Scottish Government

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Introduction

1. Angus Gold is a digital inclusion initiative allied to a broader programme of health education and improvements to engagement with services for the 50+ population. Following the end of a three-year pilot phase funded by the Scottish Government, a team from the RBS Centre for the Older Person's Agenda at Queen Margaret University was commissioned to undertake an evaluation of the project.

2. The aim of this project was to evaluate the Angus Gold project with a focus on identifying and reporting lessons learned for dissemination to local authorities and other organisations engaged in this type of activity.

Aims and objectives of the evaluation

3. In order to meet these aims the research pursued two strands as shown in Table 1, below.

Table 1 Evaluation aims and objectives

Methods

4. The evaluation team also worked alongside four members of COPA's HUB¹ during fieldwork (* = assistance and input from HUB researchers)

• Exploratory visits to other digital inclusion projects and to the different type of venues where training had been provided by Angus Gold*
• Exploratory discussions with key stakeholders and the Project Co-ordinator
• Review of the existing literature (for the last five years); review of existing website projects; and a review of project documentation
• With project participants: a postal questionnaire to all participants; three discussion groups*; six interviews and three case studies
• Volunteers: two discussion groups*
• With strategic partners and other stakeholders: one discussion group*; seven interviews
• With the Angus Gold project team: five interviews
• A website evaluation included an interview with the web developer; website evaluation with seven members of the Angus Gold website end user group; review of project documentation; and assessment of the website against accessibility criteria*

Introduction to Angus Gold

5. The Angus 50+ project, later re-named Angus Gold by participants, began in March 2004 and became fully operational by January 2005. The project's remit was to promote digital inclusion for the 50+ population of Angus within a broader programme of health education and improvements to engagement with services. Angus Gold was designed around a strategic partnership agreement with council agencies working in collaboration with representatives from the voluntary and private sectors. Originally intended to run for two years, an extension for a further year was subsequently agreed to accommodate certain delays. The project employed a Community Learning and Development ( CLD) approach (see 2.6 and 2.32 for a definition of CLD) and this provided a methodology and guided decision-making.

Aims and objectives of Angus Gold:

6. The aims and objectives of Angus Gold were to:

• Increase the use of modern technology in the target age group, as a means of accessing information, contributing to the development of this information and increasing community involvement
• Develop a website that meets the specific needs of older adults
• Develop involvement in a 50+ smartcard which may utilise discounts and incentives and be linked to existing citizen card development - i.e. leisure, library and travel cards
• Provide a publication that will be available online to provide a guide to local services targeted at the 50+ age group
• Inform the 50+ population on health and well-being issues and opportunities in Angus - including service provision, health improvement and community safety

Findings

The strategic partnership

7. The original multi-disciplinary partnership that collaborated on Angus Gold involved:

• Angus Council agencies (including Social Work and Health, Leisure Services and the IT Department)
• Angus College
• Age Concern Scotland
• Microsoft
• British Telecom
• Tayside Police
• NHS Tayside

8. The early stages of the project were characterised by the need to overcome different 'drivers' ( i.e. financial targets or policy-related aims) of the various partners. The more successful relationships were those where a learning and development approach was embraced by partners. Good partnerships were characterised by partners that were prepared to adapt their working practices to meet the needs of Angus Gold participants; work at a pace that supported input from participants; and harness resources that could be used by the project.

9. The partnership generated various forms of input and contribution to the project including resources such as computer software and broadband facilities from the private sector; expertise and advice from different sectors; financial and staffing input from health and council agencies; signposting and support linked to policy developments; and capacity building through joint working with different groups and services.

10. Strategic partners recognised with hindsight that there had been insufficient forward planning and provision of resources for the project. This was reportedly due to:

• Uncertainty over demand and outcomes associated with a pilot project
• Lack of responsiveness to the level of demand as the project progressed
• Not planning effectively beyond the pilot phase of the project

11. A range of benefits were experienced by strategic partners including improvements to provision, better accountability to older service users and a greater understanding of the value of interdisciplinary working.

Engagement

12. The project targeted groups and individuals who were unlikely to access training and other activities elsewhere and took an exploratory and experimental approach to tackling the different barriers to participation.

