Digital Champions volunteer handbook

Thank you for volunteering to support families by becoming a LEAP Digital Champion.

To become a Digital Champion you first need to be a Parent Champion.

LEAP Digital Champions help parents/carers to:

• use technology and access information online
  
• develop their digital skills, and boost their confidence and independence
• interact online — making them feel part of local society

Digital Champions also:

• offer support on digital topics
• share and celebrate learning successes
• make everyday tasks easier, such as applying for a job, accessing Council services or finding out about Children Centre’s activities

No, you don’t have to be a computer whizz. 

Our Digital Champions have mixed levels of knowledge and confidence.

We'll make sure that you get the support and training you need to be an effective Digital Champion.

• patience
  
• positivity
• kindness
• enthusiasm 
• good IT skills
• good listening skills
• an interest in the Internet

We all learn differently:

• Some of us learn by watching (visual learners) 
• Some of us like to listen to instructions (auditory learners) 
• Some people learn by giving it a go (kinaesthetic learners) 

Most of us have a preferred learning style. Recognising a person's preferred style will help you to support them better.

1. LEAP events
   Find out what's on locally
2. Employment support for parents
   Find a job/return to work
3. Lambeth Council page for children, young people and families
   Apply for nurseries or schools
   Discover childcare options
   Find children's centres
   See what's available online
   Get SEND support for a child
4. Lambeth Council schools admissions
   Apply for a school place or transfer
5. Lambeth Council housing
   Find a local GP, dentist, sexual health clinic, optician, pharmacy
6. Community Tech Aid
   Apply for a free laptop/tablet
7. Childcare and parenting
   Get financial help for families
8. Job seeking benefits
   Find out about financial help when looking for work

Digital Support Plans help to: 

• identify a parent’s needs
• plan sessions
• summarise achievements
• demonstrate impact 

Complete them together with the parent at the start and end of every session. 

Keeping yourself safe: 

• Do not share your personal information with parents, including your phone number or email address
• Do not log into your personal account (eg personal email account, banking account) to demonstrate what a website looks like.

Keeping others safe: 

• Tell parents never to share their personal details, eg passwords
• Do not offer/agree to keep parents' passwords for them 
• Show how to choose passwords that are secure but easy to remember
• Look away when others are entering their passwords/personal details. 
• Never write personal details down or store them anywhere, even on a parent’s behalf
• Store Digital Support Plans in a safe, locked space at the end of each session
• Make sure everyone logs out of sites that they have logged into
• Ensure parents are aware of phishing scams (emails from strangers asking for personal information, or to click on unsfae links) 
• Make sure parents know to only open emails or click on links from people they know (but still be cautious)

www.digitalchampionsnetwork.com

We have registered you with the Digital Champions Network. 

It's an online training and support platform for new and experienced Digital Champions across the UK.

Free online training courses:

There are a range of training courses to help you develop your own digital skills, and the skills you need to teach others. Study at your own pace, stopping and starting at any time.

When you complete a course, you’ll receive a certificate and a Mozilla Open Badge. You can also download your own Record of Achievement.

Logging into the Digital Champions Network:

We'll give you a voucher code. Use the code to register at www.digitalchampionsnetwork.com. 

You'll receive your login details in an email.

Contact Kim at kstanway@lambeth.gov.uk if you have any difficulty signing in.

Keeping track of your volunteering activity:

At the end of each session, please log in and record the number of people you helped. You can find this in the ‘Activity Records’. It only takes a couple of minutes.

Doing this helps us to understand the great work that you’ve been doing. We’ll also award you Open Badges for every 25 parents that you help.

Check that you are fully prepared:

You may encounter parents with support needs that you’re unable to solve. 

Some of the issues parents might be facing include:   

• financial difficulties
• housing issues
• health issues
• relationship issues
• loneliness or isolation

LEAP and the Children Centres can provide support to help resolve these issues.

If a parent would like additional support, or if you have concerns, please encourage them to speak to the Children Centre’s Stay & Play team. 

Please also inform the LEAP Parent Champion team.

Contact Kim Stanway: kstanway@lambeth.gov.uk / 07508 741217.