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Digital Inclusion in Portsmouth

Background

Portsmouth City Council is developing a digital strategy, a key strand of which is developing approaches to understand and address digital exclusion.
Work is already underway across the city to address digital exclusion, for example by the Council through the provision of IT access and training in the city’s libraries, and through a range of services provided by Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations in the city.
However, a more thorough understanding of what people in the city are experiencing is needed to inform the development of targeted, co-produced approaches to address the issue of digital exclusion more comprehensively.

 

Summary

BARRIERS

Barriers to digital inclusion can be broadly split into practical factors and emotional factors. Practical factors might include not being able to afford a smartphone, not having access to a laptop at the times you need it, not being able to get to where support is on offer or not knowing where to go for support. Emotional factors might include feeling afraid of the internet, being embarrassed that they don’t know how to do simple things on a computer, getting angry that everyone keeps telling them to go online or frustrated that they are trying to do things online, but it just feels too difficult or beyond their capabilities.

 

CURRENT SUPPORT ON OFFER

There is already a lot of digital support around in the city: from formal IT skills courses to more informal ad hoc help whether that’s from a digital champion or a family member. There are also many venues that offer public access to computers as well as printing and scanning facilities. Additionally, nearly all organisations advise on digital form filling and applications whilst several venues regularly distribute free SIM cards.

 

IMPROVEMENTS

To increase digital inclusion there are many improvements that could be made, many of which lend themselves to a community co-creation approach.

  • Current services need to be advertised more effectively using a mix of digital and non-digital channels. Digital support needs to be more front and centre on organisations’ websites, and PCC, the VCSE sector and the community need to collaborate more and coordinate their efforts.
  • There also needs to be more capacity. This could be created by using existing facilities in the city more such as community centres and other community assets, extending opening hours where feasible and recruiting and training more volunteers.
  • Additionally, the type of support available needs to be expanded to make it more accessible to those who need it, whether they need help at home, require special adjustments or just need a bit more support to be able to attend a course.
  • More use could be made of device donation and refurbishment initiatives locally and nationally as well as seeking out new partnerships in the city linking the community and the private sector.

 

Objectives

ORGANISATIONAL OBJECTIVE

  • Reduce digital exclusion in Portsmouth and its communities through targeted co-produced interventions, helping to tackle poverty, reduce health inequalities and boost economic development.

 

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

  • Map out current service provision
  • Understand the reasons for digital exclusion
  • Identify current behaviours in the face of digital exclusion
  • Understand different attitudes towards digital choices

Explore the barriers to digital inclusion and highlight possible improvements

Methodology

A mixed method approach was used combining 1-1 depth interviews, focus groups and informal conversations with a range of service providers within Portsmouth City Council, VCSE organisations around the city and individual residents. These took place between December 2024 and March 2025. In total, over 30 interviews took place and 7 focus groups, plus several more informal interactions.

Additionally, a VCSE sector and Portsmouth City Council joint round table was held at the Central Library on February 13th, 2025, to discuss the topic of digital inclusion

These are the groups and individuals who took part:

wdt_ID VCSE ORGANISATIONS PORTSMOUTH CITY COUNCIL OR OTHER GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS INDIVIDUALS/GROUPS WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE OF DIGITAL EXCLUSION
1 Age UK Portsmouth Advice Portsmouth Individuals with experience of homelessness (Society of St James)
2 Chat Over Chai Cost of Living officer Individuals from deprived areas of the city (reached through the 7 housing offices)
3 Citizens Advice Bureau Employment and Skills services Chat Over Chai Cross Cultural Women’s Group
4 City of Sanctuary Ethnic Minorities Achievement Service Asylum seekers and recent immigrants at the Friends without Borders drop-in
11 Cross Cultural Women's Group Independence and Wellbeing Service Visually impaired residents (Open Sight and the visually impaired support group at the central library)
12 Digital City Project (Schools) Library Learning and Outreach Officers Pompey Pensioners
13 Dynamite Tackling Poverty Co-ordinator
14 Friends without Borders The Job Centre Portsmouth
15 HIVE The Learning Place
16 Home Start Vision Impairment Officer
17 MAKE Aldingbourne Trust
18 Minstead Trust
19 Open Sight
20 Pompey Pensioners
21 Portsmouth Parent Board
22 Portsmouth Parent Voice
23 Portsmouth Tech and Cultural Hub
24 Society of St James
25 SPARK Community Space
26 Stop Domestic Abuse

Research focus

National and local research indicates that certain groups are more likely to experience digital exclusion. These groups were the focus of this piece of research.

Many residents exhibit multiple characteristics that contribute to digital exclusion, leading to significant overlap among these groups:

  • Older people
  • People in lower income groups
  • Unemployed or economically inactive
  • People in social housing
  • People with disabilities
  • People with fewer educational qualifications
  • Homeless people and travelling communities
  • People for whom English is not their first language
  • People at the fringes of their community for other reasons e.g. those with substance abuse issues, sex workers, ex-offenders

Digitally excluded groups and common characteristics

Older people

  • Retired, often on lower incomes
  • Prefer in-person and telephone communication
  • More likely to be members of a social group but may also be socially isolated
  • Health challenges

People with disabilities

  • Often lower income
  • Relying on benefits
  • Not working and/or socially isolated
  • Generally prefer in-person communication
  • Health challenges

People for whom English is not their first language

  • Often lower income
  • Asylum seekers or recent immigrants (temporary accommodation, economically inactive)
  • Older females reliant on family for communication and often economic support

Unemployed or economically inactive

  • Lower income, benefits
  • Lower educational attainment
  • Living in social housing
  • Health challenges

People in social housing

  • Former blue-collar workers
  • Lower income, benefits
  • Unemployed
  • Lower educational attainment
  • Health challenges/disabilities

Homeless people and those at the fringes of their community

  • Low income
  • May or may not be eligible for benefits
  • Chaotic lifestyles
  • Temporary housing
  • Health challenges

Why digital inclusion is important

Work and Education

  • Digital skills are essential for job applications (including video interviews and digital CVs).
  • Those with digital skills tend to be in higher paid roles.
  • Digital skills help with transitions between types of work.
  • Digital skills make it easier to look for work.

Convenience

  • Saves time and effort to access government and other services online.
  • Online food shopping saves time and can be helpful to those with accessibility issues.
  • Easier to do research or find out information online (e.g., opening times, event info).

Money-Saving

  • Shopping online is often cheaper (discount codes, easier to compare prices, lower overheads for online retailers).
  • Easier to manage everyday finances and make the most of online-only bank/savings accounts and investment opportunities.

Communication

  • Staying in touch with friends and family.
  • Awareness of what’s going on in the local area.
  • Awareness of current affairs and feeling connected.

Life Enrichment and Health

  • Access to health services.
  • Photo sharing and memory creation.
  • Games, puzzles, and brain-training.
  • Digital confidence brings confidence in other areas of life and can widen horizons.

Findings

Barriers
Current support available
Possible improvements

Next steps

In direct response to the findings from the research, we are developing a directory of digital support in the city, working with Hive Portsmouth, to make it easier for people to find the help they need. We are also working directly with the community to develop approaches to help, supported by the Household Support Fund, starting by testing ideas in Paulsgrove and Portsea with potential to rollout more widely in the city.  We are also using the research findings to support bids for additional Government funding to help us provide support for residents and communities in the city.