Designing and delivering a new service for the socially isolated who also struggle with technology
Designing and delivering a new service for the socially isolated, who also struggle with technology, combining existing befriending and tech-support volunteers into an integrated single service that enables social connections and up-skilling technical skills.
About the project
Throughout the last 15 months, Age UK Blackburn with Darwen has worked closely with health and council colleagues to support our most vulnerable older people. This has served to highlight that many people at highest risk of poor health and care outcomes, also have the greatest need for more social connections and are among the most excluded digitally.
Age UK Blackburn with Darwen therefore propose to design and deliver a new service for the socially isolated who also struggle with technology. The service will combine existing befriending and tech-support volunteers into an integrated single service; both are required simultaneously to deliver the desired outcomes. This integrated approach will support people to become socially connected, whilst also upskilling their technical skills, so they can then sustain these and make other new connections going forward; this will also enable the community to reach out to them.