13. Consultation with participants was on-going and began with a residential conference held shortly after the project began which:

• Opened discussions on the internet and website design and recruited a website end user group
• Collected ideas on the branding of the project using creative activities around colour and design
• Established the foundations of a network of forums by consulting delegates on local issues of concern and their ideas for how these might be addressed

14. The project reviewed the individual progress of trainees and adapted teaching and content to their perspectives; reviewed the progress of each strand by supporting participants to gather feedback from stakeholders and the wider community; and evaluated the overall project on an annual basis, measuring progress against agreed milestones.

15. A higher than expected level of demand for computer training was generated by early engagement activities. In response the team slowed down the in-take of trainees in order to develop other strands.

16. A strong project 'brand' was developed through discussion and consultation with participants. The branding supported loyalty from participants and encouraged ownership of the project as a whole.

17. The status of the project as separate from mainstream services gave it a beacon quality whereby it was visible to potential collaborators and interested parties beyond the boundaries of Angus.

18. Many participants reported involvement in more than one strand of the project, highlighting the diverse roles they had been able to take on. The mobility of the different project strands enhanced inclusivity as events and opportunities were offered to participants on their home territory. Participants with mobility difficulties and other limiting conditions were enabled to access training and attend forum meetings as a result.

19. The project created a network of participants with whom local planners and services providers could consult and provided novel ways in which to disseminate information and other messages. This network has also begun to raise issues of local concern and feedback on services and facilities.

Progress on the aims and objectives

20. The project achieved most of the aims and objectives despite certain delays:

• The aim of increasing the use of modern technology within the target age group was achieved and the targets set for trainee numbers were exceeded.
• The aim of constructing a website that meets the specific needs of older people was achieved but subject to significant delays due to pacing development according to the needs of participants. The delays also had implications in terms of costs and the timing of funding.
• While an Angus Gold card is now in circulation that is linked to the National Entitlement Card ( NEC) the original objective of creating a 'smartcard' was not achieved during the period of funding from the Scottish Government.
• The objective of providing a publication and service guide for the 50+ population of Angus has been achieved in the context of learning lessons around format and content. Following an iterative process of testing different formats a third version of the publication contained initial information on the discount card and directed readers to the website as a source of further information.
• The health and wellbeing objective was achieved through the introduction of diverse sources of information and by enhancing the skills of participants to access this information.

21. The project engaged in a series of activities and tasks that were additional to the original aims and objectives and these included:

• A drama group that linked with theatre projects and other groups around Scotland and was used to develop scenarios for short films on community safety made in collaboration with the Trading Standards Office and Care and Repair and a short film on mental health issues in collaboration with the local NHS
• Recruitment of volunteers for the IT training and health promotion strands of the project helping to build capacity, broaden the reach of the project and engage the wider community in the project
• Development of a network of forums that took place in various settings agreed with participants including meetings in sheltered housing facilities during day time to facilitate consultation with and participation of frail and disabled participants.

IT Training

22. An inclusive approach to training was developed through regular reviewing of progress and adaptation of materials and content to trainees needs alongside the introduction of various forms of assistive technology and other adaptations.

23. IT training was used as a springboard into an array of other project activities (see Figure 1 below) and through this Angus Gold managed to sustain engagement with participants.

Figure 1 The Angus Gold pathway for participants

24. Resources were targeted through an informal assessment process that gave priority to absolute beginners in a manner that avoided potentially stigmatising formal selection criteria.

25. Developing mobile training further supported the targeting of resources, helped address anxieties about learning a new skill and led to trainees learning within groups of people familiar to them.

26. The project uncovered literacy problems for some trainees and was required to find ways of supporting learners through teaching methods that avoided emphasis upon reading and writing. Teaching materials were adapted to substitute text with illustrations, a relationship was developed with the local literacy team, more one-on-one support from volunteers was provided for learners with literacy difficulties, literacy software packages were purchased, and teaching was tailored with individualised activity plans and reviews.

27. At the time of the evaluation 389 participants had undergone basic training with nearly a quarter of these going on to further training at the local community college and over a quarter purchasing their own computers. Of the participants with access to a computer 70% reported using it for emailing, 64% for accessing the internet and 45% for getting information.

