Social Housing: towards a digital strategy

Helen MilnerCEO - Online Centres Foundation

slideshare.net/helenmilner

Towards a digital strategy

19 June 2012 

UK online centres: a national organisation

Government funded organisation leading, coordinating

and supporting a national network of 4,300 venues

We provide:• A learning website for people new to the internet• A web-searchable database of 4,300 community

venues, available as an API and widget• National campaigns and support to local events• Training webinars/grants for volunteers & staff• Some grants to c. 500 centres & outreach activity• National partnerships with media and others

3,800 Community Partners + 500 Access Points

Pubs

Cafes

Community centres and events

… and churches, libraries, mosques, youth groups, mobile

A barn

A “Bigger Life”

The internet makes you happier than money

The BCS research found that: ‘IT has a direct positive impact on life

satisfaction, even when controlling for income and other factors known to be important in determining well-being’

Source: The Information Dividend: Why IT makes you ‘happier’, BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT by Trajectory Partnership, September 2010

Everyday use is exploding: a bigger divide

Percentage UK population use of the internet

Source: ONS up to Q3 2011

59

6

35

67

5

2813

54

73

5

23

3240

0

20

40

60

80

100

% o

f th

e p

op

ula

tion

2003 2005 2007 2009 2011

All users Next gen user First gen user Ex-user Non-user

OxIS 2003: N=2,029; OxIS 2005: N=2,185; OxIS 2007: N=2,350; OxIS 2009: N=2,013; OxIS 2011: N=2,057

Internet Users in 2011

Next Generation Users

• Use at least two internet applications on their smartphone (eg email and weather)

And,

• Own at least two of the following devices: tablet; reader; or three or more computers

5248

5149

9

91

40

60

0

20

40

60

80

100

% o

f cur

rent

use

rs

Students Employed Retired Unemployed Current users. OxIS 2011: N=1,498

Next Generation Users by LifestageNext generation users First generation users

Average next generation user is employed 35+

Offline & Online

First generation & Next generation

Nevers (8.2m) & Littles (14.5m)

No/Narrow use ‘A Bigger Life’

Goal is to grow confident and independent internet users

88% people feel more confident79% think they are more independent

after they have got help to use the internet

UK online centres progression survey

Oct – Dec 2011

The question is not how can we use technology …..

… it’s what do we want to achieve and how can technology help us to

achieve it?

Such as digitising your services

1m online* for £30m: Saving £157m*Through UK online centres

1 April 2010 – 27 April 2012

1 April 2010 – 17 June 2012

Local+ Technology

+ Scale

Digital is a change programme not a technology project

A Digital Strategy

• Working with over 15 different housing providers, this is what I’ve learnt:• Why?• Who?• What?• How?

Social good

Service improvement

Staff Satisfaction

Save money

Why?

Who? Your key audiences...?

Everyone in [x place/estate]

Older residents

Parents of school age children

Job seekers

Social good

Service improvement

Staff Satisfaction

Save money

What?Set clear objectives, before defining the detail of the How

Eg Reduce isolation for elderly residents

Eg Save £1m of costs by 2014

Eg Improve customer satisfaction

Eg Improve staff satisfaction by 5%

And, LASTLY the How?

• Change programme: so how will you involve all staff?

• How will tenants be involved?• And how will you measure the

success of your digital strategy?

How?

And, LASTLY the How?

Motivation:• How will residents find out about your

programme?• How will Tenants & Residents Associations be

involved?• How will your Communications Team embed this

into their work?• Are there national campaigns you can join in with

(eg Get Online Week, October 2012)?• Role of social media?

And, LASTLY the How?

Skills & Confidence:• How will you support people to not just get

online but to develop and deepen their digital skills?

• Will you support all your residents yourselves or will you partner with others: local UK online centres, local employers’ volunteer staff days, the local Volunteer Centre, etc?

• Who will be your Digital Champions? How will you train them and set their expectations?

And, LASTLY the How?

Access (the technology bit):• In the home?• In community venues on your estates?• Both? • Outreach using laptops or tablets?• Wireless? Wired? WMAX? Mobile

broadband? Smart phones?• Paid by you? Subsidised by you? Paid by

residents?

We do this:

.. And we do this: lots of provisos, beta launch July 2012

alfa, draft, not final

Local partners do this:

The magic ingredient is PEOPLE

Thank You

helen@ukonlinecentres.com@helenmilner on twitterSlideshare.net/helenmilnerwww.ukonlinecentres.comwww.go-on.co.uk