The power of partnerships

The most important aspect to becoming a truly inclusive digital borough is strong partnerships and collaborations. These exist be between the council, local businesses, technology providers and organisations from the public, private, community and academic sectors.

This collaborative approach enables new innovative opportunities that get the most from digital technologies, and the skills and capabilities of our residents and local businesses. This allows residents and staff to develop the right skills, and be provided with the right opportunities.

For example, we have strong collaboration partnerships with the broadband providers, Community Fibre and Hyperoptic. We are working together to deliver better broadband and digital skills across the Borough. We are also working with Microsoft, Hitachi and Infosys to connect our data and use technology to solve community challenges through Hackathons.

Southwark Council is also a member of Socitm, a professional network for leaders delivering innovation and modernisation of public services.

We have signed the Local Digital Declaration, a shared ambition for better local public services. We pledge to design services that best meet the needs of residents. We want to challenge the technology market to offer the flexible tools and services we need.

Continuing and growing these partnerships across London and wider will be essential to deliver our strategy. This includes working closely with our voluntary sector, community groups, charities and academia.

London Office of Technology and Innovation (LOTI) and the GLA Partnership

We are working closely with LOTI and the GLA on their Digital Access for All mission.

GLA/ and LOTI Digital Inclusion Innovations Programme

It is the GLA’s ambition for every Londoner to have access to good connectivity, basic digital skills and the device or support they need to be online by 2025. They are working in partnership with LOTI on the Digital Inclusion Innovation Programme. This is a £1.36million programme to tackle digital exclusion.

In addition to the Digital Exclusion Mapping Project, the first phase of the project will:

• encourage and help London’s public sector organisations to upcycle their old devices to benefit digitally excluded Londoners
• address the specific needs of digitally excluded individuals and families living in temporary accommodation
• find digitally enabled ways to support the carers of people living with dementia