The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations is the membership organisation for Scotland's charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises. Charity registered in Scotland SC003558. Registered office Caledonian Exchange, 19A Canning Street, Edinburgh EH3 8EG.
Tackling child poverty through digital inclusion
Digital access is no longer a luxury. It is essential to everyday life, and for children and families experiencing poverty, digital exclusion can add to existing inequalities.
A lack of suitable devices, affordable connectivity, digital skills, confidence or trusted support can create additional barriers to accessing the opportunities and services families need.
Tackling digital exclusion therefore needs to be part of how we tackle child poverty.
Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2026–2031
The Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2026–2031 sets out Scotland’s approach to tackling child poverty and improving outcomes for children and families. Its approach recognises the range of factors that contribute to child poverty and the need for action across different areas of policy and practice.
The three key drivers of child poverty are:
- Income from employment – helping families to access secure, fairly paid and sustainable employment.
- Costs of living – reducing the costs families face, including the costs of essentials such as housing, energy, food and transport.
- Income from social security – ensuring families can access the financial support they are entitled to and that social security provides an adequate income.
Digital inclusion cuts across all three drivers. Being digitally excluded can make it harder for parents and carers to find and apply for jobs, access benefits and other financial support, manage household finances and access services that can help reduce the costs of living.
"A Fair Digital Foundation"
The "Fair Digital Foundation" project explored the intersection between digital exclusion and child poverty, and what this means for children and young people, including those with experience of care.
Led by Professor Simeon Yates at the University of Liverpool, the project brought together Children in Scotland, Good Things Foundation, Mhor Collective and SCVO. It combined research with the experiences of children, young people and practitioners to understand the barriers people face and identify approaches that can help tackle digital inequalities.
The research highlighted that digital access is now essential to accessing education, income, housing, healthcare, social security and social connection. It also showed that digital inclusion is about more than having a device; people need appropriate connectivity, skills, confidence and trusted support.
The Fair Digital Foundation Toolkit brings this learning together, providing practical guidance and resources to help organisations embed digital inclusion in their work.
The toolkit has been designed so that practitioners are able to guide themselves through the activities, however, we are offering facilitated sessions where we can support this. Find out more about these below.
Facilitated Sessions
Purpose: To better understand your service’s user journey from the perspective of someone
experiencing digital exclusion.
Summary: Teams are guided through a real service journey from the perspective of someone who may lack a suitable device, reliable connectivity, digital skills or confidence. Together, we identify the practical and critical digital skills needed at each stage and explore where barriers may arise; from creating an account and completing forms to uploading documents, receiving updates and getting help.
The session helps teams see their service through the eyes of the people who use it and identify opportunities to make the journey more accessible and inclusive.
Purpose: To identify any points in your service pathways that assume people are digitally
included.
Summary: Teams map a service pathway from first awareness and referral through to assessment, ongoing support, exit and follow-up. At each stage, we explore how digital technology is being used, what people need to participate, what assumptions the service is making, and what happens when someone cannot complete a digital task.
The session creates a shared picture of where digital exclusion may be creating barriers and helps teams identify practical actions to address them.
Purpose: To build staff confidence in identifying and having supportive conversations about digital exclusion.
Summary: Digital exclusion can be hidden because people may feel embarrassed, ashamed or worried about being judged. This session helps teams develop a more open and non-judgemental approach to finding out about people's digital needs. Participants create and test conversation starters, explore how questions feel from the perspective of someone experiencing digital exclusion, and consider how these conversations could become part of everyday practice.
Purpose: To identify and map the local organisations, services, resources and community
assets that can help address digital exclusion and understand how people can move
between them.
Summary: Digital inclusion depends on more than having a device; people also need connectivity and the skills and confidence to use technology. In this session, teams map the digital inclusion resources available in their local area, including device access, connectivity, digital skills, online safety and wider community support. We then explore existing referral routes, identify gaps and consider where stronger partnerships could help.
The session can provide a practical foundation for improving signposting, developing partnerships and identifying opportunities for future investment.
Purpose: To understand where your organisation is now and identify practical next steps for
strengthening digital inclusion.
Summary: This session gives teams a structured opportunity to assess how digital inclusion is currently embedded across their organisation. Participants assess their current strengths, identify areas for development and discuss what needs to change across service delivery, workforce development, partnerships and organisational culture.
The outcome is a shared understanding of where the organisation is now and a starting point for developing a practical digital inclusion action plan.
Purpose: To understand your workforce’s digital strengths, confidence levels and
development needs, so you can better support children, young people and families
experiencing digital exclusion.
Summary: A digitally inclusive service needs a workforce that feels confident supporting people with digital access, skills and challenges. In this session, teams explore the digital skills that matter most in their work, considering both practical skills and the ability to understand and navigate digital risks. We also explore staff attitudes and confidence around digital, creating space to identify anxieties, strengths and opportunities for peer learning and development. The session can provide the foundation for an anonymous workforce survey and a wider digital skills development plan.
Sessions can be delivered individually or combined into a tailored workshop programme, depending on your organisation’s needs.
If you interested please get in touch: digital@scvo.scot
Where to get help?
Digital exclusion rarely exists on its own. A lack of access to devices, connectivity, digital skills or confidence can make it harder for children, young people and families to access employment, manage household costs, claim financial support and connect with essential services.
There are organisations across Scotland that can provide practical support, advice and resources. The links below provide a starting point for finding help and support in each of the three drivers of child poverty.
Digital access and confidence can be essential for finding work, applying for jobs, completing training and accessing employment services. Support can include help with digital skills, online applications and connecting people to employment opportunities.
Useful resources:
- My World of Work – Career planning and job support
- OpenLearn – Free online courses
- Business Gateway – Support for starting and growing a business
- Skills Development Scotland – Careers, employability and skills development
- My World of Work – CV builder tool
- The King's Trust – Support to develop skills and confidence to find a job or start a business
The cost of digital access can be an additional pressure for families already managing tight household budgets. There are ways to reduce the cost of devices, broadband and everyday spending, as well as sources of trusted advice, discounts and practical support.
Useful resources:
- Remade Network – Network for reconditioned devices
- Snoop – App to manage and reduce household spending
- Money Saving Expert – Cost of living and money-saving guidance
- Young Scot – Reliable information, discounts and opportunities for young people
- BT – Low-cost broadband for low-income households
- Virgin Media – Low-cost broadband for low-income households
Making sure families receive the financial support they are entitled to can make an important difference to household income. Digital access can be particularly important when applying for benefits, managing accounts or accessing information and advice.
Useful resources:
- ALISS – Find local support services in Scotland
- Check My Council Tax – Check your council tax band and entitlements
- Turn2Us – Benefits entitlement calculator
- Social Security Scotland – Guidance and resources on Scottish social security
- CPAG – Information and resources on benefits for people in Scotland
Keep up to date or get involved
This page will be updated as new activity and outputs become available.
If you work with children, young people and their families and are interested in digital inclusion, we’d love to hear from you.
Contact: digital@scvo.scot