We commit to understanding digital exclusion and how it impacts the people we work with.
Much of the work we deliver is online, and so we understand the needs of our service users in this space. We engage regularly with SCVO to understand trends in digital exclusion in Scotland how they impact on people across Dumfries & Galloway. Our organisation has a Trustee with a specific interest in digital inclusion, and we are able to depend on his knowledge in this area to inform plans.
We commit to delivering on digital inclusion across our organisation, based on our understanding of need.
Our approach to digital inclusion involves:
- supporting our service users with signposting to access the support they might need,
- not expecting our service users to pay subscriptions for online services such as Zoom or Teams, and
- developing a digital inclusion strategy as part of our Business Plan, which is renewed every five years.
We commit to identifying and utilising appropriate resources for digital inclusion.
Although a lot of the work we do is online, we know that some people can't access this through a lack of resources. To help remedy this, we regularly signpost to sources of support for people to upskill themselves or find more affordable devices and broadband. We are also considering how we can embed digital champions into the work that we do.
We commit to working in genuine partnership where we can, to promote and advance digital inclusion.
OutPost Arts is an active partnership worker, and we continue to work closely with colleagues in NHS, community organisations and national organisations like SCVO to make sure we can support people that need it.
We commit to contributing towards a wider conversation, developing a sense of community and being part of something bigger - because digital inclusion is everyone's responsibility.
OutPost Arts has grown to be an important part of the creative infrastructure in Dumfries & Galloway, and as a result we'd like to use this influence to work with national intermediaries to advocate for creativity in the digital space. This could include creative wellbeing projects.
