How to achieve digital change with Digital Champions across a borough

Brent Council is committed to helping everyone in their area benefit fully from technology. From staff and residents to businesses and partners, they have a clear direction to become a truly digital borough. They have ambitious targets to 2025 and 100+ Digital Champions at work already.

Why is working so well? Three important ingredients:

·????????Senior leadership support.?Brent’s strategic corporate priorities now state that each of their five directorates should have Digital Champions. This leadership commitment makes a huge difference when galvanising staff and partners to get involved and having consistent awareness about the support available across the Council and beyond.

·????????Centering it around partnerships. They have an active Digital Inclusion Network made up of libraries, housing providers, community hubs, health organisations and charities who meet quarterly. Many organisations have adopted a Digital Champion approach. Partners like Metropolitan Housing and a local primary school are recruiting staff and volunteers to help.

·????????Making digital an essential?area of support and training, positioning it next to safeguarding. The Council sees digital skills through a compulsory lense. They recognise that, when making doctors’ appointments and claiming benefit services they rely on people being online, so digital skills support must become part of everyday practice. Their frontline council staff are supported to become Digital Champions and shown how digital support and signposting must be part of their customer interactions.

Cllr Mili Patel, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, Resources & Reform at Brent Council?said:

“In today's fast changing world, it’s vital our residents not only have the digital skills they need for everyday life and fostering connections, but skills that can help to open up new opportunities”.

?“We’ve learnt that a culture change like this takes time and having dedicated digital inclusion staff and resources like Digital Unite’s Network are vital for its success. Together, we will ensure nobody is left behind