Digital Inclusion
Online access is no longer optional, it’s essential
For many people in the UK, using technology is part of everyday life. But as it evolves faster than ever, millions are being left behind. People experiencing homelessness are among those most affected, with multiple and very particular barriers to getting online. Lack of access runs the risk of people being trapped in a cycle of homelessness as vital services like housing, benefits, banking and healthcare are now almost entirely digital. Our Digital Inclusion work is about breaking down those barriers.
What is Digital Inclusion?
Digital inclusion is about narrowing the digital divide – the gap between people who have the access and skills to use digital technology and those who do not. Certain groups are more likely to be digitally excluded including older people, disabled people, those on low incomes and, of course, people facing homelessness.
What barriers to digital inclusion are faced by homeless people?
Being digitally excluded makes everyday life far more challenging. Without internet access, tasks many of us take for granted – anything from checking bus times to applying for a job – become obstacles. People may struggle to manage their money online, keep up with Universal Credit requirements or search for housing.
Healthcare is also harder to access. Many GPs now require appointments to be booked online and a lot of personal health information is now only available digitally. Digital exclusion can even affect personal safety, making it difficult to find help or local services in a crisis.
These are all practical elements, but just as important is the human side of life which is increasingly online. Staying connected with children, family and friends is often a vital part of recovery but can be hard without a phone or internet connection.
While each person’s circumstances are different, the challenges usually fall into three key areas:
Not having a device
If you’re sleeping rough, your phone is extremely vulnerable to being stolen. Not only this, but they’e easily damaged – have you ever tried to use a phone in the rain? – or lost in such an insecure environment. Rough sleepers don’t tend to have money to replace a missing phone – in fact, many of them have often had to sell them. And even if you manage to keep your phone safe, it’s hard to find somewhere to charge it.
Getting connected
A phone doesn’t get you far without a contract to make calls and texts. A plan with data is even more costly – not to mention that a lot of phone contracts are sorted out online! Free Wifi is available but patchy, making a task like filling out a job application extra difficult.
Having the skills and confidence
The final step to using technology is knowing how – and knowing how to do it safely. People who are digitally excluded could lack basic knowledge such as switching on a device, opening an Internet browser or filling out an online form. And even once you have the skills to get started, the internet presents a whole host of risks. Online safety is an essential part of digital inclusion, with an ever-growing number of scams and threats to watch out for.
How Turning Tides helps people get online
Devices
Depending on circumstances, we aim to provide clients with a basic mobile, smartphone, tablet or laptop. We depend on donations for most of these.
Connectivity
We offer communal spaces with free Wifi, and through the Charities Connected Initiative we receive SIM Cards with six months worth of free data, calls and texts. These are given to any client who needs them – including those who need to change their phone number, whether they’re fleeing domestic violence or avoiding pressure from a dealer.
Accessibility and neurodiversity
We adapt support for people with different needs whether that’s dyslexia, tremors or other physical and neurological conditions. We make use of resources such as Ability.net to help adjust devices so that everyone has a fair chance to get online and overcome barriers to access.
Skills and confidence
Support is offered 1:1 or in groups, mainly through our drop-ins at St Clare’s Hub with additional sessions in Roffey and during events like Get Online week. This support is always client-led; we start with the most important thing someone wants to do online, then build skills and confidence from there. That may mean setting up a new device, understanding how to send emails or learning digital design skills for future work opportunities.
Recent examples include:
- Support with creating a WhatsApp group to share recipes for our cooking group
- Support with downloading and using apps to adjust and track new hearing aids
These groups also offer a trusted, non-judgmental space to talk about online safety. Clients can bring in suspicious messages, practise how to respond to banks about potential fraud, or simply keep up to date with the latest scams.
We’re part of the wider effort
Digital exclusion is a national issue and no single organisation can tackle it alone. By working alongside others, Turning Tides can share what we’ve learned from supporting people facing homelessness and influence wider change.
National partnerships
- We’re proud members of the National Digital Inclusion Network, a collective of hundreds of community hubs across the UK organised by The Good Things Foundation. Together we provide digital skills support, raise awareness of the barriers people face and campaign to fix the digital divide.
- We’re also part of the Digital Poverty Alliance which works with government and major organisations to address systemic barriers. Through their Community Circle, we contribute feedback from our clients so that policy and practice are shaped by real experience.
- When the Government published its Digital Inclusion Action Plan it listed five groups considered most at risk of exclusion. Turning Tides submitted evidence calling for people experiencing homelessness to be recognised as a distinct group – a recommendation now acknowledged in the Government’s own summary report. We’ll continue to advocate so that our clients’ voices are heard.
Local influence
Closer to home, we’ve been part of the West Sussex Digital Inclusion Access and Safety Partnership (DIASP) for more than three years. This brings together West Sussex County Council, local libraries as well as community and voluntary organisations to ensure local residents are supported to get online safely. Through this partnership we can represent the needs of people who have experienced homelessness, influence system change and help shape digital inclusion work across the county.