Digital Inclusion

Wednesday December 9th 2009, One Great George Street, London, 09:00 - 16:30

Delivering Digital Inclusion: Tackling Social Exclusion Through Technology

“Investing in areas such as broadband access for every home and business and the move from analogue to digital technology will bring benefits across the board, driving growth, enabling businesses to thrive, and providing new opportunities and choices for households right across the country. It is an essential part of building Britain’s future.”

The Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP Prime Minister, June 2009

Overview

Digital technologies pervade every aspect of modern society. They can improve how we work, how we are entertained, how we communicate with each other, the healthcare available to us, and how information and knowledge can be brought together and used for our benefit. However these opportunities are not enjoyed by the whole of the UK population - for example, 8 million adults in the UK still do not use computers and the Internet.

The struggle against social exclusion continues to be a priority for the Government. With the launch of the Action Plan in October 2008 along with the publication of the much-awaited Digital Britain report in June 2009 the Government has shown its commitment to putting an end to the digital divide.

Lord Carter’s Digital Britain report, brings together the economic and social digital agendas, building the case for informal digital skills and inclusion. Digital Britain measures include:

A three-year National Plan to improve Digital Participation
Universal Access to today's broadband services by 2012
Next Generation fund for investment in tomorrow's broadband services
Digital radio upgrade by the end of 2015
Mobile spectrum liberalisation, enhancing 3G coverage and accelerating Next Generation mobile services
Robust legal and regulatory framework to combat Digital Piracy
Support for public service content partnerships
A revised digital remit for Channel 4
Consultation on funding options for national, regional and local news

In addition to the launch of the report, the Government appointed Martha Lane Fox as the first Digital Inclusion Champion along with the establishment of a Task Force of ten expert advisors. As Digital Inclusion Champion, Martha Lane Fox will represent those who are both socially and digitally excluded, who are not currently reaping the benefits of digital technologies.

Agenda

08:40	Coffee and Registration
09:25	Opening Remarks by Chair William Hoyle, Chief Executive, Charity Technology Trust (CONFIRMED)
09:30	Keynote: Moving the Digital Inclusion Agenda Forward: Putting an End to the Digital Divide How local authorities are working in partnership to maximise technology and innovation Practical examples of tackling health, education, worklessness and climate change How a national roll-out and adoption of products can work to save costs and increase efficiencies Supporting other digital inclusion and participation initiatives in Digital Britain and related government initiatives Stephen Dodson, Director, DC10plus (CONFIRMED)
09:50	Building Britain’s Future: Delivering Digital Britain How to reach the hard to reach? Poetry not just pipes The National Plan for Digital Participation The role of the Consortium of Stakeholders tasked with driving demand Education and skills for a Digital Britain Robin Blake, Head of Media Literacy, Ofcom (CONFIRMED)
10:10	Digital Inclusion Strategy for the UK Key issues relating to the use of digital technology Taking the issue of digital inclusion into mainstream service delivery across all sectors What are the most effective ways to remove these barriers and ensure all individuals can exercise an empowered choice about their use of digital technologies? Promoting the best use of technology Role of partnership working Anna Bradley, Chairman, Communications Consumer Panel & Member, Digital Inclusion Taskforce (CONFIRMED)
10:30	Questions and Answers Session
10:50	Coffee and Networking
11:10	Total Online Barnsley by 2012 Digital Barnsley – the wider context Everyone online - what do we mean? Everyone online - why we're doing it Everyone online - how we're doing it Martin Cantor, Principal European and Regional Strategy Officer, Barnsley Council (CONFIRMED)
11:30	Tackling Social Exclusion Through ICT Aligning user needs IT in public services Creating new ICT-based services Identifying and creating ICT-based services that address local social exclusion challenges Improving access to services Opportunities to build more effective, integrated, personalised, and customer focused services Best practice John Fisher, Chief Executive, Citizens Online (CONFIRMED)
11:50	Improving Opportunities Through ICT Removing the barriers to opportunity for individuals and practitioners Improving life chances Improving work chances Improving communities Catherine Marshal, CEO, Lighthouse Project & Member, Digital Inclusion Taskforce (CONFIRMED)
12:10	Modern Markets for All? In 2005, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister funded the launch of a radical initiative based on unique technology. Called “Slivers-of-Time Working” it was designed to tackle an intractable problem in the labour market. Millions of people in the UK can’t fit conventional full or part time work around their commitments in life. But they could do “bits of work” at times of their choosing today, tomorrow or any point in the future Slivers-of-Time Workers are carers, people with recurring medical conditions, parents, the partially employed, business starters and freelancers. Government funded research points to 13.7m people who need this way of working at some point each year in the UK. Local Authorities are key to its adoption Five years later, what has been learned from this world-leading experiment that created a new kind of marketplace to solve pressing social problems? Richard Manby, Head of Development, Slivers-of-Time Working (CONFIRMED)
12:30	Questions and Answers Session
12:45	Lunch and Networking
13:45	Effective Public Services for Everybody: Creating an Inclusive Health System Empowering citizens to take charge of their own health Links between poor health and digital exclusion Opening up information and access to services to all Internet users NHS Direct - meeting the needs of patients Matthew Garrod, Associate Director, Multi Channel, NHS Direct (CONFIRMED)
14:05	Switched on Communities - Helping Disabled People Unlock Their Talent Through Technology Delivery of the Switched on Communities project Training showing how to adapt computers to meet the needs of disabled users Resources that offer alternatives to using a keyboard and mouse Software to support struggling readers and CD-Roms with further information Help and support to identify access needs of learners – including the use of an online assessment tool Success and lessons learnt from project Nigel Lewis, Chief Executive, AbilityNet (CONFIRMED)
14:25	Improving Life Chances Through Digital Technology Causes and contributors to social isolation - access to information for those with sensory or cognitive impairments, poor literacy or just poverty Around half of those who are blind never go out alone or at best only once a week if accompanied by a sighted person Is digital technology being used to tackle this cause of social isolation? It is suggested that more could be done and that it would bring significant benefits to society as a whole Peter Barker OBE, Professor of Inclusive Environments, The University of Reading (CONFIRMED)
14:45	Coffee and Networking
15:05	Bridging the Digital Divide in Solihull Delivering free or subsidised broadband to residents in council owned multi-storey housing blocks using a cutting edge 'leased-lines-in-the-sky' wireless technology Finding a low cost, low maintenance, reliable way of providing Internet connectivity to socially excluded Wireless hotspots Improving IT literacy skills of residents Funding Chris Deery, Head of IT, Solihull Community Housing (Digital Inclusion Beacon) (CONFIRMED)
15:25	Digital England: A Rural Perspective The rural picture-the current state of rural digital inclusion What are the rural issues? Social and community cohesion Universal connectivity in rural areas Next Generation Access – now and in the future Gill Payne, Executive Director, Commission for Rural Communities (CONFIRMED)
15:45	Questions and Answers Session
16:00	Close

*programme subject to change without notice

Audience

Delegates will be drawn from central government departments and bodies, trade unions, think tanks, businesses and employers, regional development agencies, adult and community learning providers, technology leaders, academia; legal and voluntary sectors; local authorities, local strategic partnerships, social inclusion officers, community safety teams, housing organisations, primary care trusts, youth offending teams, police officers, children’s trusts, welfare groups, local, regional and national health services, regional development agencies, UK online centres and all those involved and interested in the social exclusion agenda.