Oct 1, 2020
We return with a very important topic – the NHS Covid-19 Test & Trace app.
We will cover:
- What does the NHS Covid-19 Test & Trace app do?
- Will it work on my phone?
- How do I download it?
- What is a QR code?
- Do I need it in shops?
- Does it use my personal information?
This is a class aimed at older people and carers who may be unsure about technology or smartphones and want to know more or need some practical help.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/123482897671/
Please contact Caspar on 07523 646 277 or caspar@clearcommunityweb.co.uk if you have any questions.
Please pass this information on to those who may not be on Eventbrite or social media
Sep 21, 2020
I joined the ClearCommunityWeb team at the start of August, primarily to work with their Community Tech Support, and was invited to attend a workshop between ClearCommunityWeb and Age UK Croydon who have been collaborating to design a digital support process and volunteering training manual for a new Tech Befriender role.
The goal: to provide the tools to remotely assist older people use Zoom to access support and wellbeing services, both during immediate lockdown, but also to offer this digital option moving forward for those that can and want it.
“Working remotely during lockdown, we’ve been able to access harder to reach isolated adults who may feel overwhelmed in a social environment or who cannot get on public transport. This option has allowed us to access new people” Caspar Kennerdale , ClearCommunityWeb
Though ClearCommunityWeb was conducting the workshop, it was a great opportunity for reciprocal learning and combined thinking. This is one the things that attracted me to the Social Enterprise/Charity sector and why I chose to study a Masters in Social Entrepreneurship – co-operation, knowledge and skill sharing, the humbleness of never assuming you don’t have more to learn.
Due to COVID-19 and social distancing restrictions I’d not had a chance to meet my team in person, having conducted all of our meetings remotely I think we all felt a little giddy breaking our usual routine and the chance to meet in person lent a bit of a buzz and motivation to the proceedings.
Funnily enough the Age UK Croydon team said much the same, I imagine a lot of organizations are still getting their head around how remote working can impact our work – positive or negative!
After a quick set-up and trip to their newly refurbished (and really very beautiful!) gardens, we began.
We started by sharing our own experiences of the various ways in which we’ve all had to move online during the COVID-19 crisis – sharing some of the challenges, some of the funny (and embarrassing!) things that can go wrong and some of the benefits. This was a great way to get us all thinking about who we’re here to help and to start exploring some of the challenges that will need to be addressed throughout.
Most of us have probably experienced helping a parent or grandparent get to grips with some piece of technology or other, but when you really start trying to understand some of the issues, barriers and anxieties that might arise then you really start to see the whole picture.
If you want someone to join a zoom class for example, you might think: Ok I’ll send them a link, they click it, join, and bob’s your uncle. But what if your client doesn’t have an email address? Or a device or internet connection? Or what if they’ve never used zoom before and all it looks and feels rather overwhelming?
Anxiety and fear are big barriers which a lot of our beneficiary’s face – it’s easy to take for granted things which we have grown up using and which have become second nature, but we have to consider how new and alien everything must look to a person who’s never had reason to use these tools.
Anyone who wants to, needs to want to learn, needs to have decided this for themselves, to understand the impact it can have on their lives and not feel bullied or coerced.
A key point here is that while at first glance this may seem like a technical challenge, overcoming this is at heart a social and human problem, and ultimately has a greater impact on overall wellbeing. By building confidence, you have created building blocks from which someone can start to open up and learn, which is one of the reasons why we advocate using Zoom. Not because it is the best or the easiest to use but because by getting to grips with this opens a world of other classes, events, faith groups.
Flow was a word that cropped up often and piqued my interest – it’s a word that implies a natural process, a guiding current that takes you where you need to go. The importance when running a service – and we’re talking from the perspective of all the various stakeholders here – is that it’s as straightforward as possible, that each step is clear, that every person has their role and that they feel buoyed or supported within it.
We discussed how this helps us to safeguard the vulnerable clients, and we explored other considerations that need to be made in terms of online tools and the sharing of personal data.
During the second half of the workshop, Joanna Dunbar from AgeUKCroydon grabbed a marker and started drawing a map of the process and connecting all the things we had talked about – roles, contacts, safeguarding, platform as well as assessment and monitoring.
This was the point at which it was beginning to take shape – roles were assigned, jobs handed out and further questions were written down which still needed answering on their side. A date was chosen for a follow-up and for volunteer training to begin.
We left the workshop feeling like we got a fair bit out of it ourselves – seeing how other charities and social enterprises run helps us to answer some of our own internal questions, and I personally felt very motivated and came away with some good notes and new ideas about case management.
I particularly enjoyed observing how well the AgeUKCroydon team worked together: sharing thoughts and ideas, creating space for everyone to talk while bouncing off each other, and then pulling all those threads together into something concrete.
Thank you for having me along!
Jul 19, 2020
During July, August & September we will helping 10 selected isolated residents access the internet for the first time. We have been granted 10 android tablets with data and will be donating these alongside 1 to 1 support from some local ‘Tech Buddies’ who will help them to browse the internet, use video messaging and access email.
They will be shown a range of local activities they can access and be supported to experience the Crystal Palace festival is it goes online.
We will also be looking for a cohort of ‘Tech Buddies’ to exclusively spend time with residents during the Crystal Palace Festival and help them experience an oine festival for the first time.
Please read the descriptions below and if interested fill out an application form here.
We will be running introduction/ induction sessions within the next week
Tech Buddy
We are looking for a team of Tech Buddies to help our selected senior residents over the summer.
You will help them to learn how to use their donated Android tablet, access a range of online classes and groups they may be interested in and support them to access the Crystal Palace Festival online during the weekend of 15th / 16th August.
