Colchester Council Helps People to Use Technology

Colchester Council’s Digital Access Support Team help residents maximise the benefits of available technology.

07:12 17 March 2020

Local authorities in Colchester has partnered with Tendring Council and the North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group to form a team of people dedicated to helping residents understand the technology available to them. Colchester Council Digital Access Support Team provides group and one-on-one coaching sessions to residents whose knowledge in the use of internet is limited. 

 

Manager Rachaelle Litwin said: “I was brought in during August 2018. At that point they were just hosting a few community activities where members of the public were coming in to certain locations with their devices and asking for advice.

 

“By November 2018, Tendring came on board and we integrated with the North East Essex CCG. Now as a partnership we are going out into the community more.”

 

“It is a service provided to anyone no matter the circumstances and no matter what technology they have.

 

“It could be someone who got an iPad for Christmas and doesn’t know how to use it. We will show them what to do for whatever they want to use it for.

 

“We work with a variety of different individuals. The majority are 55-plus but that does not mean we have not served younger than that before.”

 

The team is currently leading a drive to get more people to use the NHS app, which will be their first point of call to access primary care.