Measuring Digital Inclusion as Social Value in Adult Social Care
Digital inclusion is now a practical social value issue because adult social care services increasingly support people to access appointments, benefits, family contact, community activities, learning and information through digital routes. Providers working within the Social Value Knowledge Hub need to evidence how digital access improves opportunity without creating new risks or excluding people who need alternative formats.
Strong providers use social value measurement and reporting to evidence digital outcomes, while linking digital inclusion to social value policy and national priorities such as reducing inequality, prevention, access, wellbeing, community participation and responsible innovation.
Digital inclusion should not be measured by counting devices alone. Strong evidence shows whether people gain confidence, control, connection and safer access to services that matter to them.
What Digital Inclusion Means
Digital inclusion means supporting people to access and use digital tools in ways that are safe, meaningful and suited to their needs. In adult social care, this may include video calls, online GP systems, digital care planning, accessible apps, benefits portals, online learning, digital reminders, transport information or community activities.
The social value comes from reducing exclusion. Strong providers demonstrate that digital support is person-led, risk-aware and balanced with non-digital alternatives where needed.
Why It Matters in Real Services
Digital exclusion can affect health access, family contact, independence, choice and confidence. People may miss online appointment messages, struggle to use portals, lose contact with relatives or rely entirely on staff to complete digital tasks.
If digital inclusion is poorly managed, it can also create safeguarding, privacy and consent risks. Strong services evidence how they support access while protecting people from harm, pressure, scams and loss of control.
What Good Looks Like
Strong services evidence digital inclusion through barrier assessment, consent, accessible support, safeguarding checks, staff guidance, outcome monitoring and governance.
Providers should be able to evidence the digital barrier, the support provided, the person’s experience and the outcome achieved. This creates a clear line of sight from digital support to measurable social value.
Operational Example 1: Supporting Safe Video Contact With Family
Context: A supported living provider identified that one person had lost regular contact with relatives who lived far away. The person wanted video calls but lacked confidence using a tablet and became anxious when calls did not connect quickly.
Support approach: The provider introduced a simple video-call routine, agreed consent arrangements and supported gradual confidence-building without taking over the interaction.
Five practical steps:
- Explore whether digital contact is wanted by the person, not assumed by staff or relatives.
- Assess confidence, communication needs, privacy, consent and safeguarding considerations.
- Agree a simple preparation routine with familiar staff support.
- Support the person to control the call as much as possible.
- Review confidence, contact frequency, wellbeing and any safeguarding concerns.
Day-to-day delivery detail: Staff helped the person charge the device, recognise the call button and choose a private space. They stayed nearby only when requested and recorded whether the person appeared comfortable and in control.
How effectiveness was evidenced: The provider evidenced increased family contact, reduced anxiety, improved confidence and clear consent records. This demonstrated digital social value through connection, wellbeing and safe access.
Deepening the Digital Evidence Pathway
Digital inclusion evidence is strongest when it shows how digital access changes outcomes. Providers should avoid claiming social value simply because devices, apps or platforms are available.
Guidance on measuring social value outcomes in adult social care reinforces the need to connect activity with impact. Digital inclusion evidence strengthens this by showing whether access improves confidence, independence, communication or service use.
Operational Example 2: Supporting Online Health Access Without Excluding Choice
Context: A domiciliary care provider found that one person was missing GP messages because appointment information was sent through an online system. The person did not use email confidently and worried about clicking the wrong link.
Support approach: The provider supported the person to understand appointment messages, set up safe prompts and agree when staff could assist with digital health communication.
Five practical steps:
- Identify digital barriers affecting health appointments or follow-up.
- Confirm consent and boundaries for staff support with digital information.
- Use clear prompts so the person understands what each message means.
- Keep non-digital options available where digital access is unsuitable.
- Review appointment attendance, understanding and confidence over time.
Day-to-day delivery detail: Care workers checked whether the person wanted help reading appointment reminders, supported them to prepare questions and recorded follow-up actions clearly. Managers reviewed whether staff were supporting access without taking control.
How effectiveness was evidenced: The provider evidenced fewer missed appointments, improved understanding, clearer consent and greater confidence using digital health messages. This showed social value through fairer access to health care.
Systems, Workforce and Consistency
Teams apply digital inclusion well when staff understand both opportunity and risk. Digital support should not depend on one confident worker or informal workarounds.
Supervision should review digital confidence, consent, privacy, scams, online health access, family contact and accessible alternatives. Handovers should include agreed digital support arrangements where they affect appointments, communication or wellbeing. Managers should check that staff do not use personal devices or unsupported systems in ways that create risk.
This also supports commissioner confidence. Wider explanation of social value in UK public sector commissioning shows why providers need evidence that digital practice improves access, equity and outcomes rather than simply modernising processes.
Operational Example 3: Building Digital Confidence for Community Participation
Context: A day opportunities service supported a person who wanted to join an online art group but lacked confidence joining sessions and was worried others would see their home environment.
Support approach: The provider supported a privacy plan, practice sessions and gradual participation, while ensuring the person could stop or change the arrangement at any time.
Five practical steps:
- Identify the person’s digital goal and what makes participation difficult.
- Review privacy, confidence, accessibility and safeguarding risks.
- Practise the digital steps before the live activity.
- Support participation in a way that promotes independence.
- Review enjoyment, confidence, skills and community connection.
Day-to-day delivery detail: Staff helped the person test the camera, choose a neutral background and practise joining the group. Support was gradually reduced as confidence increased.
How effectiveness was evidenced: The provider evidenced sustained participation, improved digital confidence, reduced anxiety and stronger connection with a wider interest group. This demonstrated social value through inclusion, skills and community access.
Governance and Evidence
Governance gives digital inclusion evidence credibility. Providers should maintain an audit trail showing digital barriers, consent decisions, safeguarding checks, support actions, outcomes and learning.
Data may include increased family contact, improved appointment access, reduced missed digital messages, improved confidence, wider activity participation and fewer digital support incidents. Qualitative evidence explains confidence, control, privacy, belonging, reassurance and independence.
Strong services demonstrate how digital inclusion evidence informs care planning, supervision, staff training, safeguarding review, commissioner reporting, quality assurance and board oversight. This creates a clear line of sight from support model to action to outcome.
Commissioner and CQC Expectations
Commissioners expect providers to evidence how digital innovation reduces inequality, improves access and supports better outcomes. Digital inclusion evidence helps show that technology is used for practical public value, not as a substitute for person-centred care.
CQC expectations focus on safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led care. Digital inclusion evidence supports this when leaders protect privacy, consent and safeguarding while helping people access communication, health care and community life.
Common Pitfalls
- Counting devices without measuring confidence, access or outcomes.
- Assuming digital is suitable for everyone without alternatives.
- Using personal staff devices without clear governance.
- Supporting online access without consent or privacy checks.
- Ignoring scam, coercion or safeguarding risks.
- Reporting digital activity without linking it to social value outcomes.
Conclusion
Measuring digital inclusion as social value in adult social care means showing how services help people access digital opportunities safely, confidently and meaningfully. Strong providers demonstrate this through person-led support, consent, safeguarding, staff consistency, outcome data and governance. When evidence is credible, digital inclusion becomes a strong social value measure because it shows how adult social care can reduce exclusion, improve access and strengthen connection in everyday life.