28. The evaluation also found evidence that the project had successfully targeted individuals who might face barriers to accessing training elsewhere with 44% trainees reporting they lived alone; 40% with a chronic illness or disabling condition and a third reporting they were rarely or not always able to get out and about. Approximately a third of respondents had visual impairment and a quarter reported hearing difficulties.

29. Strategic partners indicated that Angus Gold had achieved the dual outcome of gathering information together of particular relevance to the 50+ population while increasing participants' skills in accessing it.

30. The training had a less than 10% drop-out rate with participants highlighting the most important features as:

• The age-targeted format and composition of classes
• Everyone beginning at a similar level
• The relaxed and social tone of the classes
• The opportunity to establish or widen a social network

Website development

31. The project's website was developed through consultation with individuals with diverse support requirements and little or no prior experience of using the internet. A firm of web developers was contracted to work with a website end user group. The development process took longer than expected as a result of following a pace set by participants.

32. The evaluation found that nearly a third of participants had visited the website recently and most found it easy or very easy to locate information. Participants also reported that the lay-out and information on the website compared favourably to the complicated nature of much online content.

33. Strategic partners recognised that the website represented a sector leading example of what an accessible and usable website should be for older people but raised concerns over the need to keep the content updated.

Angus Gold Card

34. The National Entitlement Card ( NEC) was rebranded to carry the Angus Gold logo and from June 2007 has been distributed to anyone entitled to a travel concession. It is also available to 50-59 year old residents if they apply to the Council. A team of participants have been involved in negotiating discounts and deals with the local business community.

35. Delays to distributing the card undermined links to the publication and website in the earlier stages of the project. According to the project team, these delays mean the potential of the card is only beginning to be realised.

36. The card now carries over 20 different discounts and deals and has been distributed to over 30,000 people in Angus. Cardholders who were not project participants were provided with little information on how the card could be used when they were originally sent out. Of the project participants, 38% of cardholders have made use of the card to obtain discounts or other deals.

37. After the initial start-up costs the running costs of the card are limited and the majority of the associated workload is being undertaken by project participants. Work on the card has continued beyond the period of Government funding.

Publications

38. The project produced three types of publication: a magazine, a service directory specifically for the Arbroath area and a third format combining both directory and magazine. A writer/researcher was contracted to work with an editorial team of participants to compile content and gather input from the wider community and service providers.

39. Evaluation questionnaire data shows that 78% of respondents had seen an Angus Gold-related publication and over a third of respondents indicated making use of a specific article or piece of information from the publication.

40. For many strategic partners the publication's greatest strength lay in its relationship with the other project strands and the distribution network that was harnessed by the project including the local meal delivery service for frail and housebound older people.

41. The publication has also supported further project objectives including:

• informing the 50+ population of health and well-being issues,
• promoting access to information for older people (including housebound and frail older people) and
• involving older people in the production of content.

42. While the third and final version of the publication carried links to the card and website none of the publications carried any advertising or other forms of commercial input with implications for the sustainability of this strand of the project, discussed later.

Health and well-being

43. Health and well-being issues were integrated throughout the project and information was disseminated in a range of formats and media. The process began by establishing how health-related issues were perceived by the local 50+ population through a survey carried out by participants. Fourteen IT trainees also went on to receive training as health mentors and to engage frail and housebound older people residing in sheltered housing facilities around health based activities.

44. Health, wellbeing and community safety information has been dispersed throughout the project, which has maintained a focus upon groups and individuals who particularly stand to benefit from it. This includes participants who were socially isolated, frail, disabled and those with enduring health problems.

45. Partners reported that the project has helped support and promote local and national health and social care policy and noted the improvements to the well-being of participants as a result of taking part in the project. This included benefits to well-being associated with areas such as computer training that were not directly health-related. The benefits of disseminating health information in a broader context of activities and initiatives were also recognised.

46. Participants reported improvements to well-being and quality of life as well as increased skills in accessing information on health conditions. Opportunities to learn about health-related issues were also increased through various branches of the project including talks at forums, a health-themed publication and health and wellbeing information on the website.

Impact on participants

47. Very few criticisms of the project were voiced by participants and a number of strategic partners indicated that the impact upon participants' lives and wellbeing had been the single most significant achievement of the project. Both partners and participants highlighted that the combined impact of the project as a whole and the interconnected nature of its various strands was key to its success.

