hAccess

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  Normal User confirming a task sequence

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  Normal User creating a task sequence

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  Carer profile and task trackers

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  Carer task search panels

Inspiration and idea

After attending Durham County Council's workshop and learning about adult social care, we sought to tackle the issue of the elderly and impaired not being able to do certain tasks we take for granted. These tasks can vary from fixing a chair leg to helping with personal budgeting. Oftentimes, these people rely on a friend or family member to do the task, but this may take days due to availability. What if instead they could rely on a local community of volunteers able to step up at the chime of a phone notification? We hope these small exchanges will strengthen cohesion in communities, bridge the divide between generations in the UK, and lessen the stigma towards disabilities.

System description

We chose to design an app as the platform to connect our two user bases: those in need of a task being done (Normal Users), and those willing to help carry out that task (Carers). The app allows Normal Users to create tasks and for Carers to search, view and accept these tasks. Normal Users will be able to see how many Carers have accepted the task they created, and can view each Carer's profile before confirming who they want for the task. There is a Comments section to each posted task as well as a messaging service on the platform to allow communication between a Normal User and Carer. Upon each task being completed, each party will be able to leave a review for the other. Reviews are public and contribute to a user's rating, which serve as a benchmark for Normal Users to assess Carers and vice versa.

Concerns we ran into

We acknowledged early on that the security of both parties is of highest priority. A solution may be for a DBS form to be required in setting up a Carer profile, or proof that a Carer is registered with a trusted organisation such as Social Care Direct or Age UK. There is potential for Durham University students to register with the university's charity committees such as Durham University Charities Kommittee (DUCK) or Durham University Student Volunteering & Outreach once these organisations have been trained and approved by the council. As for verifying Normal Users, it may be the case that they need to supply proof of disability or disability support.

What's next for hAccess

We acknowledge that this idea and proposal requires further inspection by the council to continue. If the council sees potential for this idea, we would be very happy to be contacted.