New programme to get older people online Tuesday, January 19, 2010 - 17:30

With two thirds of those over the age of 65 in sheltered housing without online access, the new Get Digital programme will help them become internet savvy and enjoy the wider social and economic benefits of the digital world. The plans have been announced today, by Communities Minister Lord McKenzie and Minister for Pensions and the Ageing Society Angela Eagle.

Get Digital - to be delivered on the Government's behalf by NIACE and Digital Unite - will provide these people with access to computers and the training they need to make the most of the new technology on offer. Local schools will also link up with sheltered housing schemes so that young and old can learn together.

NIACE's and Digital Unite's experience on previous programmes suggests that learning digital skills can transform the lives of older people in sheltered housing, bringing residents together as they discover new shared interests and passions.

Alongside the huge social benefits, more and more services are going online so the new programme will mean that the thousands in sheltered housing are not isolated and left behind.

By the end of March 2011, Get Digital will:

• work with 195 sheltered housing schemes nationwide, including 81 schemes in rural areas providing around 7,800 residents internet access;
• extend internet access to a further 300 schemes and up to 20,000 residents in total;
• develop communal IT facilities in sheltered housing schemes making technology easily accessible to the 600,000 people who live in sheltered housing as well as others in the local community;
• provide resources including expert Scheme Support tutors to boost computer literacy. Fear of fraud and online jargon are cited as barriers to older people going online. The training on offer will increase their confidence using the web;
• promote and support ‘Get Digital partnerships' between sheltered housing and local schools and other groups of young people for ‘intergenerational learning activities'. This work is intended to develop greater trust between younger and older people and it is hoped that this will lead to a decrease in fear of young people in a neighbourhood - something acknowledged to be a main source of insecurity for older people; and
• provide a wide range of support materials for Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) to enable them to set up and sustain facilities for residents. This will include advice and guidance on appropriate equipment and connectivity, free training and resources for residents, extensive advice and guidance on working with local organisations to sustain digital literacy activities and Small grants to set up communal PC facilities.

Lord McKenzie, said:

"For thousands of people this programme could be truly life changing. Older people who currently don't have access to the internet miss out on the benefits that millions of us enjoy everyday."

"Technology has changed so fast that it has left many over 50s feeling left behind. This programme is about bridging the digital divide. A little training will make going online a possibility for everyone. The internet will make it easier for people to keep in touch with their families, shop online and access a wide range of services."

One of the best comments I have had from my most keen user is that it has been life changing.

Buckinghamshire Scheme Manager

Angela Eagle, Minister for Pensions and the Ageing Society, said:

"Digital Services are an increasingly important part of our society. Get Digital will help thousands of older people in sheltered accommodation and rural areas become part of the digital age."

"The project will work alongside the digital inclusion taskforce helping older people benefit from internet access and a new national network of digital mentors to give them the skills and confidence to use the internet safely and effectively."

Susan Easton, NIACE Project Manager for Get Digital, said:

"NIACE is pleased to be working with Digital Unite to deliver this programme. Our combined experience of similar initiatives has served to highlight the real benefits that online access can have on the quality of life of older people, helping them to keep in touch with services, families and their local communities. Get Digital will help to take away the feeling of isolation older people often have, by making sure they are no longer left behind and by helping them to become fully-participating, active citizens."

Get Digital has the capacity to transform individual and collective lives. It will build on the successful work in this area already delivered by Get Digital partners, illustrated by feedback from scheme managers in Somerset, Bristol and Buckinghamshire (2009):

"The digital literacy programme for residents has helped transform the atmosphere at this scheme. There is always someone using the computers and people passing by the door stop to chat and then get interested in what the residents are up to and sometimes offer to help if they're stuck."

"I believe it has enhanced the quality of life for those who took part. We invited other supported housing residents (members of our Sheltered Housing Group) to an open day this year to evaluate the project and the feedback was positive."

"One of the best comments I have had from my most keen user is that it has been life changing."

The cross-government initiative is part of the ongoing drive to tackle social and digital exclusion and will involve close working with housing organisations to both improve their delivery of housing services as well as improving the lives of the older and vulnerable people in their care.

Martha Lane Fox, Champion for Digital Inclusion, said:

"More than 10 million adults across the UK have never used the internet, and worryingly 4 million of this group are also socially excluded. Of this group 39% are over the age of 65 and missing out on the many opportunities and cost efficiencies that the web has to offer.

"The Get Digital project will give older people in sheltered housing the skills to fully participate in modern technology and it's exactly the right approach to make sure one of the most digitally excluded groups are not left behind."