Councils leading the way on digital inclusion

We’re delighted that as part of the Local Government Association’s (LGA) wider sector-led improvement offer, the London Borough of Tower Hamlets (LBTH) is 1 of 10 Councils to receive funding.

LBTH is setting out to use our Digital Log Book (DLB) as a medium to support and encourage target groups, i.e. those residents receiving support through WorkPath and from Benefits Outreach advisors, to get online and access an assured digital identity to enable their customers to do their business online with the council and other public services.

This Digital Inclusion programme is helping councils to reach out and provide a vital service for residents who don’t have access or confidence to use digital platforms.

With 21 per cent of Britain’s population lacking the basic digital skills and capabilities required to benefit from using the internet, the successful councils will provide residents with earlier access to support. They will also help those who require more support or may have specific needs that cannot be met through the standard online service offer, improving livelihoods and wellbeing.

This project builds on our current work with LBTH on digital identity for vulnerable citizens, supporting them to gain an assured identity in order to access Government and local authority services.  This allows us to provide personalised tools to these customers to improve their life chances around employment, housing and tackling poverty.  Secure identity and proofing is a prerequiste for any citizen to access public services and to take part in the economic and social structures of society as more and more services become digital. Hence the absolute need for greater digital inclusion.

Learn more about Tower Hamlets digital inclusion strategy.  To learn more about what we are doing to support Tower Hamlets get in touch with us via Digital Log Book.