Building trust

The starting point for our digital inclusion journey is trust. The internet can be a scary place. This is especially true for someone with little or no experience of being online. It can be very difficult to trust something we know so little about.

As practitioners, we are in a position to bridge the trust gap for the people we support. Trusted relationships are the foundation of digital inclusion support. That's why practitioners who are already providing support are in a great position to introduce the benefits of digital to people with little or no experience of being online.

Mistrust can sometimes be caused by fear of the unknown. This is a normal response. The key to building trust in digital is taking small steps and empowering people to use the internet in the way they want to use it. Having choice is key to this.

Illustration credit: Tessa Mackenzie

In the health and social care space there can be additional barriers to building trust. For example, someone living with a mental health condition may find digital engagement exacerbates how they feel. Digital doesn't always go the way we want it to, and this can cause frustration and mistrust.

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Reflective practice

When we consider trust in digital it's also important to be reflective and think about our own experiences. We may hold both positive and negative ideas of being online. We understand some of the harmful aspects of being online but the positive parts that we choose to engage with often outweigh this. We can use our own experiences and views to help inform how we provide support, but it shouldn't be a reason to remove the choice to be online from someone else.

There are also some aspects of building trust in digital that we can't control as practitioners. This is especially true when we consider using the internet to manage our health and social care.

We've shared some of our top tips for building trust:

Take it slowly

Trust needs to build over time. Don't try to do too much at once otherwise the person you are supporting may feel overwhelmed.

Explore fears

A lack of trust can also be motivated by fear. It's best to explore any fears up front. This can give you a good starting point.

Take control

Knowledge is power! Show people how they can take control of what they do online and what information they do or don't want to share.

Be reflective

Think about your own attitudes to digital or any fears you might have. Is that a reason to not support someone else to benefit from being online?

Be honest

It's ok if you don't know how to do something. In fact, it's great when we don't know how to do something. This reinforces the message that you don't need to know everything. This is an opportunity to show the person you are supporting how you problem solve with digital tools to find the answer.

Involve carers

If the person you are supporting has a carer it's important to include them in this journey too. This could be important for understanding risk, as well as understanding any barriers they might have around digital too.

It's not all about digital!

Digital can be great, but it doesn't need to be everything. Some people may prefer to receive support in a hybrid model. Understand what works best for the person as they build their trust and confidence.