Delivery partner: Inclusive Bytes CIC (Oldham)
Client partner: Housing 21 Location: Housing 21 schemes/households, Oldham
Programme: Learn Tech — Beginner and Intermediate digital skills sessions
Status: Active — returning partnership
Summary
Inclusive Bytes is back working with Housing 21 to deliver Learn Tech, a hands-on digital skills programme running across Housing 21 households in Oldham. Sessions run at two levels, Beginner and Intermediate so residents join at the level that fits their current confidence and move up as they build skill. The aim is practical, everyday digital capability, delivered in familiar community settings rather than a classroom people have to travel to.
This is a continuation of an established relationship, not a first-time pilot. The prior delivery gives us a working model, known contacts, and a group of residents already familiar with how we run sessions.
Who it’s for
Housing 21 residents in Oldham. Housing 21 is a national not-for-profit provider of Retirement Living and Extra Care housing for older people, so the audience is predominantly older adults, a group disproportionately affected by digital exclusion. Many face a mix of low confidence, limited prior exposure, and barriers around cost, accessibility, and trust rather than raw inability.
What’s delivered
Beginner sessions for residents with little or no prior experience. Focus on fundamentals: using a device with confidence, getting online, staying safe, and completing everyday tasks (messaging family, video calls, browsing, basic account access).
Intermediate sessions for residents with the basics in place who want to do more: managing email, using public services online, shopping and banking safely, spotting scams, and using apps that support independence and staying connected.
Sessions are delivered in-person at Housing 21 locations, in small supported groups, at a pace set by the residents in the room.
Aims
- Reduce digital exclusion among older residents in Oldham.
- Build practical, transferable skills that support independence and connection.
- Improve online safety and confidence, lowering exposure to scams and fraud.
- Create a repeatable model Housing 21 can extend to further schemes.
Delivery model
Inputs: trained Inclusive Bytes facilitators, session materials pitched at two levels, resident devices (plus loan/demo kit where needed), a host space at each scheme.
Process: scheduled recurring sessions per location, streamed by level, with light-touch tracking of attendance and progression.
Outputs: residents who can complete defined digital tasks independently, measurable attendance and progression data, and case examples for Housing 21 and for funding/impact reporting.
Impact measures
Track and report against:
- Number of residents reached (Beginner vs Intermediate).
- Attendance and retention across the session block.
- Progression residents moving from Beginner to Intermediate.
- Self-reported confidence before/after.
- Specific tasks residents can now do unaided (e.g. video call family, access an online service, spot a scam message).
Why it works
The programme meets residents where they already live, removes the travel and unfamiliarity barrier, and splits delivery by level so nobody is left behind or held back. Running it as a continuing partnership means lower setup cost, warm relationships, and a model that scales cleanly to additional Housing 21 schemes.