100% Digital Leeds

Owned by Toby Page
Last updated: Jan 19, 2021
3 min read

Background

100% Digital Leeds is the citywide digital inclusion programme led by a Council team working with partners to make Leeds the most digitally inclusive city for everyone. We do this by building the confidence and capacity of partner organisations across third sector, public sector and health and care. The programme takes a ‘furthest first’ approach to ensure that no-one is left behind or ‘hard to reach’. Within the wider programme are specific strands of work focussing on people with long-term conditions, self-management and reducing health inequalities.

Reducing health inequalities with LCP in South Leeds

100% Digital Leeds are supporting health and care providers in Inner South and Inner East Leeds to develop and test a place based model for enabling inclusion to digitised health and care services, with the aim of reducing health inequalities. We are working closely with and strengthening partnerships between local healthcare providers and public and third sector organisations (including Leeds City Council departments) to increase the provision of digital access, skills and support available locally, and improve awareness of and support to access to health and care services. The project is already making a difference to communities of interest and patient cohorts in the area. In addition to the work that is happening on the ground in Beeston and Middleton, the 100% Digital Leeds team are using their learning from the pilot to develop a Structure and Intervention Model to enable the work to be scaled-up in Beeston and Middleton and then rolled out to other LCP areas. This Model will be presented for approval at the Personalised Care Steering Group – Digital Sub Group.

 Autism and Learning Disability Digital Inclusion Network (Aladdin)

100% Digital Leeds are working with third sector partners across the city to improve digital inclusion and participation for people with autism and learning disabilities. The Aladdin Network was created in response to the changes and challenges that organisations faced in adapting their service delivery as a result of Covid-19. 100% Digital Leeds are working with our partners and people with learning disabilities and autism to build a citywide infrastructure that helps provide solutions to barriers, and to create an inclusive, person-centred model of digital activity and participation. This includes developing training opportunities for individuals, family members, carers, support workers, and staff/volunteers at organisations, as well as sharing best practice, common challenges, opportunities for funding and partnership working, and promoting the Network as a unified and coordinated entity that has a greater combined influence.

Digital Health Hub at Cross Gates and District Good Neighbours Scheme

The 100% Digital Leeds team partnered with Cross Gates & District Good Neighbours Scheme to launch the first Digital Health Hub in Leeds. The Digital Health Hub model works in partnership with NHS, creating strong links with local GP practices and Social Prescribing teams. There is now an established referral pathway for health professionals and staff to refer patients to the Digital Health Hub for support in accessing online NHS services, and this has continued throughout COVID-19. There is an increased awareness of NHS communications and Coronavirus updates to members through the pandemic. Members are encouraged to access Primary Care when necessary and there is increased awareness of access to cancer screenings and other key services. Cross Gates and District Good Neighbours have an established cohort of staff and volunteers who continue to provide digital support and training with members during the pandemic. Key stakeholders across Third Sector, NHS, Leeds Community Healthcare and Voluntary Action Leeds.

Ongoing

848 Digital Health Champions trained across health and care, including Social Prescribing; 28 GP practices trained and issuing MyCOPD app; Hundreds of iPads and Alexas on loan to organisations supporting older people and people living with long-term conditions; Supporting Healthwatch Leeds to deliver the recommendations set out in their Digitising Leeds report.