Use this site to find resources for digital champion networks, and to help those responsible for setting up and running workplace digital champions programmes. There are opportunities to engage with other digital champions from across health and social care in Scotland, plus learning and development resources.
Resources include a Digital Champion Network Toolkit, a recorded webinar on Growing Digital Confidence and Capabilities through Digital Champion Networks, and the opportunity to join the Digital Champion Co-ordinators Teams Channel.
What is a digital champion?
In simple terms, a digital champion is someone who is willing to share their skills to help others use digital tools and technologies. Digital champions don't need to be technical experts, but do need patience and enthusiasm to be able to support others to get online. The role of a digital champion can vary across organisations and is often dependent on the context they are operating in.
Examples of digital champions include:
- A volunteer member of the public who works one-to-one with an organisation’s service users to help them use technology
- A member of staff in a paid, dedicated role to support service users or staff with digital or technology
- A member of staff whose manager allows them to spend 2 hours each week helping their colleagues with digital or technology, whilst also undertaking their day job
Visit this Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) webpage for further information on the role of a digital champion.
| The focus of our programme is workplace or work-based digital champions who help colleagues with the adoption of digital solutions and new technologies. Ideally these digital champions are recognised and supported by their organisation, however it is understood that many people are already doing this sort of work without it being acknowledged. The resources on this page are intended to provide support for individuals and organisations to help change this situation, to encourage existing digital champion programmes to thrive, and to support organisations in creating new digital champion networks. |
Digital Champions in Health and Social Care
The Digitally Enabled Workforce (DEW) team within NHS Education for Scotland (NES) are commissioned by Scottish Government and COSLA to support the development of digital and data capabilities across health and social care in Scotland.
As part of this programme the DEW team undertook user research (more details and the research outputs are available here) in 2022 to understand the needs and expectations of the health and social care workforce in relation to developing digital skills, how they use technology, and how they prefer to learn. The research found there was a strong desire for local support to compliment structured training for digital skills.
Most commonly this was delivered by digital champions, many of whom are not formally recognised or supported. This highlighted a clear need to identify, engage and empower digital champions across the sector, formally recognising the role and supporting with learning resources.
Following the research, the DEW Team have launched a programme of work to support organisations to build and grow their own digital champion networks to support the development of workforce digital skills. The aim is to define, formalise and universally adopt the role of digital champions, providing resources for champions and organisations, and linking digital champions together with support networks that cross geographic and sector.
Digital Champion Co-ordinators Teams Channel
This is a dedicated Microsoft Teams channel for anyone across health, social care or housing who is currently running, or looking to set up, a workplace digital champions programme. Use this network to collaborate with colleagues across the sector to discuss successes and challenges, share resources and suggest ideas!
Sign up to join the channel using this short form.
Resources to Support Digital Champions
Our Digital and Data Resource Hub has a page of resources focussed on Supporting Others with Digital. Here you'll find a range of resources that may help your digital champions to support others to get online and make the most of digital technologies.
Connecting Scotland also offer Digital Champion Training specifically tailored to health and social care professionals. This is delivered by the Mhor Collective and is available to any organisation across Scotland.
Contacts
Hilary Lowe - Digital Workforce Specialist Lead
Email: Hilary.Lowe@nhs.scot
Hilary leads on the Digital Champions workstream within the Digitally Enabled Workforce (DEW) Team portfolio. Hilary is happy to be contacted with any queries or to discuss digital champion programmes within your own organisation.
Stay in touch with the DEW Team:
- Email: nes.dew@nhs.scot
- Team Turas Site: Digitally Enabled Workforce | Turas | Learn
- X: @nes_dew
