DU Community works for organisations that serve or represent a community of people (eg, a housing provider, community centre, special interest group, faith group, etc). Our aim is to create communities that can use modern information technology, in order to enhance their everyday lives.
Our services include not just training but also auditing, planning, sustaining and reporting. After working in this area since 2001, we are establishing Best Practice models, now tried, tested and approved by over 40 organisations.
We are committed to disseminating this best practice: we have run Workshops around the country and authored a Best Practice Guide (in partnership with the Centre for Sheltered Housing Studies).
What is a Digital Unite Community Programme (DUCP)?
It's an 'IT engagement package' developed specifically for people living in housing and other communities, eg, sheltered housing, supported housing, residential care homes or communities that do not depend on housing, such as those that group around particular illnesses or other types of need.We have had most experience in sheltered housing but DUCPs adapt well to many kinds of community.
What's special about them?
- There is a purpose to IT learning activities: participation and the value of the individual and of the collective contribution are developed through it.
- A specially recruited, trained and monitored, local DU trainer who teaches skills one-to-one or in small groups, becomes a valued part of the community for up to 17 weeks.
- Typically an initial DUCP lasts for 12 months in all, with intensive trainer visits tailing off, leaving the community with the skills and enthusiasm to email, to communciate with their trainer, other community members, landlord and DU staff and to start to explore social networking and other most up to date uses of the Internet.
- We also train volunteers in your community to manage the computer and peripherals, the computer club and to mentor new beginners.
- After the initial DUCP, later episodes of training depend on reporting and surveying the learners. The idea is to make our trainers (lovely as they are) redundant so that the community becomes self-sustaining and self-teaching.
- DU is about far more than technology. We have key engagement stages. Once the skills training is complete, there are key sustainability stages to embed learning and maintain impetus. This layered approach, which has been tried and tested within many communities, is what makes a DU project successful.
Who are our national partners in this?
We work closely with ERoSH, the national voice of sheltered housing who are committed to helping landlords enhance the experience of living in sheltered housing. They believe that learning IT is a 'basic' to quality of life in modern times. For more about ERoSH, see www.shelteredhousing.org.
How much does it cost?
Use the contact form to request more information. Just tell us a little about your organisation including location.
