by Tania Russell-Owen | 8th May 2024

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been promoting a new 6-month Digital Service Design Programme. We invited third sector organisations in Wales to apply. We’re now happy to reveal the successful applicants working to improve their service using digital.

We were so impressed with the applications received that we extended the offer to six organisations rather than the original five. These organisations have already attended the kick-off webinar, their first step on this digital change journey. 

Here are the organisations that we’re excited to be working with:

Conwy Connect For Learning Disabilities

Conwy Connect is a charity that works across all six counties in North Wales. They support people with learning disabilities and their families. They are keen for the charity to become more digital to reduce pressure on services and better support their members digitally.

“We want to refine and optimise our processes by integrating digital solutions. We aspire to establish a robust system for disseminating information efficiently, minimising additional workload on our staff and maximising benefits for our membership base,” says Leanne Davies, Communications Officer at Conwy Connect.

“We’re eager to embrace the challenge and leverage the expertise and resources available within this course to identify and implement digital solutions that will take our services to new heights.”

ELITE Supported Employment

ELITE Supported Employment is a charity that empowers disabled people or those at a disadvantage. They work across South, Mid, and West Wales. It supports people with vocational opportunities, training, and employment through to independence. ELITE would like to design a bespoke and accessible online employability portal that their participants can access securely.

“This portal would be a first step in bridging the digital divide for some of our participants and a reliable knowledge bank for others. It would supplement our one-to-one support and offer advice and guidance out of hours,” says Erika James, Group Administration Manager at ELITE.

“The digital landscape is ever-evolving, and we can do more to reach and empower our participants. This programme would be a starting point for new digital services that could lead to a digital support programme.”

Grŵp Cynefin

Grŵp Cynefin is a charitable housing association operating across North Wales and North Powys, providing housing and community-related services. They support the community through community centres, homelessness prevention projects, and community grants. Grŵp Cynefin is looking to develop its app ApCynefin further to communicate more effectively with tenants. They would like to send push notifications, pay rent, access important documents, book appointments, and more.

“We hope ApCynefin can make an impactful difference to our tenants and how they manage their tenancy and access our services. They can access the app at a time that’s convenient for them. They don’t have to get in touch strictly during office hours. It will make it more accessible for all,” says Hawys Roberts, Digital Marketing and Communications Officer at Grŵp Cynefin.

“Digital transformation is one of our main priorities as an organisation over the coming years. The app is the first step in this process. Not only will the skills, tools, and techniques we learn on this course benefit us with this project, but the transferable skills will also support us in future digital transformation projects.”

Kidscape

Kidscape is a charity working across Wales to provide practical support, training, and advice that challenges bullying and protects young lives. They want to explore options to offer further support to young people. The aim is will help them feel an ongoing sense of community after attending one of their ZAP workshops.

“We hope they will feel supported and connected long after our ZAP workshop. We want young people to feel part of a community and understand that they are not alone,” says Head of Digital Services, Bryony Glover.

“Over the next six months, we will be working on our charity strategy. This course comes at a perfect time when learning can actively shape our work over the next three years.”

Tempo Time Credits

Tempo Time Credits is a charity that works across Wales. They build networks of organisations and bring people together in their local communities to carry out voluntary work. Volunteers can earn time credits as part of a reward and recognition scheme, exchanging these for various services and activities. Tempo want to enhance their digital platform, expanding functionality to become a comprehensive community engagement and reward system solution.

“We will use what we learned from this course to improve our platform and create tangible benefits for our citizens and volunteers. We want to enhance services, empower individuals, and advance a culture of learning and innovation,” says Brian Ratcliffe, Director of Operations at Tempo Time Credits.

C3SC

C3SC (Cardiff Third Sector Council) provides specialist advice, support, and information to local third sector organisations on issues that affect them. They want to review and develop a community platform for their members, which consists of 1,300 local charities, partners and community groups.

“The platform currently offers different benefits, such as a forum, grouping capabilities, and document sharing. But, before rolling this out we would like to review and explore its purpose, potential, and further adaptations needed. We want to pilot it before rolling it out widely,” says Claire Chick, Third Sector Development Manager at C3SC.

 “This course presents an ideal opportunity to design and review this resource, shaped by user feedback and experience. We can develop it into a worthwhile, user-friendly tool that supports the sector in retaining its independence and developing, coordinating, and delivering more community services that better meet the needs and aspirations across the diversity of our local communities.”

Discover

These five organisations are currently in the Discovery phase of their service design journey. They will conduct a piece of Discovery research and explore their digital challenges in more detail. This will involve engaging with service users, gathering insights and gaining an in-depth understanding of their needs. We look forward to seeing their digital solutions develop and excited to work with and support them on their journey.

Pob lwc!

This programme is funded through the Third Sector Digital Support Programme, funded through The National Lottery Community Fund. If you’re third sector organisation is looking for help with digital, find out more about the services we offer here.