A number of the Council’s partners will attend the meeting to give their views on the barriers to people accessing digital services in Stockport.
Minutes:
Stockport Homes
Tanya King, Social Inclusion Manager with Stockport Homes, gave an overview of that aspect of the organisation’s Social Inclusion Strategy which related to digital inclusion. 71% of Stockport Homes’ tenants over the age of 65 were without digital access. The cost of broadband and smartphones was prohibitive for those on low incomes and without internet access tenants could not find the best offers. Credit checks prevented some tenants from being able to enter into contracts. In addition, 48% of disabled tenants did not have digital access (from the December 2014 STAR survey) and 25% of tenants in the ‘Three Sisters’ blocks of flats in Brinnington had no internet access (frpom face to face survey December 2015).
The Council and Stockport Homes had made efforts to help tenants overcome the barriers to digital access. The Council’s Public Wifi project would see eighteen Council buildings installed with wifi access in 2015. For the last year Stockport Homes had been running a Digital Heroes course. Approximately 150 people had currently completed the course and funding had been provided for a further year. Stockport Homes had also undertaken a lot of work with Starpoint, a digital inclusion social enterprise company in Woodley.
Stockport Homes had embarked on a project to provide free wi-fi access in the ‘Three Sisters’ blocks of flats in Brinnington by having a transmitter in the middle block of flats. It was anticipated that this project would be in place nby the end of April 2015 and was operating as a pilot to see if lessons leaned from the connectivity, equipment and training offered could be ‘rolled out’ to other locations. It was scheduled to run for two years, but would be reviewed after six months. Stockport Homes had completed a ‘mapping’ exercise to see which of its housing stock were not within a ten minutes walk of a building with digital access and was using this to plan the location of future projects.
The following comments were made/issues raised:-
· Access to the internet was now like a utility and the ability to use it a life skill.
· There were eleven volunteers who had trained the 150 people who had attended the Digital Heroes course. Another 250 people were scheduled to attend the course in the forthcoming year.
· The Digital Heroes courses were financed partly from Housing Revenue Account (HRA) monies from the Council, from HRA underspend from Stockport Homes’ management fee and from the water surplus.
· As a result of the project to provide digital access to the ‘Three Sisters’ blocks of flats in Brinnington, Stockport Homes had received a number of enquiries from local people. Consideration was being given to providing dongles if necessary and upgrading facilities in the local community centre. Training would take place and the concept of having Community Champions in the blocks of flats was being explored.
· Measures would be in place to block or control access to certain websites as part of the ‘Three Sisters’ project. The uses of the digital access would be monitored, although there were other objectives such as reducing social isolation and increasing employment.. Using the free wi-fi for non-work reasons could act as a ‘gateway’ to accessing Stockport Homes digitally or the Universal Credit scheme.
· Stockport Homes may also be able to work with schools to explore the use of their IT equipment out of school hours.
· There could be benefits to businesses of greater digital access.
· As one of the key barriers to digital access was cost, Stockport Homes would explore working with the Credit Union in this regard.
· Stockport Homes was sharing its expertise with the Council and the voluntary sector, for example through the Citizens Advice Bureau.
Voluntary Sector
Tony Shield, Chief Officer at Anchorpoint, outlined the barriers to digital access which his organisation had identified, namely a lack of understanding of the importance of having digital access, a lack of skills and familiarity with the technology and affordability.
The following comments were made/issues raised:-
· As a result of the number of shared facilities in Stockport town centre, the opportunities for shared access should be explored with providers.
· By April 2017 93% of Stockport would be covered by superfast broadband which is above the national average. There would be 100% coverage of normal broadband.
· The balance needed to be considered between the voluntary sector encouraging personal internet access rather than providing free wi-fi and computer equipment, or whether better use should be made of existing resources in libraries and expanding Anchorpoint’s facilities. Other factors needed to be considered, for example the facilities provided by Anchorpoint encouraged social inclusion.
· Whether the Council could assist in second hand IT equipment being used by the voluntary sector and whether the Council should investigate working with Stockport Homes in this regard. The Council could investigate repurchasing hardware and the possible refurbishment of Council stock.
· The problems associated with people’s perceptions about inputting certain personal information on public computers.
Business
Norman King, CSS Manager, outlined discussions he had had with representatives of the business community in Stockport, for example problems with regard to intermittent internet access. He also referred to academic research which cited speed of connectivity as one of the barriers to growth for businesses.
The following comments were made/issues raised:-
· The reason for the involvement of Members of the Environment and Economy Scrutiny Committee in the review was primarily to acknowledge the substantial of people who were self-employed in the borough.
· There was a need for more information regarding local businesses and how many were affected.
· It was important to know to what extent businesses were looking for a 4G connection .The Head of Information and Communication advised that Stockport had a very good 4G connections (average 98%).
· The businesses resulting from the major regeneration projects which were taking place in the borough in the next few years would need to be able to link with the digital infrastructure in place in the borough.
RESOLVED - (1) That Tanya King, Tony Shield and Norman King be thanked for their presentations.
(2) That consideration be given as to whether the Council could assist in second hand IT equipment being used by other organisations and whether the Council should investigate working with Stockport Homes in this regard.