Agenda item - Presentation(s)

Before proceeding to the formal business of the meeting there will be a presentation(s) on:

Digital Inclusion - Update

The impact of Universal Credit roll out in Brighton and Hove. This will include perspectives as experienced by the Community and Voluntary Sector, “Moneyworks”, the Hangleton & Knoll Project and Brighton & Hove City Council;

Following the presentation Members will have the opportunity to ask questions after which there will be a short break before proceeding to the formal business of the agenda.

8a        Moneyworks - Partnership Working - Universal Credit

8.1       A presentation was given outlining the work which had been undertaken and giving perspectives by the third sector of the impact that the rolling out of Universal credit had had across the city. It was noted that input and advice had fed into the work carried out to date and which would continue to/from a number of partnership organisations. These had included: Citizens Advice, Brighton & Hove; Money Advice Plus; BHT; Possability People; St Luke’s Advice Service; Whitehawk Inn; the Hangleton and Knoll Project; Brighton Unemployed Centre Families Project and East Sussex Credit Union.

8.2       Moneyworks had been commissioned by the council to deliver Department of works and Pension (DWP) funded digital and budgeting support (39 k Oct 2017 - March 2018) (64k April 2018 – March 2019). It had worked with libraries and East Sussex Credit Union and other Moneyworks partners to plan for provision and had planned for the roll out and key communications with DWP, the Welfare Reform Programme Manager, libraries and Digital Brighton and Hove as well as with other Moneyworks partners. Information and resource sharing had taken place with partners and advice services and networking with other agencies. This had included shared training in respect of Universal Credit.

8.3       This work had been important because Moneyworks had been able to provide a single point of contact. Moneyworks had a trusted reputation amongst residents and professionals and people knew that they could come to Moneyworks for help and that there was strong local knowledge of services. A triage approach was often adopted because Universal Credit usually formed part of a cluster of issues which people might present with. There was the ability to provide assisted self-help if that was appropriate and the ability to refer or signpost clients to the most appropriate service to meet their needs.

8.4       Additionally, a digital and budgeting support service had been provided at Job Centre Plus offices. A digital and budgeting support worker was available in each Job Centre for 22 hours per week, 400 sessions had taken place between November 2017 – May 2018 and an excellent and mutually productive relationship and problem solving approach had been built up with Job Centre staff. It had been possible to take referrals directly from Job Centre Plus work coaches and there had been the ability to work with the most vulnerable in order to resolve issues quickly e.g., street homeless clients. Referral paths had been set up which had the ability to pick up clients who were not linked in with other services. Linkages to other funded partnerships and projects had been beneficial and greatly appreciated by clients.

8.5       Overall, holistic support had been provided which had included support with completing applications and critically on-going support in completing the required journal, help in searching for work, help with CVs, which was particularly helpful where clients had issues with literacy, were English speakers of other languages or where there were poor digital skills or low confidence. In casework terms assistance had been provided in accessing and submitting Employment Support Allowance (ESA) applications and in completing UC50 forms, in resolving complex issues around entitlement, challenging decisions and in resolving errors.

8.6       Moneyworks saw their role very much in the context of partnership working, solution finding and seeking to influence change. The Moneyworks coordinator was able to represent the partnership and to share issues that they were facing with a view to resolving issues. They also worked closely with Digital Brighton and Hove, with job centre’s and the council to seek to ensure that there was joined up digital provision and that they also fed into the Welfare Reform Working Group, Complex Needs Forum, Advice Services Network and undertook social policy work with national corporate appointees. On-going issues which had arisen to date and would continue to be addressed liaison arrangements were in place with Mill View Hospital in instances where clients were being treated under the umbrella of their service for mental health, substance abuse problems; visits, corporate appointees, issues around explicit consent being give; lack of access to decision makers and in dealing with instances where there had been errors with claims, when errors had occurred it appeared to be very difficult to put them right.

8.7       Following the presentation members had the opportunity to ask questions.

8.8       RESOLVED – That the contents of the presentation be received and noted.

8b       Digital Inclusion Update

8.9       Richard Denyer-Bewick, Operations Director, Citizens Online and David Scurr, Project Manager, Citizens Online outlined their on-going work in working in partnership with community and the third sector in order to assist residents of the city in becoming more computer literate and accessing information and services on line. There had been particular emphasis over recent months which would continue in relation to helping individuals to process claims for Universal Credit. The overarching principle of their work was to help address digital exclusion.

8.10    Since 2015 the project had recruited 308 Digital Champions, helped 1978 individual learners and had engaged with 184 organisations including the council, the Department of Works and Pensions, Job Centre Plus, the Citizens Advice Bureau, Brighton Housing Trust, Community Works, Ability Net, the Carers Centre, Hangleton and Knoll Project, Brighton and Hove Food Partnership, Age UK and BUFCP. The 308 Digital Champions had been trained to include work in respect of the council’s revenues and benefits, work of the Brighton Housing Trust and had provided work in concert with the library service across all sites. Overall, digital support provision had been enhanced by providing weekly services at the Barts House Customer Service Centre, food banks and as part of seniors housing schemes. Feedback received from those using the service had indicated that their sessions had helped them to find things on line and to find ways around things that they found difficult.

8.11    In total there were now 37 internet access points listed across the city, 39 digital support sessions listed and leaflets had been produced signposting the services available and in total 2500 had been displayed across the city.

8.12    Following the presentation members had the opportunity to ask questions following which there was a short break before proceeding to consider the remaining business on the agenda.

8.13    RESOLVED – That the contents of the presentation be received and noted.