank you
Dr Al Mathers
alice@goodthingsfoundation.org
@Al_Mathers

33. The Road to Recovery:
Bridging the digital divide
Rachel Benn, Digital Inclusion Coordinator, 100% Digital Leeds, Leeds City Council

34. 100%
Digital
Leeds
Helping people to improve their digital skills
helps them to live happier, easier, healthier
lives.
Digital skills can be a lifeline for older people
and are even more likely to be at this moment
in time.
Those who would most benefit tend to be
those who would are least likely to be online.
We want everyone to:
• Understand how digital can benefit them
• Be able to develop their skills to make the
most of digital
• Get connected
If people choose not to do things online, that’s
OK, but we want it to be an informed choice

35. 100% Digital
Leeds
objectives
“Our 100% Digital Leeds programme will bring
organisations together to build a digital inclusion
movement across the city.
Together, we will tackle the barriers to digital
inclusion and ensure that everyone in the city has
the digital skills they need.”
Taking a strengths based collaborative
approach:
Skills: Build a network of organisations working
together to tackle digital exclusion
Access: Increase opportunities for connectivity
Motivation: Get everyone championing digital

36. Staying connected
Tablet lending
Lending 400 4G iPads to organisations working
with the most digitally excluded.
Alexa’s lent to Care Homes and Recovery
Hubs
Enabling residents to make video calls with
friends and family, boost mental wellbeing
100% Digital Leeds COVID-19 Fund:
Supported over 150 organisations to buy
laptops, equipment to support staff to work
remotely.

37. Building Community Capacity
Digital Champion Training
We’ve trained 1500 people in the city to become
Digital Champions - helping people to understand
how digital can benefit them and encourage them
to take their steps with digital.
Adapting services to digital
Through the pandemic this has been vital,
organisations new to digital are finding ways to
motivate their service users and adapt their
services to offer virtual sessions with our support.
Tools and Resources
Making the approach person-centred. Toolkits to
enable organisations to support their service
users to overcome barriers to digital inclusion.

38. Finding the ‘hook’ to digital for older
people
Supporting Care Homes and Recovery
Hubs through the Pandemic
Delivering Virtual Coffee Mornings to
reach the most vulnerable older people
in isolation

39. “I was already isolated before the
pandemic so to have these virtual
sessions continue and to access them
through the winter will be amazing,
they’re a lifeline for me”
“It’s opened up a whole new world, I
feel so much more independent, being
able to order my Tesco shop has been
invaluable and I even had an
appointment last week with my GP and
I could see him on the screen!”
Impact

40. Stay in touch Rachel Benn
Rachel.benn@leeds.gov.uk
@rachalate
www.digitalinclusionleeds.com