Keep another way in when the service goes digital

What we found in the news

NHS England's digital inclusion framework (opens in a new tab), published in September 2023, describes digital approaches as:

complementary to non-digital services and support

That is a useful design requirement for leaders considering how people enter a service. The framework sets out actions for the NHS; it does not establish that adding a telephone number to a website creates equal access. The alternative has to work in practice.

Why this matters to us

A digital booking route can be convenient for someone who wants to arrange things in the evening. Another person may need help with a particular step, prefer a conversation, or lack a suitable device at that moment.

We are interested in whether the service can accommodate those differences without making people start again. A digital route and a supported route should have a clear relationship to the work behind them.

The person at reception needs to know what they can do. The program coordinator needs to recognize requests from different channels. The participant needs an understandable next step, whichever route they choose.

Design the alternative as part of the service

Imagine a hypothetical community center moving activity reservations online. A participant telephones because they cannot complete the booking. The receptionist can see the public instructions but has no agreed way to help make the request.

The organization has technically retained a telephone number. Operationally, the person has reached a dead end.

Before launch, decide what support staff can offer, who can perform an authorized action and how a request becomes a confirmed reservation. Use fictional examples to test a straightforward booking, a change of mind and a session that has no available space.

Check what happens outside the hours when help is available. Explain those hours clearly, along with the expected response. Avoid inviting people to leave a request without deciding who will review it.

Keep choice separate from ability

Someone may be comfortable using technology and still prefer to discuss an unfamiliar service. Another person may want to learn the digital route with a little support. Do not assume that age, role or appearance explains their preference.

Offer help in a way that preserves the person's control. A supporter should not automatically be treated as the person making the decision. Clarify what help is wanted and follow the organization's permissions and consent arrangements.

Where the service offers an alternative, make it easy to find. Information about telephone or in-person support should appear where someone encounters difficulty, rather than being buried in a general contact page.

The team can then learn which parts of the process people find awkward. That may reveal a design problem worth fixing for everyone, as well as a need for individual support.

Follow requests across the routes

The center's coordinator should be able to understand the status of a request without relying on whether it arrived online or through a colleague. Agree where staff record an authorized request, who checks it and how confirmation reaches the participant.

Be careful with duplicate requests. Someone who is unsure whether the online step worked may also call. The solution is to clarify and reconcile the request through the organization's process, rather than blaming the person for trying to get an answer.

Review the experience with people using each route. Are the choices understandable? Does support arrive when promised? Are staff spending time repairing confusion that clearer instructions could prevent?

Keep the alternative resourced as the service changes. A helpful route can become unusable if its trained colleague leaves or its opening hours quietly shrink.

What this means for the people you serve

People should know how to ask for help and what will happen after they do. Having a choice of route can preserve independence as well as provide support. The person who makes a booking in conversation should receive a clear confirmation and relevant information, just as someone using the digital route would.

The genus connection

Current genus configurations can connect public information with staff-managed reservations and other operational work. Which channels and assisted workflows are available depends on the organization's setup, selected modules and permissions.

We do not assume that software provides the human support around it. Organisations need to agree who helps, when they are available and how the person's request is handled. The partner portal overview (opens in a new tab) offers a starting point for that conversation.

One question for your next team meeting

If someone cannot finish the digital step, can they still reach a person who knows how to help?