Digital Inclusion #CovConnects
#CovConnects
This is a city-wide, partnership approach to ensure Coventry residents have equal opportunities to access digital technologies, services and supports in a way that helps them in their daily lives. #CovConnects key programme principles are:
- Partnership led We don’t set the agenda we respond to it
- Unique solutions We recognise community differences and tailor a response
- Research focus We gather the evidence to understand and adapt
- Process innovation We design innovative processes to support our mission
- Outcome based We prioritise around social inclusion not tech
- Scalable core offer We create a sustainable tech, skills and data offer
- Efficiency driven We create interest and excitement to find funding
The #CovConnects approach has three broad umbrella programme areas across skills, connectivity and devices.
#CovConnects Device Bank
The #CovConnects Device Bank was launched June 23 to enable VCSE organisations and internal council services to access end of corporate life Coventry City Council devices for digital inclusion activity. A second boost was received via the WMCA Connected Services programme, which enabled a range of brand new devices to be added to the Device Bank.
As of July 24, the #CovConnects programme has distributed over 3000 devices across over 100 VCSE organisations and Council services. Sustainability is a key driver for #CovConnects, and we have secured external funding to work with the Coventry Independent Climate Change Board, University of Warwick and the NHS ICB Coventry and Warwickshire to progress the Digital Reuse and Repair proof of concept programme. Within this we will be accepting NHS ICB end of life devices, which will be reused, repaired and recycled as part of the #CovConnects Device Bank. This will also enable NHS services to access the Device Bank for health-related digital inclusion activity.
Case Study A via The Pod, Mental Health Social Brokerage and Social Advocacy
A is a fulltime carer for her husband with complex mental health needs was gifted a device via #CovConnects. A described that her whole world revolves around managing her husbands care needs and navigating services, professionals and appointments. The tablets means she can have some time by herself, use social media, make video calls and just feel connected to the world and have some head space- it’s a game changer. Additionally, they use it to attend remote appointments with professionals.
Case Study B via VCSE Organisation
B has never been very ‘tech savvy’ and had always hoped to learn new skills to allow him to “move with the times”. 5 years ago, B suffered a significant brain injury as a result of an accident.
This left B not only unable to work but having to learn to walk again and gain his basic life skills back. After years of hard work and determination B no longer requires support of carers to manage his daily tasks and is now keen to develop their digital skills however affordability is a major barrier. B was gifted a laptop via #CovConnects and has been able to develop their skills with the support of key coordinators. They are now accessing the internet, keeping in touch with family and friends who don’t live locally, but most importantly they feel like the person they were before the injury.
Case Study C via VCSE Organisation
C suffered a stroke 2 years ago which left them partially paralysed, whereby they now use a specialist wheelchair to mobilise and mainly housebound. They have limited access to the internet via their phone and use this to access the outside world but the use of this is difficult due to the impact the stroke had on the fine motor skill. C accessed a Chromebook via #CovConnects which has increased accessibility whereby it has been effectively adapted into a larger smart phone, such as larger icons, screens and keyboards, and using the accessibility features. They are now using the device to start accessing things like food shopping to increase their independence as they currently rely on friends.
Case study D via Mental Health Charity
D has been supported holistically for his mental health needs. Providing a Chromebook and supporting wider family members to access a phone and sim card via #CovConnects has enabled the family not only to address their immediate needs but has helped the family better navigate the challenges they face, which in turn contributes to D’s mental health by supporting the family unit as a whole. It ia important to recognise the holistic approach the organisation takes to supporting peoples mental health, acknowledging that it is deeply interconnected with various aspects of peoples life, such as access to services, education and connection. By addressing the broader issues of the social determinants of health, which digital inclusion enables, it helps people cope with their immediate challenges, but also laying the groundwork for a more resilient and empowered future.
Case Study E via Food Bank
E has been supported via the advice workers for a year, addressing wider challenges they face relating to debt. Part of this wider holistic support offer includes looking at alternative housing solutions which support their budget. After accessing a laptop via #CovConnects they have been able to register with Homefinder services and place bids on smaller properties, and access online training to help build their skills. Importantly, they have been able to access mental health support services online as their anxiety is too high to attend physical groups at this moment.
Community connectivity
#CovConnects champions the national Good Things Foundation ‘National Databank’, which enables frontline services to gift free sim cards pre-loaded with up to 6 months-worth of data, texts and calls to digitally excluded residents in Coventry. As of July 24, there are 52 National Databank hubs within the city across council services and VCSE organisations, whereby 11,000 sim cards have been received by Coventry hubs to distribution.
Coventry City Council has also enabled all of its Council buildings to have free guest wifi access and the #CovConnects team work closely with VCSE organisations to support with access to funding to allow them to provide free community free wi-fi.
A key programme under this area has been #CovConnects partnership with Jangala and VM02 to connect 200 temporary accommodation households via 12 delivery partners, to access up to 12 months of connectivity via Get Boxes. Next steps are to evaluate the impact of providing connectivity to residents within temporary accommodation to understand the impact of digital inclusion.
Community skills
The #CovConnects Device Bank enables community led digital inclusion activity, reflecting the expertise, knowledge and passion of the partners. #CovConnects aims to support the development of informal digital skills; complimented by formal accredited skill provision where appropriate, based upon the values of being person-centred and led by individuals motivations. There are 5 digital drop-in provisions in community locations across the city, led by the CCC Adult Education Service.
The #CovConnects Embedded Digital Champion programme was re-launched in May 2024 to provide Coventry specific digital inclusion awareness training to ensure frontline teams have the knowledge and awareness of the barriers faced and associated inequalities faced by digitally excluded residents. As of July 24, 37 people across 15 external organisations and 6 Coventry City Council services have completed the training. On an ongoing, monthly basis, Embedded Digital Champions are also invited to attend ‘Learn with #CovConnects’ sessions, which are bitesize webinars on specific topics to help Digital Champions feel more confident to support residents in different areas of digital.
Finally, #CovConnects facilitate dedicated Digital Inclusion Networks across sectors, with core themes of Older Adults, and Homelessness. An additional ESOL Digital Inclusion Network is also in development.
Gigabit internet connectivity coverage
99.8% of Coventry households can access good quality fixed internet connectivity, which is defined by the UK government as a data service that provides fixed download speeds of at least 10Mbit/s and upload speeds of at least 1Mbit/s. The telecoms regulator Ofcom measures access to and the performance of fixed internet connectivity and the mobile network in its Connected Nations reports.
In terms of gigabit internet connectivity, Coventry is the top-ranked local authority in the West Midlands region and is joint 3rd (with Belfast) in the UK.
In April 2024, gigabit availability covered 97.1% of households in Coventry with 95.7% of households able to access Full-Fibre. This is an improvement on the local position in May 2023, where gigabit availability covered 96.5% of households and 94.8% had full-fibre access. For context, only 80% of residential premises across the UK can receive gigabit and only 62% of homes have access to Full-Fibre.
According to Ofcom, the number of residential properties in Coventry in April 2024 was 144,758 with 143,522 matched to an internet connectivity operator.
Decent internet connectivity can also be accessed through the mobile network using 4G services. As of April 2024, 95.75% of all premises have a reliable signal for 4G services while indoors from all four network operators (EE, O2, Three & Vodafone), an increase from 95.36% in May 2023.
As of April 2024, 99.99% of properties within Coventry were able to receive a 5G signal when outdoors from at least one of the four network operators.