Scottish Tech Army

It definitely feels longer than 10 weeks ago since we first met with the Scottish Tech Army (STA) on 23rd June 2020 and started working through how they could assist the CrossReach Counselling Services to strategically review and build an online application and assessment process for clients across Scotland. The level of commitment and time that has already been put into this project is impressive.

Where did this all start? To go back a wee bit, this strategy was not something that sprung to mind simply due to Covid-19; introducing digital counselling was something we had already been working on. Back in 2015, we contacted the Digital Health & Care Institute with a proposal to expand our provision of perinatal counselling to the remote areas of the Highlands and Islands where there was an increasing need of support and limited availability. Since then, we’ve worked to find solutions, welcoming the expertise and guidance of those in the field of Health Care such as the Glasgow School of Arts; NHS Attend Anywhere; University of Aberdeen Applied Health Sciences; University of Edinburgh Innovation Consultancy; and now the STA.

Working with STA: Right from the start, the team has had us on our toes, checking our current processes and laying out plans that will be realistic to both parties to ensure each piece of work is completed and approved before moving on to the next one. The demand for counselling has increased due to Covid-19 and we needed an online referral and assessment system quickly.   STA have brought a new perspective to the delivery of counselling services, have listened to our needs and our numerous questions and concerns. Their professional response and ongoing dedication to the project has been outstanding. We can’t wait to share their work with you. Watch this space!

Listen to the STA Podcast: You can find out more by listening to the STA Podcast where Kirsty McIntosh chats with Luke Pritchard-Woollett, STA, and Tanya Anderson, CrossReach about how the team have been getting on. The Podcast will be published on Tuesday 15th September and can be found @ https://www.scottishtecharmy.org/podcasts

Learn a bit more about the STA: With over 900 volunteers signed up, STA was set up in response to the spread of Covid-19, to bring in experts across the technical field and give them the opportunity to support frontline organisations that are dealing with the immediate health, social and economic impacts of the crisis. Find out more at www.scottishtecharmy.org/.