A new digital tool has launched in Salford to help residents who are struggling to access digital resources.
A recent survey of 200 Salford residents showed that 88 per cent wanted to acquire digital skills, but 51 per cent needed help knowing where to start. To bridge this gap, the digital inclusion tool, ‘Digital Help Finder’, has been created.
The tool aims to provide Salford residents with easy access to comprehensive digital resources, training programs and support services.
It works by highlighting resources available to a user based on their answers to a set of triage questions and their location.
During Digital Help Finder’s soft launch, frontline Salford Council staff found that using the tool was over 60 per cent quicker than manually searching for resources online.
Salford Council is working with Mortar, who developed the ‘Digital Help Finder’ tool with backing from the LGA. Over the past year, this work will lay the blueprint for other local authorities to build on.
George Unsworth, the Director of Mortar, said: “Salford City Council, as lead partner in the development of the Digital Inclusion Triage Tool, has brought a wealth of expertise, experience and passion into the design of the tool, enhancing its ability to reach excluded residents with digital support.
“Salford’s hard work helping us design their Digital Help Finder is now benefiting our partners in designing their local digital inclusion initiatives and their local implementations of the Digital Inclusion Triage Tool.”
The council claimed that their Digital Everyone programme has helped more than 45,000 residents get online. It has also provided 200 refurbished laptops to children in care that would have been previously disposed of. And it has built a Digital Network of 83 organisations spanning industries across Salford that come together to promote digital inclusion.
Councillor Jack Youd, Lead Member for Finance, Support Services, and Industrial Relations, said: “As a council that has been at the forefront of digital innovation in the region, our vision is to create a digitally inclusive community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive in the digital age. We are taking significant strides towards realising this vision by leveraging technology and collaboration.
“The launch of ‘Digital Help Finder’ is the next step in Salford City Council’s journey of creating a better and fairer Salford that is inclusive and digitally empowered. By providing accessible tools and resources, the council aims to empower individuals to participate fully in the digital economy and engage meaningfully in the digital world.”
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