48. Acquisition of computing skills had a positive influence upon both frequency and quality of social contact with existing social networks as well as making activities of daily life easier. Project participation extended social networks and increased levels of direct social contact for participants. The sociability associated with the project has been a trigger for initial engagement and a motive for maintaining engagement for participants.

Value for money

49. Among the issues to consider in deciding whether Angus Gold represents value for money are:

• It has targeted groups and individuals who are high-level users of public services and provided skills to access services and information about them online
• Participants have been enabled to take control of aspects of their lives that due to frailty, ill-health or disability were becoming more difficult to manage such as shopping, money management and maintaining social ties
• The experimental approach of the project means that lessons have been learned that will benefit future initiatives especially in respect to digital inclusion and the engagement of groups often considered 'hard to reach'
• Value has been added through benefits to partners in terms of reviewing working practices, identifying gaps in provision and reaching a broader range of service users.

50. The high rate of trainee retention, alongside the measurable progress made by participants, support the interpretation that the project has offered value for money especially in terms of the training programme and wider efforts made to tackle digital exclusion. The varied forms of input from different partners have also helped to make the project more cost effective, alongside the benefits attached to the recruitment of volunteers.

Sustainability

51. Partners identified two approaches to the sustainability of the project. The first option is to develop the Angus Gold template on a national level comparable to the YoungScot initiative. A second option was to pursue a local model of sustainability through mainstreaming of the different project strands. Progress on this is detailed below in Table 2.

Table 2 Mainstreaming of project strands following the end of Government funding

52. The greatest obstacles to the project's sustainability have been the slow response of strategic partners to the unexpected level of demand and an overall lack of forward planning. The exploratory and experimental dimension to the project has taken precedence over the concern to identify opportunities for income generation. Comparisons with similar projects suggest potential exists for a more commercially viable approach but also to support sustainability by handing over increasing levels of responsibility to participants.

Replicability

53. As a pilot initiative Angus Gold has proved the efficacy of the approach taken and therefore its value as a template. Partners and participants alike highlighted the crucial role of the Project Co-ordinator as a champion of the project and driving force behind its success. Considerations for replicating this type of initiative, based upon lessons learned by Angus Gold include:

• Forward planning from the outset, including provision for expansion
• Early development of a strong brand identity
• Responsiveness to levels of demand during the life of the project
• Overcoming sector differences for joint working between partners
• All partners observing the National Standards for Community Engagement
• Balancing through-put of trainees with the need to develop other branches of the project
• Identifying new revenue streams and exploiting the commercial knowledge of private sector partners
• Capacity building through collaboration and joint working

54. The delay to certain project strands highlight that future initiatives, pursuing a similar community learning and development ( CLD) approach, require flexibility in timing of finance. It was a feature of the CLD framework that the project progressed at a pace relevant to the participants and a commitment to this ethos is required at all levels of a project including the financial management.

55. Future projects may also wish to consider charging to assist with income generation towards sustainability however two points need to be acknowledged. The first is the ability of frail older adults and particularly those in care homes to pay, and secondly income generated is likely to be small and not fully offset costs. Where courses are designed to encourage a return to work they may be eligible for Individual Learning Account ( ILA) funding. The Angus Gold team noted that it was 'a luxury' to be able to provide computer training free of charge.

Conclusion

56. As a summary of what has been achieved so far it might be argued that Angus Gold has had a big impact on a limited number of participants and with a limited geographical reach. However, as an exploratory pilot with an emphasis upon experimentation, the aim has been to learn lessons, especially in respect to inclusive practice, rather than meet numeric targets.

57. A particularly attractive aspect of Angus Gold is that it provides participants with a position from which to speak and a dynamic with providers, planners and policy-makers that is different to the usual framework for consultation and engagement of service users. By bringing people together under the banner of Angus Gold the stereotype of older people as passive service users has been challenged with very real consequences for the lives of those involved, not least in the discovery noted by one participant that 'unity is strength'.

58. The project's greatest challenge now is the task of translating an effective and lauded experiment in community engagement into a lasting and more broadly encompassing approach to digital and social inclusion.