Kent County Council and Medway Council are rolling out a service to provide secure digital devices to vulnerable citizens across the county.
They are working with IT, HR and finance solutions provider Cantium Business Solutions, which is managing the devices, building and managing an online portal and providing connectivity and data, along with technical support and asset management.
As part of the county’s digital inclusion strategy, the devices are tailored to an individual user – identified by digital co-ordinators in the councils – with specific apps, website bookmarks and a data package. This all designed to help them with access to public health services such as health visiting and substance abuse services.
The councils are now extending the service following a pilot launched in April of last year and expect to have it fully in place in 2023.
Key route to services
Kent’s cabinet member for adult social care and public health Cllr Clair Bell said: “Digital technology is now a key way to use important services, including healthcare, and this was accelerated by the pandemic.
“That’s why during the pandemic we developed this project to support targeted public health groups to continue with their health programmes, despite government restrictions in place at the time.”
Medway’s digital inclusion co-ordinator Amelia Kinsey said: “With these devices in place, service users are able to access vital support, and our staff can in turn engage with a greater number of people overall.”
