People Know How’s approach to social innovation is about supporting communities to identify their needs and the solutions that will help them fulfil their potential and solve social issues. This is true whether we are forming groups to learn vital digital skills, such as navigating the web and completing online applications, or providing support to improve self-esteem and peer relationships in childhood.
Our core services Positive Transitions and Reconnect may seem different on the surface, but both are driven by social innovation, addressing the needs of different parts of the community identified through our social innovation model.
Theresa and Danny are two members of the same family who received support from different People Know How services. Their experiences show how our services can support whole families, communities and networks when bridged.
Theresa's story
Seven years ago Theresa joined a volunteer-run seniors' digital group known as the Musselburgh Computer Club. She felt left behind by new digital advancements and wanted to learn basic computer skills.
“Life was moving very fast. Everyone had phones and computers and I didn’t know how to work them."
In searching for ways to find this support, Theresa discovered the Musselburgh Computer Club. Until the pandemic, the group met weekly in a local café and was supported by voluntary tutors.
Fast forward to 2021 and post-lockdown, the group was in need of tutors. Theresa reached out to People Know How’s Reconnect team for support and began chatting with a member of the team, Kirsty. Together they discussed the group’s needs and how People Know How could best support them. The group was particularly interested in connecting with friends and family, independence and digital skills, and password support.
This collaboration between the club and Reconnect led them to become one of our digital groups. With this support in place, Theresa’s digital skills flourished, and soon she took over the management of the group’s communications through WhatsApp, Facebook, and email. She was also able to help her husband with his online business needs and manage the creation and sending of digital invoices as well as email communications with his customers.
"Kirsty and the team have been a great help, and the group allows you to meet so many interesting people."
Theresa was happily surprised to discover that she was not the only one in her family using People Know How’s services...
Danny's story
Theresa’s grandson Danny was referred to our Positive Transitions service by his school. He was matched with our Youth & Family Coordinator Scott to provide him with support in his transition to secondary school. Their sessions included everything from card games to mental health skills, such as breathing techniques.
Knowing the importance of family networks in supporting young people, Scott also connected with Danny’s mum and brought her into the process. Liaising with Reconnect, he was able to procure a mobile phone for her, which opened up communication between People Know How and Danny’s family and allowed Scott to create more tailored and productive support for Danny and his family.
This bridge between the areas of Positive Transitions and Reconnect was invaluable as it allowed Theresa to put her new digital skills into practice, opened up new access for Danny’s mum, and ensured Danny had the involvement and support of his family in his ongoing progression.
“Scott was so helpful. He just spoke Danny’s language and it gave Danny the opportunity to talk to someone we trusted outside the family.”
Finding connections
At her next digital group, Theresa revealed that her grandson was also receiving support from People Know How. When the two teams heard that Theresa and Danny were grandmother and grandson, they organised to meet with Theresa at a planning meeting to discuss Danny’s ongoing support, and she proved to be an amazing resource for communicating with Danny and involving the whole family.
Theresa continues to use the digital group to understand the digital landscape her grandson inhabits, such as how he is connecting online, the digital gaming community, and internet safety. This knowledge helps the pair to connect over shared interests and also allows Theresa to offer the benefit of her own experience. The combination of life knowledge and digital savvy gives her a great perspective that continues to benefit her family and community.
“Danny and I have a lot in common now that we didn't have before. He calls me if anything goes wrong. We even play Xbox together!”
It is fantastic to see our services supporting different generations. Despite how different Positive Transitions and Reconnect might appear at first glance, both are deeply rooted in social innovation, and their combination can lead to fantastic results. Theresa was able to combine her digital skills with her own life experience in order to advise and support her grandson as he continues to find his place in the ‘digital world’. In the meantime, our teams were able to reinforce their support by linking it across our two core services, including more of Danny and Theresa’s network and community.