Helpful guides to supporting people remotely · guides for delivering digital skills support...
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Helpful guides to supporting people remotely: Guide 5: Transferring from face-to-face support to remote delivery Through conversations with our partners across the UK, it’s evident there’s a huge appetite for supporting people in the local community remotely. Whilst lockdown is easing, it’s likely that the most vulnerable may continue to lack the confidence to leave the safety of their homes for some time. We’ve heard amazing stories about how sta at community organisations and libraries have been finding ways to substitute the face-to-face support that is valued by so many of the people they regularly help. That’s why we’re working with various partners to create a series of easy-to-follow guides for delivering digital skills support remotely. Each guide will include a bit of background information, and a few simple steps you can follow to give it a try. This guide, the fifth in a series, comes from Dawn Stoddern, Digital Inclusion Team Lead at Cornwall Council, who found a way to provide remote support to over 280 people who were expecting to attend a face-to-face 4 week course. Thanks to BT for supporting Cornwall Council as one of the community partners delivering the BT Skills for Tomorrow programme in partnership with Good Things Foundation.
Transcript of Helpful guides to supporting people remotely · guides for delivering digital skills support...
Helpfulguidestosupportingpeopleremotely:
Guide5:Transferringfromface-to-face
supporttoremotedelivery ThroughconversationswithourpartnersacrosstheUK,it’sevidentthere’sa hugeappetiteforsupportingpeopleinthelocalcommunityremotely.Whilst lockdowniseasing,it’slikelythatthemostvulnerablemaycontinuetolackthe confidencetoleavethesafetyoftheirhomesforsometime.We’veheardamazing storiesabouthowsta�atcommunityorganisationsandlibrarieshavebeen findingwaystosubstitutetheface-to-facesupportthatisvaluedbysomanyof thepeopletheyregularlyhelp. That’swhywe’reworkingwithvariouspartnerstocreateaseriesofeasy-to-follow guidesfordeliveringdigitalskillssupportremotely.Eachguidewillincludeabitof backgroundinformation,andafewsimplestepsyoucanfollowtogiveitatry.
Thisguide,thefifthinaseries,comesfromDawnStoddern,DigitalInclusionTeam LeadatCornwallCouncil,whofoundawaytoprovideremotesupporttoover280
peoplewhowereexpectingtoattendaface-to-face4weekcourse.ThankstoBTfor supportingCornwallCouncilasoneofthecommunitypartnersdeliveringtheBTSkills
forTomorrowprogrammeinpartnershipwithGoodThingsFoundation.
Thecontext
CornwallCouncil,aBTSkillsforTomorrowpartner,isalargeruralunitaryauthority. RecentdatafromtheO�ceforNationalStatisticsshowsthatthereare43,000 residentsofCornwallandtheIslesofScillywhohavenotusedtheinternet.TheDigital InclusionTeamatCornwallCouncilarecommittedtogettingpeopleonlineandhelping thembemoreconfidentusersoftheinternet.Theyworkcloselywithvolunteersand partnerorganisationstoenableresidentstoaccessavarietyofonlineservices. Priortohavingtomovetoremotesupport,thecouncilwouldtypicallyrunface-to-face trainingsessionsinlibrariesandcommunityvenuesto550peopleperyear.That’swhy, aftersigningup288peopletotheirnew4weektrainingcourse,theyneededtoact quicklytotransferthissupportonlineinjustafewshortweeks.
Makingithappen
Themajorityofthosewho’dregisteredwereolderpeople,andtheirlimiteddigital capabilityputthematriskofnotbeingabletoaccessessentialonlineservicesor connectwithothersonline.Thesewereallskillsthatwouldhavebeentaughtonthe4 weekcourse. Astheteamwerekeentohelp,theyquicklycalledandemailedeveryonetoletthem knowitwouldnotberunningface-to-face.Thiswasanopportunitytotellthemabout thealternativeremotesupport,andallowedtheteamtohelpandreassureanyonewho neededimmediateassistancerightawayinthisinitialphonecall.Overthefollowing weeksthetutorscheckedinthroughacombinationoftelephone,emailandvideo conferencing.ItgavethetutorsatCornwallCouncilanopportunitytoseehowpeople wereprogressingandensuretheywerestillmotivatedtolearn. Forthosecompletelynewtodigital,theywereencouragedtoregisteronLearnMyWay, whichinitselfisapracticalexercisetogetsomeoneusingtheirmouseandkeyboard. Theadvantagewiththisisthatthelearnerchoosestheirownlearningjourney,focusing onthemesthatmattertothem,thereforeincreasingtheirengagement. Oncetheoriginalcohortoflearnershadsuccessfullycompletedtheirlearningjourney, theteamsetaboutactivelymarketingtheirremotesupporto�er,contactingtheAgeUK helplinesta�,localcarehomes,nearbycharitiesandlikemindedorganisations.This
newsspreadfast,andatlastcounttheteamnowprovidestelephonesupporttoaround 100residentsamonth.
