Project Background
ELFT primarily provides mental health care services. Like the rest of the NHS, they knew they needed to move service users from “analogue to digital”. But their own in-depth research revealed that ELFT service users face significantly higher levels of digital inequality, with working-age adults up to three times more vulnerable to digital exclusion and lagging behind on markers across the board. "It was an eye opener" says project lead, Saleem Haider and a clear sign of how much needed doing.
They realised that to have any success tackling digital exclusion they needed to "involve, engage and enthuse" service users. So they put together a wide reaching programme with people-participation at its heart, creating a service user-led initiative for digital transformation. It was crucially important right from the start that this was created in a genuine co-production approach. Saleem worked closely with Peter Cozzi, a service user who became a "co-pilot" on the project.
(picture shows Moniek, one of the Digital Life Coaches)