The Digital Life Coach program aims to equip participants with the coaching skills, planning tools and training resources to confidently prepare training sessions providing digital support to service users, friends & family and to community groups.  The main criteria for taking part is to bring a motivating character full of positivity and enthusiasm for helping others.  You can bring your lived experience of using digital devices and technologies but not necessary to have a background working with technology. This programme benefits from a broad range of lived experiences who understand the need for upskilling and fostering the digital behaviours and empowering others in their digital journey.

Goals:

• Improve self-confidence and develop new skills
• Facilitate digital learning sessions within ELFT and in the community
• Improve digital awareness and behaviours towards NHS App and wider online tools

How it works:

• Based on a structured 10 week training plan 
• Join a learner group formed of six - eight people
• Training is performed individually, self- paced and online enabling people to manage the learning within their personal commitments 
• Online learning are in small modules, approximately 5-20 minutes each
• Typical study time commitment of 2 hours per week
• Recommended to join a weekly virtual classrooms enabling group to share experiences and gain support 
• Curriculum is formed of 5 chapters  
   

Opportunities

• Reduce isolation and improve social connectivity 
• Lead or provide advice of digital inclusion plans within your community 
• Enhance personal skills and employment opportunities
   

Outcomes

• Certificate and Digital Life Coach Badge
• Provide digital coaching sessions within ELFT
• Project evaluation and drive growth plans

Digital is involved in every aspect of our lives and is therefore critical for people being able to access and operate digital and online technologies. Digital literacy is now an essential skill to participate in modern society. However, the pace of technology has rapidly shifted public services and commercial businesses leaving a number of people without the digital skills to engage in the online world. The Good Things Foundation (a leading national campaigner for digital inclusion) perform an annual study and their 2024 report highlights there are 8.5 million people in the UK who lack the basic  digital skills.

Digital exclusion is an inequality that needs attention where ELFT’s service users have highlighted the ‘Cost of Living’ has had an impact on their ability to access digital devices and reduces their life opportunities, in employment, learning new skills, engaging with people participation and reducing isolation.

This project has been co-produced with the PPDC to enable access to devices for those who are in need. The aims of the loan scheme are to

• Enable disadvantaged service users to access a device and fulfil their online activities
• Improve their quality of engagement with ELFT and People Participation
• To learn and gain digital confidence

Criteria for the device loan scheme

• Devices are available for service users who are in the care of ELFT services and have registered with their People Participation Lead to join their Working Together Group.
• The devices are the property of ELFT and are managed by a technology supplier. The devices can be remotely locked in the event the device is lost or stolen.
• There is no cost to the service user on loaning the device, and loans will be assessed by the PPL on device availability. 
• The duration of the loan is based on the need and agreement between the PPL and service user
• In the case of damage, the device is to be returned highlighting the issue and assessed with the possibility for repair at no cost to the service user
   

Registration process for the device loan scheme

1. Service users can discuss their digital needs and limitations with their PPL and discuss if the device loan can help improve their personal circumstances. 
2. The PPDC have produced a guidance document for the PPL and service user will walkthrough providing details of the loan scheme.  The Frequently Asked Questions are key to understand
3. The PPL will complete an online form on behalf of the service user to register personal detail to a device loan.
4. The PPL will issue to the service user as a loan
5. Surveys will be sent over email to the service user to gain feedback of the device
6. The PPL will discuss the device use with the service user
7. The device will be handed over by the service user to the PPL to ensure availability and reallocation to other service user