E-learning course to help health and social care key workers digitally upskill during Covid-19
The new bi-lingual course has been developed in partnership between Digital Communities Wales and Digital Unite.
There are 250 voucher codes available to Welsh-based health and social care organisations that wish to participate in the course
A free e-learning course to help tackle the digital divide in the health and social care sector has been launched in Wales this week.
The new bi-lingual course Inspiring Digital Use in Health and Social Care / Ysbrydoli Defnydd Digidol ym maes Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol has been developed in partnership between Digital Communities Wales and Digital Unite. It explains to those in a health or social care role the benefits of digital service delivery, how to find the most trusted health information online, and where people can go for further health-related support.
The introductory course is hosted on Digital Unite’s award-winning Digital Champions Network*. Those studying the CPD-accredited course also have access to seven other online courses to help them develop their Digital Champion’s status, covering areas such as accessibility for the visually impaired and how to engage older people in online activities.
Bob Gann, independent consultant and author of Digital Inclusion in Health and Care in Wales, said:
“The rapid growth in digital technologies brings transformative opportunities for people to become more active partners in their own care, interacting with services with the convenience they have come to expect in other areas of their lives.
“But with these exciting opportunities comes a serious risk. As more and more vital public services are delivered online, digitally excluded people in Wales are in danger of being left behind. The need to upskill the health and social care sector has never come at a more pressing time as we learn to digitally transform our front line staff through this current pandemic.
“The new e-learning course launched by Digital Communities Wales and Digital Unite will not only help our key workers to understand the importance of digital inclusion in their day-to-day role but it will help increase their own skills when it comes to using digital technologies in the work place. I’m glad it’s here and look forward to hearing the feedback from the participants.”
The online course can be completed in the participants own time and is packed full of inspiring videos, case studies and quizzes and comes complete with a digital badge and a certificate to recognise the skills and knowledge gained.
Laura Phillips, Training and Development officer at Digital Communities Wales – Digital Confidence, Health and Well-being, said:
“This introductory e-learning course for health and care workers in Wales has been in development with Digital Unite over the last 12 months, so we are delighted to finally be in a position to launch and see what impact it will have.
“Digital technology can be overwhelming for many, so we’ve tried to make this course as simple and interactive as possible; helping key workers to find quality health information online and signposting them to the best online tools, resource and apps for their patients and service users.
“Ultimately, we want this course to be a stepping stone to them becoming digital champions for their organisation, helping others to engage with digital technologies in order to gain maximum benefit from the life changing opportunities provided.”
Digital Communities Wales – Digital Confidence, Health and Well-being is a Welsh Government project which is delivered by the Wales Co-operative Centre. Digital Communities Wales staff based at the Wales Co-operative Centre deliver bespoke support to organisations to help them embed digital inclusion into their strategies and practices. The team also coordinates a range of volunteering initiatives to increase basic digital skills volunteering across Wales.
*Digital Unite’s Digital Champions Network is an award-winning online learning platform that trains and supports people to become confident Digital Champions. It combines training and development with project management and has over 20 online courses, hundreds of resources and easy-to-use monitoring and reporting tools. Digital Communities Wales has been part of the Network since December 2017 with around 275 Digital Champions supporting organisations and their frontline teams across the country.