by Hundreds of Scotland’s most vulnerable people have been given digital devices as part of a program aimed at reducing drug-related deaths and related harm.
The £3m Digital Lifelines programme, led by Scotland’s Digital Health & Care Innovation Center (DHI), supports people at risk of harm from drugs by providing access to areas of life that are most sought after, linking with family and friends and online services. .
The program has sent more than a thousand android smartphones along with tablets and laptops through 30 organizations working with the support of the Scottish Council of Voluntary Organizations (SCVO).
Recipients include those who are homeless, released from custody, victims of abuse, or those leaving hospitals or residential services.
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The ‘Digital Lifelines’ scheme was launched in April 2021 and has so far supported over 1,700 participants across Scotland with unlimited data devices and connectivity packages.
Those involved in the project say it has provided safety, security, inclusion and greater access to services such as social work.
The four-year program – an extension of a Scottish Government initiative to improve digital inclusion across other marginalized groups in Scotland including the elderly – is so effective that authorities in other nations are monitoring its progress.
Carrie Thomson (Image: DHI)
Carrie Thomson, Digital Lifelines Scotland Portfolio Leader, Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre, is leading the project. She said: “We all take access to digital services for granted, and it’s not until you don’t have access that you really feel the consequences. So much of life – communication, banking, travel, shopping, and access to healthcare – now depends on being online, and those outside the digital circle are shut out and the impact can be devastating. .
“Digital Lifelines provides one of Scotland’s most vulnerable groups with greater access to the confidence, skills and motivation they need to be digitally included, together with devices and connectivity that form digital solutions that keeps them safe and enables them to connect and stay connected. family, friends, and relevant services that support them.
“Scotland continues to have an unacceptable number of drug-related deaths, but the challenges are unique to this country, which is why this progressive approach is attracting attention from other nations around the world and across the UK.”
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She added: “In the 21st century, we need to take a different approach to reducing harm and death from drug use by supporting people and tackling stigma. Digital Lifelines is a great example of that. The model has been proven to work with other groups and has been adapted to help people at risk of harm from drugs.
“DHI is exactly what it’s all about – bringing together different services to deliver meaningful outcomes in health and social care across Scotland.”
Some participating organizations – such as Simon Community Scotland and Aberdeen ADA – also provide access to applications that address acute drug use issues through the devices.
This includes help and advice on safe administration; up-to-date information on new drugs; remote consumption; emergency support; and access to drug cessation support.
Despite the vulnerable situation of many service users, only a small proportion of devices are lost, sold or stolen, and that is the huge personal value people place on a device and the connectivity it provides.
Nigel Gallear, Digital Inclusion Program Manager at Pobal Simon said: “Harm reduction is a fundamental element of our Digital Lifelines delivery.
“The vast majority of the hundreds of people we’ve supported want access to the everyday things that most of us do and take for granted – reading, social media, messaging friends and families etc. Digital exclusion is incredibly isolating and has a huge impact on a person’s health and wellbeing, and Digital Lifelines is specifically designed to address that risk.”
Christina McKelvie (Image: PA)
Christina McKelvie, Scottish Government Minister for Drug and Alcohol Policy, said: “Initiatives such as the Digital Lifelines Program demonstrate our long-term commitment to digital inclusion.
“This is important to ensure that as many people as possible get access to the services, support and improved experiences in health and social care that can be delivered digitally.”
