Salford City Council has launched a online tool to help residents find help in building their digital skills.
Named the Digital Help Finder, it has been developed as part of the Local Government Association’s project to provide councils with a digital inclusion triage tool.
Salford has been chosen as the lead partner for the beta phase, working with technology company Mortar. The launch is aimed at laying the ground for other local authorities to adopt the tool.
It provides access to comprehensive local and national directories of digital resources, training programmes and support services. It also highlights resources available to a user based on their answers to a set of triage questions and their location.
Salford said this helps users more easily find the right resource for their digital needs, and that its frontline staff found that it was over 60% quicker than manually searching for resources online.
Vision for inclusivity
Cllr Jack Wood, lead member for finance, support services and industrial relations, said: "As a council that has been at the forefront of digital innovation in the region, our vision is to create a digitally inclusive community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive in the digital age. We are taking significant strides towards realising this vision by leveraging technology and collaboration.
"The launch of Digital Help Finder is the next step in Salford City Council's journey of creating a better and fairer Salford that is inclusive and digitally empowered. By providing accessible tools and resources, the council aims to empower individuals to participate fully in the digital economy and engage meaningfully in the digital world."
The council said that a recent survey of 200 Salford residents showed that 88% wanted to acquire digital skills, but 51% needed help knowing where to start.
It has made a big commitment to digital inclusion for several years with its Digital Everyone programme. This has helped more than 45,000 residents get online, provided 200 refurbished laptops to children in care, and built a network of 83 organisations to promote digital inclusion.
