Evaluation Findings from Digital Deal Challenge Fund - Social Housing & Digital Inclusion (UK)

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

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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

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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

helen@tinderfoundation.org@helenmilner on twitterhttp://digitalhousinghub.ning.com/

#Digihousing #DigitalDeal