Chief Executive's (EqIA)

What is the strategy trying to achieve?

Integral to the successful delivery of The Plan for North Lanarkshire and The Place The Vision, the council’s Digital and IT Strategy is critical to enabling the long-term strategic vision and development of North Lanarkshire as the place to live, learn, work, invest, and visit.

The Strategy aims to achieve a Digital North Lanarkshire with Digital Communities, a Digital Economy, and a Digital Council. It sets the standards and provides the direction for the strategies, policies, and plans which - alongside advancing infrastructure, connectivity, hardware, software, and solutions - will enable not only the delivery of critical public services and business as usual activities, but also a range of large scale transformational and investment programmes and projects as well. 

Residents have been at the heart of digital transformation since it the programme was established and this engagement will continue to underpin all service redesign activity across the council. It is important to understand needs and to ensure no one is left behind or digitally excluded given that many of those with a greater reliance on public services are currently less likely to have access to, and use, the internet.

Aligned to the national Digital Strategy, the Digital and IT Strategy also sets out plans to improve the connectivity and accessibility of North Lanarkshire as a place, but also to improve the ability of local people and communities to gain the skills and confidence required to help them benefit from the opportunities of being digitally connected.

Since 2020, there is no doubt the pandemic has changed how technology is used for work, learning, accessing services, doing business, and connecting with others and accelerated (at speed) the adoption of digital technologies by many years.  It has changed the context within which The Plan for North Lanarkshire is being delivered and has also brought recognition that not everyone has the digital skills, abilities, and tools needed to participate and thrive in such an ever-changing modern world. Access, skills, confidence, and motivation all inform each individual’s use of digital technology and there are opportunities for these to improve through better connectivity and support. 

However, addressing other barriers - such as ensuring all digital services and products are accessible and easy to use, ensuring everyone is aware of the digital services and products available to them, and further building individual capabilities - need to continue to be at the forefront of digital transformation. 

The dangers of digital exclusion - coupled with trends in key indicators which show an aging demographic in North Lanarkshire and are starting to show how the pandemic has affected many vulnerable people in local communities - mean that this refresh of the Digital and IT Strategy aims to ensure future plans (while focussed on improving services and taking advantage of digital technologies to transform operations and deliver better outcomes for local people, businesses, and communities) leaves no one behind and no one digitally excluded. 

Suggested impact or potential impact of the strategy on socio-economic disadvantage?

The Digital and IT Strategy is subject to the Fairer Scotland Duty given the broad scope of priorities and actions that have an impact on socio-economic disadvantage.

Low Income

Enhancing individuals’ digital skills will improve their employability and career prospects with the potential to address low income by enabling individuals to secure well-paid and sustainable employment and career progression in the technology sector.

Low Wealth 

Enhancing individuals’ employability potential and career progression in the technology sector will support them in securing higher value, sustainable employment where there is also more likelihood of them being able to access employee backed pension schemes and also wider financial services such as employee sacrifice schemes to support childcare costs or spread the cost of large household items (such as a car or IT equipment).

Similarly, individuals in permanent, well-paid employment are able to access a wider range of banking services and products (such as personal loans at lower interest rates).

Material Deprivation

Access to digital technology has the potential to impact positively on all households, especially families and households with children or young people where online learning and training make it easier to study remotely or work efficiently and productively from home.

Older people can also benefit from increased accessibility to online services and support (such as telecare or support for independent living) and also the ability to connect with families and friends who may live some distance away, plus the ability to access online leisure activities.

Area Deprivation

Access to affordable broadband in remote communities or areas experiencing high levels of low income and poverty will improve access to online services, increase choice, and enable people living in these areas to participate more easily in public life without the requirement and associated expense of travelling into the larger towns or villages.

Details of the impact of the strategy on specific groups and individuals

• An aging population and combination of higher life expectancy with lower healthy life expectancy add to the range of different and complex economic, social, and health issues that exist across North Lanarkshire at a local level.  These issues present significant challenges for the future shape and delivery of local public services and the resources required to deliver them. While older people may not necessarily require formal support as they live longer,  the evidence suggests that with healthy life expectancy decreasing people are more likely to develop health conditions which may become complex and result in a growing reliance on local services.  For older people the best approach to gaining digital skills is through ongoing support, tailored to their needs and preferences, and delivered on a one-to-one basis and helping them to benefit from accessing the internet for increasing quality of life and wellbeing, alleviating loneliness and isolation, accessing good and services, and accessing public services.

• Accessing digital benefits is more difficult and less likely in older people whose first language isn’t English. Older British Sign Language users are less likely to use the internet and some even use a fax machine to communicate. Existing data shows that many older Asian people are less likely to have used the internet in comparison with white people in the same age group.

• Research also shows there are barriers for low-income groups due to digital access, connectivity, usage, and capabilities. Children living in poverty often do not have basic digital skills and internet usage among young people is largely mobile/app based, which may offer disadvantages over the use of laptops/desktops. Young people may not use the same channels to receive information as other groups, they may not have their own email or mobile numbers registered and these could frequently change which can present additional barriers to accessing online solutions. Lack of awareness or the ability to make informed choices based on knowledge and experience could also potentially be an issue for this group, as they may not be high service users.
• Many disabled people have recognised the benefits of technology in bringing them equality of access in relation to services, work, and information and are experiencing greater opportunities than ever. However, for some, difficulties are experienced in terms of identifying sources of information, guidance, and training in relation to assistive devices for example.
• Homeless people are likely to be affected by digital access, connectivity, usage, and capability issues and similar to travellers, they often only have mobile phones, on a pay-as-you-go basis meaning access to services and support issues can arise when freephone numbers are not provided.

Actions planned to mitigate any adverse impact or to promote equality

The Digital and IT Strategy recognises that efforts to move services online may be particularly disadvantageous and out of reach for older people, low-income groups, and those with a disability as well as challenging for other groups such as homeless people, people with low literacy levels, gypsy travellers, and asylum seekers or people with no recourse to public funds.  As the digital transformation programme is rolled out across council services, the Strategy acknowledges the need to identify (a) what solutions are needed to make sure people can access and effectively use the digital tools available to improve their digital skills and enhance their employment opportunities, and (b) what it means for digital public services, given that research has shown that those in local communities who have a greater reliance on public services are more likely to be income deprived and less likely to have access to, or use, the internet.  

The Strategy sets out a wide range of digital transaction activities that are focused on achieving a digital council.  Automating processes through these activities will help to strip away the routine transactional activities and non-value added tasks that staff undertake and mean there is increased capacity for them to provide more help and support for those who need it the most, and benefit more elderly individuals across North Lanarkshire’s communities. In addition, the strategy aims to develop a range of digital supports and services for adult health and social care to maximise the use of electronic scheduling and remote working and improve both the quality and efficiency of the service on offer. It also aims to develop digital technologies to enable access to a wide range of information and solutions for adult health and social care (such as the self-help platform Making Life Easier, integrated communications, and upgrade of the eCare system). Upskilling and reskilling opportunities could open pathways into digital roles and careers not previously possible which could increase and improve employment opportunities and quality of life.

As the pandemic stands to make the impacts of digital exclusion worse for individuals in the most vulnerable situations, the Strategy sets out plans to not only improve the connectivity and accessibility of North Lanarkshire as a place, but also to improve the ability of local people and communities to gain the skills and confidence required to help them benefit from the opportunities of being digitally connected. As such, a Driving Digital Locally digital subgroup is in place. This group plays an active role in enabling local communities to participate in designing and deploying modern council services and ensuring that no one is left behind or digitally excluded.

Result of the Equality Impact Assessment

Introduce the refreshed strategy in February 2022.