Digital Support - A Reflection

When the best Digital Support isn’t Digital

We often think of digital support as helping someone get online, creating an email address or setting up a new account. Sometimes that's exactly what's needed.

However, a recent encounter reminded us, that the best outcome isn’t always the one we would expect.

A client approached our services, as they would soon be State Pension age. Our first thought was that we would need to help our client to create and email address and Government Gateway account, so that they would be able to access their National Insurance record and any future pension information.

However, as we spent more time with our client, it became clear that this wasn’t simple a question of learning new technology. The process itself was likely to cause our client considerable anxiety and stress. Having multiple passwords, security codes, identity checks and unfamiliar systems, were rapidly becoming barriers rather than solutions.

So we slowed down, took a moment to pause, reflect and ask ourselves a different question.

Instead of asking, “How do we get this client online?” we asked, “What is the best way forward, for our client to get the help that they need?”

After undertaking a period of research, we discovered that there was a postal route, that could achieve exactly the same outcome. When my colleague offered the option to our client, he said there was an immediate look of relief on our client’s face.

That moment has stayed with me. It reminded me that digital inclusion isn’t always about encouraging everyone to use technology. It’s about helping people to access the services they need, in a way that works best for them. Sometimes that’s online. Sometimes it isn’t.

For me, this was a lovely reminder that our Digital Support sessions aren’t really about technology at all. They’re about people. Tehnology is simply one of the tools we use to help someone more forward. Sometimes the greatest success isn’t creating another online account. It’s recognising that, for this person, there is a better way.

Elaine Sutherland

Session Supervisor & Digital Drop-in Co-ordinator