Date published: 21 May 2025 by Sophie Wichman
We are proud to be part of the Digital Services Consortium (DSC), which has launched its Driving Digital Inclusion Programme, to improve the digital skills, confidence, and access to digital services for thousands of children with disability and serious illness and their families.
The programme will provide over 20,000 participants with access to digital devices, skills training, and ongoing support to help them navigate the digital world with confidence and safety.
The DSC is an alliance of twelve children’s charities co-chaired by Kids and Sense. The member charities are: Ambitious about Autism, The Children’s Trust, Contact, Dingley’s Promise, Family Fund, Kids, National Deaf Children’s Society, Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity, Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity, Sense, WellChild and Whizz Kidz.
Through the two-year programme, each of the 12 charities will deliver its own bespoke programme of digital support, whilst collectively meeting a growing need and preference for online and hybrid support. By combining services, devices and data, the programme will address a stark inequality of access and ensure the evolution of digital services is user-led.
Katie Ghose, Chair of DSC and Chief Executive of Kids, said:
“As a sector, we are stronger together. Digital access is a right not a luxury. We are determined to work with young people and their families to bring down the barriers and create safe, practical and fulfilling online opportunities for all.”
Rachel Perrin, Vice-Chair of DSC and Associate Director of Operational Programmes at Sense, said:
“Together we hope to influence the sector’s ability to meet the challenges and opportunities of the long-term shift to digital and hybrid services for the communities we serve.”
Rainbow Trust provides online emotional and practical support to families caring for a child with a life-threatening or terminal illness across the UK. Each family is paired with a Family Support Worker who offers tailored sessions from diagnosis through treatment and bereavement. This includes play sessions for the sick child and siblings which helps them express themselves through play.
Rainbow Trust’s online social palliative care support is about being responsive to the needs and preferences of the families receiving support.
The Digital Services Consortium programme will enable Rainbow Trust to:
- Provide support to young people who live in an area not currently covered by Rainbow Trust, and to provide them with faster access to support
- Increase the number of support sessions offered
- Train existing Family Support Workers for online services and recruit new digital Family Support Workers
- Increase the number of families that will receive hybrid support.
Jen Kenward, Director of Care Services, Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity, said:
“We are delighted to be part of the Digital Services Consortium. We know our online support already makes a real difference to families. This new partnership will further enhance our ability to reach more families digitally and provide vital social palliative care for seriously ill children who might otherwise have missed out: in doing so it will reduce isolation and loneliness among families, increase their self-esteem and their ability to cope with the reality that their child might die.
“Part of the funding will be used to provide online holiday clubs for seriously ill children and their siblings. Family Support Workers will provide online sessions equipped with Holiday Club bags filled with interactive activities to support the children.”
In 2024 the Open University evaluated Rainbow Trust’s out of area online support and found it gave us greater reach to families “who would otherwise be unable to access Rainbow Trust or other social palliative care” and there was an “inherent flexibility of provision, closely associated with enhanced choice and convenience for families”.
Here is what some of the children receiving online support from Rainbow Trust said:
“Video calls with Fiona always help. We leave the calls feeling better than we did at the start. Fiona is someone we can share anything with.” - Hannah
“I have lots of fun with Charlotte and my favourite thing is we can still play on a video call. We build dens and play Star Wars. Charlotte’s den is at her house and my den is at my house and we talk to each other using Zoom.” - Max
“The weekly online sessions with her Family Support Worker, Emilia, provided my daughter with emotional support, creative expression and a sense of joy and connection during her life limiting condition. It was invaluable to her and continues to encourage her throughout her recovery.” - Mother of supported child
Thanks to National Lottery players, the DSC has received over £1.5 million over two years from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK.
The DSC has also received a grant of £400,000 from BBC Children in Need for two years to provide digital support for disabled or seriously ill children and young people and their family members across the UK. Virgin Media O2 and Vodafone have generously donated devices and data through the Good Things Foundation National Databank and Device Bank which will help address affordability barriers.
This funding will enhance digital skills, confidence and access for children with disabilities, serious illnesses, and their families, and is a significant step towards ensuring that disabled children, young people, and families are not left behind in an increasingly digital world.
