Towards a Scottish Minimum Digital Living Standard: Phase 2

3 Method

The MDLS Scotland research is underpinned by a body of MDLS work that aims to capture what people in the UK think households with children need to be digitally included (see Yates et al., 2024; Yates et al., 2023).

3.1 MDLS Scotland research: phase two

Phase 1 of the research for MDLS Scotland involved focus groups with parents and young people to examine the digital needs of households with children in Scotland, as well as a survey of stakeholders working in digital inclusion in Scotland. The second phase of this MDLS Scotland project included in-depth interviews with families, which involved both parents/carers and their children, to explore the experiences and challenges that households face in meeting their digital needs. The aim of gathering these family and stakeholder perspectives was to provide further evidence and validate the findings from Phase 1 regarding the implementation of MDLS in Scottish digital policy and strategy. This phase utilised in-depth interviews to identify potential barriers for households, organisations, and the Scottish government in reaching MDLS or supporting households in achieving MDLS. In particular, it aimed to consider what could help support families with children and communities in various circumstances.

As is customary, ethical approvals through the university's ethical processes were sought for each aspect of each research phase. This included a comprehensive application to the relevant University Ethics Committees for the survey and interviews, particularly for the family interviews, as they involved children. Extra consideration was given to providing age-appropriate research information, obtaining participant consent/assent, and preparing interview guides, as well as ensuring that the researcher had DBS/Scottish Disclosure clearance. All responses were anonymised unless express permission was given to identify organisations.

3.1.1 Stakeholder survey

To confirm and expand upon the qualitative findings gathered from interviews with key stakeholders, including representatives from civil society and government bodies, we administered an online survey. The survey aimed to collect feedback on the Phase 1 findings and validate the overall positions of stakeholders. It specifically focused on defining the MDLS, its potential benefits, challenges to implementation, and the actions needed to facilitate this process. The MDLS team designed and reviewed the survey, which was hosted on the Jisc Online Surveys platform. For the sample, we invited both Phase 1 interview participants and organisations we could not interview during Phase 1, as well as those whose information was provided by other stakeholders between Phase 1 and Phase 2. As with Phase 1, all respondents had relevant expertise in digital inclusion in Scotland. We collected a total of 24 responses, which we believe provide a good representation of the various types of organisations and stakeholders involved in digital inclusion issues in Scotland, encompassing a range of third-sector and government entities. Of the 24 responses, 12 were from previous participants in the in-depth interviews, while 12 were from new respondents. Table 1 presents anonymised details of the types of organisations. The survey findings are discussed in section 4.1 below.

3.1.2 Family Interviews

The research involved nine in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted in February and March 2025 with a diverse range of families with dependent-age children residing in Glasgow or Dumfries and Galloway. The aim was to include families from various backgrounds, locations, and circumstances, including those who may face challenges in accessing a range of devices, internet connection, or the skills and knowledge included in MDLS. The participants included:

• Households with between one and seven children, aged 2 – 20, living at home.
• Single parent and couple households.
• Parents who were in paid work and those who were not, but all families were receiving means-tested benefits reiterating the financial vulnerability of families who are in, as well as out of work. Several parents were involved in voluntary work or had caring responsibilities.
• Parents and/or children with a disability or health condition.
• Families from a minority ethnic background, including several who had come to Scotland in recent years, and where English was not their first language.
• All but one lived in rented accommodation, and among these were families living in temporary accommodation – several reported issues with the condition, warmth, and inadequate size of their housing.
• Six of the families lived in different areas of Glasgow, with differing access to libraries, schools and outdoor areas. Three families lived in Dumfries and Galloway from very rural, to urban yet remote locations.

Families were recruited with assistance from local support and third sector organisations. This support ranged from intensive help in identifying relevant families and sharing information to liaising, arranging interviews, and encouraging families to come forward themselves. This assistance was invaluable in cases where building trust was crucial to overcoming any hesitancy about participation. Most interviews took place in the family home, where arrangements were made to accommodate work, school, activities, and meals, while one interview was conducted in a local library.

Parents were encouraged to involve other household members, including partners and children when appropriate, and all children participated in the nine interviews. All family members who took part were interviewed simultaneously. Still, researchers emphasised their flexible approach, making it clear that children could participate as much or as little as they wished and could come and go as they pleased. Researchers adapted the interview questions accordingly, responding to the needs of everyone present and their engagement levels.

Rapport was built through an initial conversation before the interview. After providing participants with written and verbal information about the research, children aged 15 and under confirmed their assent by writing their names on an assent form, using stickers, or drawing. Those aged 16 and above completed a consent form. Parents also provided written informed consent for their own participation and for the participation of their children aged 17 and younger.

The interviews aimed to understand the level and quality of digital usage. The interviews explored the participating households’ digital lived experiences in relation to their day-to-day activities. The interviews covered:

• Each family's social context (work, education, housing and its locale, welfare support, and financial situation)
• Digital activities, including the devices they had, and the types and levels of connectivity.

This encompassed issues of affordability, location, and infrastructure related to their digital practices, as well as the utilisation of digital devices, platforms, and connectivity for education, work, accessing support and services, maintaining contact with friends and family, and entertainment. Digital skills, knowledge, and confidence included their perceived abilities and areas where they sought more information regarding the setup and maintenance of digital activities, online safety, and gaining digital 'know-how' through formal and informal support sources. In the final section, families reflected on what could help them and other families develop ideas for policies and practices. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and thematically analysed, leading to the themes outlined in section 4.2 below.