Howtogetstarted
1. Ifyou’vealreadygotalistofpeoplewhohavebookedacourseatyour communitycentreorlibrary,reachouttothemwithatelephonecall.Explainthat there’sstillawayyoucansupportthemremotelyandremindthemofallthe benefitsofbeingonline.Includethereasontheysigned-upinthefirstplace.Get themtogothroughwhatthey’dliketolearn.
2. Basedontheinformationyou’vebeenprovided,workoutwhichonlinelearning platformorresourcesarebestforthem.ThiscouldbetheLearnMyWaywebsite, theBTSkillsforTomorrowplatformoranyotherlearningmaterialsyouknowand trust.Talkthelearnerthroughregisteringandhowtonavigatethecontent,and askthemtohavealookaroundintheirowntimeinthecomingdays.
3. Onceafewdayshavepassed,makeasecondcalltothelearner,askingthem howtheyfoundthewebsite.Ifitturnsoutitwasn’trightforthem,thisisagood opportunitytoreassess,jumpingbacktosteptwo.Iftheyenjoyedusingitand founditbeneficial,begintoagreealistoftopicsforthemtoworkon,maybeeven takingthetimetogothroughthefirstonewiththem.Byshortlistinganumberof coursesorresourcesyou’rehelpingdefineaclearlearningjourney.
4. Follow-upasoftenasisneeded.Somepeoplewhoarenewmayneedadaily check-in,butothersmightbehappywithmuchlesscontactthanthis. Remembertosetexpectations.Letthoseyou’rehelpingknowwhatdaysand hoursyouworksotheycangetintouchatatimethatworksforyouboth.
5. Monitoringprogressisthekeytoknowwhetherthesupportyourprovidingis working.Manyplatformshaveatutorfacingsectionwhereyoucanseewhat coursespeoplehavedone,andwhen.Alternatively,agreemilestonesforworking throughcourseswithpeoplesotheyaremotivatedtodedicatetimetolearning theirnewdigitalskills.
Helpfulresources
BasicsforBeginnerscontent-BTSkillsforTomorrow
WorkingFromHomeresources-MakeItClick MoreInternetSkillscourse-LearnMyWay TopTipsonTech-BTvideosandeasytouseguides
Keepingintouch
Givemovingyourface-to-faceprogrammesonlineago!We’dlovetohearaboutit.You couldeithergetintouchwithyourNetworkSpecialisttogivethemanupdate,ortag @Online_CentresonTwitterifyou’repostingonlineaboutthesession. FormoreinformationonCornwallCouncilandtheworktheydo,pleasevisittheiro�cial website.
Ifyou’vegotanyfeedbackaboutthisguide,orhaveanideayou’dlikeustoincludein theseries,[email protected].
CornwallCouncil&BTSkillsforTomorrow
CornwallCouncilisoneofover70ofGoodThingsFoundationscommunitypartners deliveringmuchneededsupportthroughtheBTSkillsforTomorrowproject.BTis workingwithGoodThingsFoundationtohelpolderandvulnerablepeopleusedigitalto increasetheirconfidence,wellbeingandsocialconnections. BTSkillsforTomorrowishelping10millionpeopleintheUKmakethemostoflifeinthe digitalworld. Theprogrammeiscompletelyfreeanddesignedtohelpeveryone-fromschoolchildren andteachers,parentsandfamilies,businessesandjobseekers,toolderandmore vulnerablepeople. Thewebsiteisaone-stop-shopforonlinecourses,webinars,videos,learninggames, eventsandaccesstoface-to-facesupport.
