Photo by ThisisEngineering on Unsplash
A new app to help charities and voluntary organisations protect staff and volunteers working in the community has been developed thanks to a partnership between a leading sight loss charity and PwC.
Fife-based charity Seescape worked with the global consultancy firm to produce the app through the Scottish Tech Army initiative.
The project sees third sector organisations paired up with skilled volunteers in the private sector on a pro bono basis to create innovative IT solutions to issues they are facing.
Seescape’s new app manages the process of staff and volunteers checking in and out of home visits, making safeguarding more efficient and safer.
It also allows them to reach many more visually impaired clients by streamlining their processes and saving time on lengthy checks on the phone.
Last year, the charity also worked with the Scottish Tech Army to bring back the discontinued Microsoft Soundscape app, which uses audio cues to help people with visual impairments better understand their surroundings.
The charity’s Head of Accessible Technology, Stuart Beveridge, collaborated with volunteers to reproduce key features of Soundscape.
Seescape supports people living with sight loss across Fife to live more independently and provides a range of services including rehabilitation, advice, and technology demonstrations.
It supports more than 3500 people every year in Fife with social opportunities, community-based assessments, home visits, and drop-ins at its visual impairment hub in Glenrothes to give information on the latest support and technologies available.
Lesley Carcary, Seescape’s chief executive, said: “Our work with the Scottish Tech Army has produced some really important innovations and ideas which ultimately mean we can do more for the people we support across Fife.
“Our staff and volunteers work with clients in their homes across Fife every day, and we need to ensure they are safe at all times. Sharing ideas and expertise is an important way that the companies and individuals can help charities and the people they support.
“We are excited by the opportunity to share our new app with the sector as a whole.”
Robert Leishman, a volunteer from PwC, said: “My day-to-day job usually involves very technical, back-end projects.
“I loved working with Seescape on the new app because you get to see the positive, real-world impact of your work on people’s lives. It’s been amazing to work with so many different people doing different roles to support people with sight loss, and I would recommend it to anyone”
