The Digital Social Care Programmes Scottish Commission for People with Learning Disabilities (SCLD) partner, Ruth Callander, provides a vital link into SCLD's digital transformation programme, promoting the rights of people with learning disabilities, underpinned by the best available evidence. This includes utilising existing data, designing in-house research and collaborating with external partners.
Their current focus is on:
Learning Disability Digital Inclusion Co-Ordinator Pilot
Key Objectives:
To establish and test the efficacy of a place-based Learning Disability Digital Inclusion Co-ordinator role across the south of Scotland, to support the goal of giving people with learning disabilities an equal opportunity to use digital tools, technologies and services to support their social inclusion and well-being.
Key objectives also include:
- Supporting Learning Disability organisations to understand what digital technologies are available for people with learning disabilities, and how to support people to stay safe online through advice, training, networking and capacity building.
- Working with digital inclusion organisations to develop and ultimately deliver programmes that are accessible to people with learning disabilities.
- Linking local organisations to national programmes of work, including funding streams that support digital inclusion
Latest Update:
This programme of work is in the initial start-up phase, with focus being on desk based research, stakeholder engagement and identifying potential benefits. The Digital Inclusion role will be specified and deliverables refined over the Autumn and Winter months 2024.
Digital Health and Care Learning Disability Lived Experience Board (Digital Navigator Board)
Key Objectives:
To help innovators in the Digital Health and Social Care space understand how to, and ultimately deliver digital solutions that ensure these tools are accessible to people with learning disabilities. This will be done by supporting the knowledge and capacity building of a board of lived experience advisors with learning disabilities with a focus on digital health and social care services and technologies, including a link with the above mentioned Digital Inclusion Co-ordinator Pilot.
Latest Update:
This programme of work is in the initial start up phase, with the first board meeting taking place on the 8th October 2024. The focus of this board will be to establish the Terms of Reference and membership, before then defining the remit and direction of travel, as well as discussing the key benefits to all stakeholders.
Closed Programmes of work:
SCLD Digital Transformation Project
Led by the Digital Navigator Board, exploratory work was undertaken early 2023 to understand the experiences of people with learning disabilities in relation to digital technology. The final project report and other resources are finalised and were published in December 2023. Available on SCLD website here: Digital Transformation - SCLD
Quarriers Digital Financial Inclusion Project
The development of a financial inclusion partnership which is focused on supporting people with a learning disability to transition to a cashless society. The final report has been published here.