ELFT (East London Foundation Trust) is running an innovative Champion programme that uses the Digital Champions Network in a classroom based way to turn service users into confident Digital Champions.

picture of a digital champion

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)

How can people embrace the complexities of remote care management and virtual clinics when it can be a struggle to use technology to get a GP appointment? There's a lot to be done.

Saleem Haider
Digital People Participation Lead

What does it involve?

The team at ELFT saw that though the NHS has very clear goals to become more digital, and broad digital strategies for issues like infrastructure projects, there's often very little information and guidance to help service users in a practical way.

With the help of their "People Participation Digital Community" they co-produced a framework for a wide reaching programme based on growing access, ability, behaviours and trust. It covers everything from accessibility and device loads - to a Digital Champion/ Life Coach programme.

How do Champions fit in?

They use the Digital Champions Network to provide  training to create “digital life coaches” who help others in the community with digital skills. They’ve recruited from patient participation groups and do their training on the DCN as cohorts.

  • Training is broken down into chapters.
  • A 10 week course, with a session every fortnight.
  • Groups of 6-8 learners come together in real life, in a classroom setting and learn together.
  • A graduation as “Digital Life Coaches.”
  • Opportunities and support to move forward.

Learning is structured, but everyone gets to move at their own pace and the programme prides itself on the support it provides trainees. This comes from those running the project but also from each other – coaches learn together, discuss challenges and ideas,  and support one other.  It’s social learning at its best and it’s having great results.

They’ve already training up  their 3rd cohort of Champions. Graduation levels are high, number of courses completed is well above average and they started to reach those elusive “hard-to-reach” groups as coaches complete their training and start to help others in their communities.  

"Our digital champions are now driving digital engagement and empowerment by raising awareness of NHS 111 online services, assisting with NHS App registrations, and sharing their lived experience of using digital health platforms to manage their care," says Saleem.

mum and daughter looking at a phone

 

One of our trainees, her children laughed at her when she told them about joining the training programme and that she was going to be a digital life coach. Now she’s running sessions on using the NHS APP for non-English speaking ladies in her area which is great.

Peter Cozzi
Service user and project co-pilot

What we love about it

  • It’s evidence and user-led

ELFT took time to step back and really understand exclusion in their area. A huge amount of research and planning went into co-producing a programme that is based around what service users really want and works with them to design and deliver it.

  • It’s all about the people.

We know from experience that the best Champions are often those who’ve been on a digital journey themselves. ELFT has worked to make sure that programme is widely inclusive, reassuring people who don't seem themselves as digital natives and encouraging and supporting them to learn new skills. 

  • It all links back to the community.

As Saleem says, "digital inclusion can only be successful if it’s at a community level” and with honesty “ We can’t reach everyone. They can”.  People are already sharing their new knowledge with others in their communities and the positive effects can only grow and grow. 

  • They’ve taken our products and run with them.

The Digital Champions Network provides a crucial framework and structure for learning -  but they’ve used it in a way that works for them, tailoring it to suit their learners needs and styles.

Digital Unite’s training platform gives service users the learning resources they need to become more digitally confident, and as a result be in a better place to look after their own health and well-being and share this support with others.  This is particularly important for service users at ELFT that are too often experiencing the impacts of social isolation, poverty alongside health conditions with digital exclusion compounding these challenges

Laura Austin Croft
Director of Population Health/ Consultant in Public Health, ELFT
NHS ELFT logo

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