We commit to understanding digital exclusion and how it impacts the people we work with.
We understand the significance of digital inclusion in the modern age, especially as a social landlord- recognising the benefits to the public sector but being aware that not everyone will have the means or motivation to access the online world.
We are committed to working with staff and tenants to promote digital inclusion and explore how we can help those digitally excluded. We are doing this through work in our Digital Strategy group which looks to improve our services through digital services along with making sure we help staff and tenants have the skills to adapt to the changing digital landscape. The importance of Digital Inclusion has been discussed at organisation wide training sessions with another update in the following year. We have recently surveyed our staff personal measurement of digital skills with training gaps to be supported with specific training goals.
We commit to delivering on digital inclusion across our organisation, based on our understanding of need.
Our Digital Strategy team is made up of a range of members in different levels of the organisation to promote the work of digital inclusion. Internally, establishing a baseline of skills needed within the organisation will help us judge how we can deliver this. Our external need is based on identification through our customer service team, and tenant campaigns to see where we can support as a social housing organisation.
We commit to identifying and utilising appropriate resources for digital inclusion.
We have asked volunteers within the organisation to become Digital Champions to be a port of call for staff and tenants alike to help with digital support. They have received training from the Good Things Foundation on how to support tenants and be a Digital Champion.
Along with this we have used our Tenant Welfare Fund to provide mobile phones to tenants who are identified as digitally excluded, which we hope will build a case for future funding goals. Through our partnership with the National Databank we also provide SIM cards for those identified as digitally excluded.
We commit to working in genuine partnership where we can, to promote and advance digital inclusion.
We are actively engaged with local and national organisations around poverty and digital inclusion. For example, Grampian Housing partnered with The Good Things Foundation and National Databank in August 2024, which gives us direct insight to the state of digital inclusion in the country as well as available funding of campaigns to support. We believe this is absolutely necessary to building our knowledge base and framing our support to staff and tenants.
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.
We commit 100% to being a part of the wider conversation through our work within the housing sector and conversations with local and national organisations, community groups, and tenant councils. This also requires us to collaborate where we can with organisations like the Good Things Foundation and feedback on the work we do annually in the Digital Strategy team and Support Services report.
