Understanding Digital Exclusion: key findings and full report
We discovered that a variety of barriers exist that contribute to digital exclusion. These include language due to sensory challenges, mistrust and negative past experiences.
In March 2023, Healthwatch Enfield collaborated with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and community groups to explore how individuals share their feedback about health and social care services.
Our investigation sought to understand their access to digital devices, feedback sharing patterns, and their awareness and expectations of the CQC.
Who took part?
We released surveys and held community focus groups to explore the reasons behind digital exclusion.
From April – August 2023:
- 116 people took part in our survey on digital exclusion, service feedback, and the CQC.
- 86 took part in community focus groups.
- 30 took part in a general survey.
Key Findings:
- There exist a variety of barriers to digital access and the ability of residents to provide feedback; these factors include mistrust, negative past experiences and language due to sensory challenges.
- While some barriers are technical, others are psychological and economic; there are notable differences across demographics, for instance, those with disabilities, the elderly, English for Speakers of other Languages (ESOL), and refugees.
- Each demographic faces unique obstacles that hinder their ability to engage fully with digital services and provide feedback. They may rely on others for communication, be distrustful of authorities, or believe that their feedback will not affect change.
- Despite a liking for digital feedback methods, particularly email or text in survey responses, our community focus groups revealed a preference for interaction in the form of phone calls or face-to-face meetings. This showcases a disconnect between the assumed communication methods people prefer and the actual.
- 57% of survey respondents indicated an awareness of the CQC; this shows that a significant minority of people remain uninformed about the regulatory body.
- All groups firmly emphasise the importance of an acknowledgement following the provision of feedback. Despite feelings of apathy, some respondents still provided feedback due to a desire to be heard, to seek redress or to contribute to service improvement.
Our findings reveal the intersecting social, economic, and personal barriers that affect how different demographics interact with digital services and regulatory bodies; they also underscore the need for more inclusive, responsive, and varied channels for providing feedback.
Click here to read the report.
