In our latest post, we talk to Claudia Baldacchino, Communications and Digital Manager at People Know How, a charity that runs services and campaigns in Scotland that place people at the centre, making their voices heard to improve their wellbeing, overcome barriers and solve social issues. One of their services, Reconnect, has worked to tackle digital exclusion since 2016, including providing a free national Digital Support Helpline.
1. You’re working with BT to help people in rural areas of Scotland with the upcoming switch to digital landlines. Can you tell us more about the scale of the challenge and why it’s such an important issue?
Since 2016, People Know How has been raising awareness of digital exclusion and delivering support for digital inclusion through our Reconnect service, where we offer both in-person support and a national Digital Support Helpline on 0800 0590 690. The switchover to digital landlines is yet another way that digital continues to play an increasing part in everyday essential services.
With the current landline technology becoming harder and more expensive to maintain, the UK Telecoms Industry has begun the process to migrate landline users on the PSTN (public switched telephone network) to a digital home phone service.
BT is migrating customers to its digital solution, Digital Voice, by January 2027. While this may seem far away, they have a lot to do to make this change. For customers themselves, the switch to Digital Voice requires them to connect their home phone handset to a router rather than the phone socket on the wall. Having the right information and additional support where needed is vital, especially for those in one of several vulnerable groups.
2. How will the partnership between People Know How and BT help meet this challenge? What will you be working on together and what are you hoping to achieve?
To support vulnerable groups in Scotland, particularly those in rural areas, we have partnered with BT to facilitate 50 events in rural communities across Scotland. These will provide people with the information they need to prepare for the PSTN switchover. This includes showing them the change they need to make, answering any questions they might have, and providing them with information about our Digital Support Helpline, which has expanded its offering to include free support and advice for the switchover.
BT are currently concluding a programme of events, which took place over the summer. These events focused on main towns across the country. Our 50 events will supplement these by focusing on areas outside of main hubs, to make sure that everyone can access this information, especially those in rural communities where digital exclusion can be an issue. Using our network from delivering the Digital Support Helpline across Scotland, we are reaching out to local community organisations who know the needs of their communities and equipping them with the tools, knowledge and support they need to deliver events locally.
With Scotland home to many rural areas with low mobile signal, an older population and regular power cuts, it is crucial we take action to mitigate any negative effects.
The first of these events are now being run in partnership with organisations including One Dalkeith, GoodCall Mobile CIC, North Lanarkshire Council Libraries and CAC Skills Development Centre. They are taking place over August and September, with a further 45 events planned for the following months. People Know How is currently open to expressions of interest from community organisations interested in delivering one of these events in local authorities outside of major cities.
3. From your perspective, how does digital exclusion impact vulnerable groups?
Digital is everywhere and progresses quickly. While one person is excited by the latest trends in AI, another is struggling to use a smartphone, and another cannot afford a broadband connection in an unregulated market.
We have always believed that digital inclusion and social inclusion are linked and together contribute to enhanced wellbeing. We provide a supportive environment to reduce social isolation through building digital skills and maintaining connections, helping people to stay connected, improve financial health, increase employability, access resources and more.
The support we offer ranges from helping someone at the very beginning of their digital journey to get to grips with a device, to helping an individual save money on their bills online and manage their finances, to finding opportunities for education and employment, to accessing support networks and feeling less isolated.
We recognise that to be digitally included you need multiple factors – a device, digital skills, connectivity. We also recognise that not everyone wants to get online. We engage in meaningful conversation with those we support, often identifying a ‘hook’ that can lead to a motivation to get online, whether this is financial, social, employment-based or something else. We endeavour to provide devices where we can through partnerships and funding. We also provide digital skills through digital groups in Edinburgh and the Lothians and over-the-phone support nationally through our Digital Support Helpline. And we offer advice and data, where possible, towards connectivity solutions. We are also campaigning to end data poverty in Scotland.
For vulnerable groups, that’s a lot of obstacles to get around. We publish multiple case studies a month that show the impact that digital inclusion has on those we support. From young people in residential care to older people who are feeling left behind, to those with conditions like diabetes that now require technology to monitor and much more.
4. Your partnership with BT shows that digital exclusion is still a pressing issue for charities and the people they support. How would you like to see charities tackle digital exclusion?
The best thing we can do is to work together. Last week, ‘Tackling digital exclusion’ was published by Audit Scotland, reasserting that digital exclusion hasn’t gone away. Once lockdowns eased, the panic and urgency that was felt at the height of the pandemic dissipated, but the reality of digital exclusion did not. It’s great to see publications like this getting covered in the news. What we need to do now is harness this renewed momentum and spread the word about resources like the Digital Support Helpline 0800 0590 690.
We’re working hard to run and promote the Helpline so that more people can access it and benefit from this free digital support for anyone in Scotland. With our BT partnership, the Helpline is also expanding to offer support about the PSTN switchover. It’s not the easiest feat, however, to promote a digital helpline in a digital world when the main people we are trying to reach aren’t digitally connected. We’ve contacted thousands of charities, councils, development trusts, third sector interfaces (TSIs) and organisations across Scotland to ask them to share the number with their service users and networks. I would love to see this network continue to grow, with more people engaging with us.
Working to promote the Helpline has made it even clearer to me that there are so many amazing organisations in Scotland working tirelessly to provide essential support to their local communities. The Helpline is there to link up and supplement these services. We want to collaborate and are keen to keep building our network so that we can engage in effective signposting in different local authorities, ensuring that people can access support in different ways.
For more information about the events and questions about the change to digital landlines contact Scotland’s free Digital Support Helpline at 0800 0590 690 or visit peopleknowhow.org/reconnect.