You do not need to be whizz with Tech! Being comfortable with a tablet or a willingness to learn on the fly with others is key, as is patience and having a sense of humour.
You will be asked to
- Set up the tablet to specification (support is provided if needed)
- Deliver the tablet and take a resident through a basic guide and some ‘how tos’
- Spend up to 6 weekly sessions with a resident to help learn how to use selected apps
- Signpost to selected activities and events online
- Support the resident to access the Crystal Palace Festival (and maybe even participate!)
- Support to resident to be interviewed either by the Upper Norwood Library Hub or Crystal Palace Festival
- Support resident to attend a celebration event at the Upper Norwood Library Hub in September (Pending government guidelines)
- Ensure media consent forms are signed and case study recorded (if resident is willing)
This project will run through July and August.
Time commitments per supported resident
- 1-2 hours induction
- 1 hour tablet set up
- 6-8 hours 1 to 1 time between now and end of August
- 1-2 hours in September for celebration event
Crystal Palace Tech Buddy
We hope to provide support for isolated residents and those living in sheltered or assisted living accommodation to experience the Crystal Palace Festival online this year.
This may be helping to set up or tech or sitting with someone during part of the festival. We do have some tech which we will be able to loan on the day, but if you had a laptop or tablet you could use we could help more people access this unique event.
This could be a residents house, garden or in a communal area
Time commitments 1-2 hours induction
- 2-4 during the festival (15th/ 16th August)
- 1-2 hours in September for celebration event
Application form
Jul 15, 2020
Over the last few months we have been working hard to expand our partnership work across Croydon, Lambeth and Southwark. It has been exciting to be involved is a variety of conversations with small charities, national organisation and house association alike and exploring ways in which the so-called digital divide can be crossed.
What is clear is that any considerable improvement or change requires hard work at a local level and a building of trust – key components in all the classes, workshops and 1 to 1 support we provide.
We are partnering with HomesForLambeth to run a pilot for some of their most isolated residents. Each will be loaned an iPAD and a series of 12 online support sessions to help them with the basics of using the equipment, searching for information online, making video calls and accessing other community classes and groups via Zoom.
We are calling these sessions “Digital Horizons” and will run a similar program more locally in Crystal Palace with e group of residents who have been granted Lenovo tablets.
It will be interesting to compare and then share the results of each.
Thanks to Southwark Council and Community Southwark we have recently received support to extend our community 1 to 1 tech support into the borough and we will be working closely with Kingswood Community Shop and Paxton Green Timebank to help some of their beneficiaries.
We are also excited about the prospect of taking our work to Loughborough Estate and extending our support to that part of Lambeth courtesy of Brixton Energy.
Finally, we have set up an account with TrustPilot to handle reviews of classes and workshops. A big thank you to those who have contributed and these can be seen here.
We’d appreciate more reviews so click here if you’d like to add one.
Jun 29, 2020
As an online centre, Upper Norwood Library Hub and ClearCommunityWeb have been given 10 tablets (and data) by the the Good Things Foundation to donate to local residents who are currently isolated and keen to participate in a learning programme.
This is part of a scheme called DevicesDotNow.
These will be distributed to 10 residents who fit the following criteria:
- either self-isolated or classified as ‘vulnerable’,
- have no internet access or means to acquire it
- over 70 or on low-income
- limited local social support
Each resident will participate in a short learning program designed to help then become more independent using things like video calls and searching for information. They will receive some 1 to 1 support to orientate themselves and be signed up to a self-learning program (LearnMyWay).
They will be supported to either watch or participate in the Crystal Palace Festival Online and agree to be interviewed about their experience during lockdown and what they have learned as part of the Audio time capsule project All Alone Together.
The device will be theirs to keep, but will be encouraged to participate in classes at the library either online and when the library re-opens with a tablet oriented digital inclusion class.
We will be working in close partnership with Kingswood Community Shop to facilitate this.
We have already identified a few people but have a few places left, so would like to encourage people to put their thinking caps on to see if there is anyone in their vicinity who would be eligible, and if so to contact me directly as we only have this week to get ‘bums on seats’!
Secondly, we are also looking for a couple of volunteers to become ‘buddies’ to these residents perhaps help distribute the devices, help someone to one support, on the phone or doorstep and help them practice video calling
My contact details are Caspar Kennerdale, caspar@clearcommunityweb.co.uk
Jun 23, 2020
Last week we ran our first Zoom. Learning the basics for Adults with Learning Disabilities or Autism class where we focused on navigating the Zoom interface, some tips for conducting yourself online and we had a little tour of some other classes and social groups using Zoom aimed at adults with an SlPD.
We are running this again this Thursday and would encourage you to sign up early.
Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or need help getting Zoom.
Our Digital Skills for Seniors class reached a pinnacle of 14 people as we stated the first of a series of sessions focusing on social media. We have focused on Facebook the last couple of weeks and have spend time looking at local and interest groups, privacy settings and how to find someone.
It’s interesting discussing everyone’s point of view, and even seeing some changes as we ‘look under the bonnet’, and for some, show Facebook for the first time.
Finally, we are involved in a new project with the Upper Norwood Library Hub called All Alone, Together. Its an Arts Council Funded project which will see the development of a series of audio time capsules capturing the memories, thoughts and opinions of local residents during lock down.
If you are interested in taking part, then please complete the community survey here.
We’ve been working closely with other local charities to see how best we can help to get people online and to see some of the benefits this can bring. This partnership work is as central to what we do alongside our classes and One-to-One service.
Speak to you next week,
Caspar
