Digital champions in adult social care and how to introduce them

Introduction

Digital champions help both colleagues and people drawing on care and support to improve their skills and confidence in using digital technology, and provide peer-to-peer support.

The role of a digital champion will usually sit alongside their main role and responsibilities. They can hold a variety of different roles and responsibilities, ranging from team leaders to care staff who have a particular knowledge and interest in digital technology.

Role of digital champions in social care

The role of a digital champion is to:

• listen - it’s important to listen and understand people’s perspectives, and to empathise with their needs and concerns
• mentor - a digital champion can support people to plan their learning and provide guidance at their own pace while empowering them to take control of their own learning and development
• advocate - keep up to date and be curious about digital technology while sharing up-to-date digital news with their team and wider organisation
• signpost - provide additional direction and know when to signpost staff to wider digital technology resources

Benefits of digital champions

Digital champions can provide significant benefits to your colleagues and people drawing on care and support within your organisation.

The benefits may vary depending on what digital technology and services you provide, and what support you can offer.

Digital champions can:

• empower staff and people who draw on care and support to use digital tools more effectively
• increase people’s confidence, understanding and motivation in using digital technology
• share best practice with colleagues
• support their organisation to introduce new digital technology
• increase digital skills across the organisation
• help to support managers to build an inclusive and engaged culture in the use of digital technology

These responsibilities can contribute to the improved and sustainable uptake and use of digital technology in adult social care. In turn, this can inform and improve the delivery and quality of care services, and the quality of life and care outcomes for people drawing on care and support.

It’s important for digital champions to:

• work with people supportively and positively
• help people to have enjoyable and safe experiences in communicating and engaging online
• support people to stay safe and secure on the internet, and in sharing information with others
• know how to raise an issue if someone might be unsafe or experiencing harm online
• not be afraid to ask for help themselves if they’re not sure how to help 

Helping people who draw on care and support

Digital champions can help people who draw on care and support by introducing them to digital technologies that could enable them to live more independently, for example, medication reminder software.

Introducing digital champions into your organisation

When introducing digital champions into your workforce, it’s important for each organisation to have the tools in place to allow them to fulfil their role. You should consider all of the points below.

Suitable digital environment 

Make sure that your digital champions have the right equipment and access to digital technology that’s relevant to the skills they’re supporting.

Views from colleagues

Proactively seek ideas from staff who are closest to people drawing on care and support about how technology could support and improve the delivery of person-centred care. This area of skills and learning is covered under theme 1 of the Digital Skills Framework.

Your confidence

The passion and enthusiasm of your digital champions starts with you. Make sure that you’re confident in your approach and familiarise yourself with the language and terms involved when using digital technology. 

Professional development plans

Use your objectives to build digital capabilities into the appraisal and development plans of your champions and those they’re supporting. This area is covered under theme 7 of the Digital Skills Framework.

Safe handling of information

It’s important that rules and principles are set out and communicated over how digital and/or electronic information is managed and used within your organisation. This area is covered under theme 4 of the Digital Skills Framework.

Resources

You’ll need to prioritise which areas of digital that your champions will support and make sure they have a range of resources available to help them.

Your support

It’s vital to make your digital champions feel valued. This may include allocating protected time so that they can balance the commitment alongside their day-to-day role.

Measurable objectives

A clear set of objectives should be developed to help guide the training of your champions and the support they offer.

Short ‘bite-sized’ learning

Your digital champions’ training and the support they offer colleagues needs to be bite-sized and flexible so that it can fit around their day-to-day roles.

Find out more

Read this case study from the Digital Care Hub: Manor Community’s story: trialling an informal messaging app for social care. 

For more information on digital champions, visit the Skills for Care website.