Our work

Our Vision

Everyone in Leeds has equal opportunity to use digital tools, technology and services in the right way for them.

Our Mission

Build a coordinated and connected digital inclusion ecosystem across Leeds

• Coordinate conversations with partners focussed on the needs of different groups across the city
• Ensure services and interventions are joined-up, efficient and effective rather than fragmented offers
• Create networks of organisations to facilitate targeted work with specific communities (either Communities of Interest or geographical communities)
• Strengthen the place to empower the person, build a sustainable infrastructure of support that people can be referred into
• Digital inclusion is seen as everyone’s responsibility across the Council, third sector, and health and care

Increase the capacity of organisations across the city to deliver digital inclusion in a sustainable way

• Help organisations understand the benefits of digital inclusion and their role in delivering digital inclusion interventions
• Build their confidence and skills using a stepped approach in line with their capacity
• Ensure digital inclusion is embedded into service provision
• Assess the help and resources they need so that we can help source resources for them
• Help to improve the suitability and accessibility of the resources available

Implement interventions in response to community need

• Listen to the voice of people with lived experience
• Assess the provision in the places that people go to address the issues faced by these communities
• Respond to gaps identified by our partners to ensure that needs are being suitably addressed
• Measure progress, both effectiveness of provision and level of engagement with digital services
• Prioritise the groups/communities that are further away from equal opportunity of access

Our Objectives

Increase access and accessibility

• More choice and opportunities for people to access digital equipment and connectivity
• Greater choice and flexibility of digital skills provision across the city
• Identify gaps in provision of the above, find and implement solutions
• Develop the digital inclusion ‘ecosystem’ within the city – services, referrals, systems
• Ensure the ecosystem supports people with specific needs and responds to the changing needs of people throughout their lives

Increase community capacity to build sustainable interventions

• Greater understanding of digital inclusion within organisations and across sectors – including the benefits, barriers, solutions
• Embed digital inclusion interventions and activities within services and organisations across the city
• More organisations / settings increase their digital inclusion confidence, capacity and capability
• Ensure we are reaching the ‘furthest first’ to support wider Council and City strategies on inclusion, health and wellbeing, inclusive growth etc.
• Build and maintain networks of partners working collaboratively to improve digital inclusion for specific communities

Increase awareness and understanding of the digital inclusion agenda and influence systems-level change across the city

• Positive relationships with our partners based on sustained trust
• Increase our reach and influence across the Council and the city
• Bring additional resources / funding / projects into the city to increase digital inclusion
• Build on our leadership role in this area by driving and developing the digital inclusion agenda and delivering the vision

Outcomes

For communities

Ensuring better digital access to support people’s independence and ability to make informed choices. Leading to increases in:

• Health and wellbeing
• Social opportunities and connections
• Financial resilience
• Access to services (online transactions)
• Access to education, training and employment
• Access to leisure

For partners

Enhancing service offers and improving efficiencies

• Appropriate use of services
• Early intervention
• Shift to online to free up in-person resources
• Self-management by service users
• Organisation resilience and sustainability
• Maximising reach and impact

For the city

Enabling the delivery of Council, City, and Regional priorities and strategies

• Best City Plan
• Better Lives Strategy
• Digital Strategy
• Health and Wellbeing Strategy
• Inclusive Growth Strategy
• Leeds Community Healthcare and Forum Central Third Sector Strategy
• West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership Digital Strategy