A CHARITY providing advice to disabled people across Dartford and Gravesend is celebrating after winning an iPad Mini.

The Centre for Independent Living Kent (CiLK) was one of several organisations attending Kent County Council’s (KCC) Care in the Digital Age Conference.

KCC social care staff came together with voluntary organisations, care homes and service users to explore how new digital technology can be used to connect vulnerable and isolated people in the community.

CiLK were the lucky winners of an iPad, which was offered as a competition prize by the upcoming carers social network Yecco.

Project manager at CiLk Sophie Turley said: “Winning the amazing iPad mini is enabling us to connect with our members, like minded organisations and the local authority in new and exciting ways.

“It will allow us to take the internet out to our members and demonstrate how Yecco and other sites can help to simplify and enhance their networks of support creating greater independence.”

Yecco was among the organisations exhibiting at the conference last month and uses a social network to connect the person being cared for with their families and professionals.

CEO of Yecco Janet Jadavji said: “It was refreshing to see so many public sector workers come together to try to tackle the issues around assistive technology and telecare.

“It's great to see KCC take the lead in being a beacon for improving care and support through new technology across their county.”

KCC was chosen as one of the local authorities to take part in the Government’s telecare pilot 3 Million Lives, which explored how a remote 24/7 monitoring system could be used to support vulnerable adults and their carers.

Commissioning manager at KCC James Lampert added: “In Kent, we have already invested a lot of time and energy in looking at how telecare, telehealth and digital technologies can support people to live safer, healthier and more fulfilling lives.

“This was an exciting opportunity to look at what sorts of innovations are already going on and consider how we, and others in the care sector, can use and develop them to support people to get the most out of life.”

Visit kent.gov.uk/kentdigicare, Yecco and CiLK.