The right connections

Since its launch in April 2021, Digital Lifelines Scotland (DLS) has evolved into one of Scotland’s most significant digital inclusion initiatives, with a primary aim to reduce drug‑related harm. 

The ambition of DLS (DDN, Dec 2025/Jan 2026, page 19) – which is underpinned by Scottish Government Drugs Policy Division funding and delivered by the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) in partnership with the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) and others – is to facilitate digital inclusion and design digital solutions that better meet people’s needs, to improve healthy outcomes for people who use drugs, and reduce the risk of harm and death.

The programme has demonstrated measurable and system‑level impact through increased digital access, improved wellbeing and strengthened service collaboration – with more than 5,500 people supported, more than 3,000 devices provided and almost 4,000 connectivity packages delivered. Nearly 520 staff and volunteers have also been trained in digital inclusion. 

Sustained delivery

These figures represent sustained delivery over four years and six funding rounds, and in partnership with 35 organisations – enabling access to services and support for communities that faced digital exclusion.

Through collaboration and partnership with experienced addiction service organisations, DLS identified three tiers where the programme needed to make an impact:

1. People have greater access to the digital solutions that keep them safe and enable them to remain connected to family, friends and services, and the confidence, skills and motivation that provides.

2. The services that support these people have the digital means to develop and strengthen the support they provide, and staff that are skilful in using and developing digital solutions to enable those they support.

3. The sector is connected and collaborating, developing joined-up services and exploring digital solutions together.

Co-designing with partners identified key transition points where people were most vulnerable, such as experiencing or being at risk of homelessness, being released from custody or being discharged from hospital or residential services. DLS ensures that time is taken to fully understand the needs of affected people before co-designing appropriate solutions with them. By asking questions, listening to the answers and acting on these insights, a shared set of values has evolved:

» A culture of kindness, compassion and hope which is stigma-free and developed in an equal partnership with those who use services

» Support which adopts the principles of harm reduction in ‘meeting people where they are’

» Integrated case management, which involves the person in decision-making and a shared assessment of risk

» Practice which addresses more than just drug use, and is person-centred and trauma informed.

Positive Impact

Independent evaluations of DLS found the programme delivered ‘significant results’, including improved digital inclusion and digital literacy, better access to health and support services, reductions in social isolation, improved wellbeing and enhanced harm‑reduction outcomes.

Service users reported that digital connectivity made them feel safer, more valued, and better able to maintain contact with supportive networks. Evaluators also noted strong evidence of improved person‑centred service delivery, with individuals expressing a strengthened sense of connection, belonging and personal responsibility, facilitated by digital tools. This feedback reinforces Digital Lifelines’ core premise – that meaningful digital access is now inseparable from effective harm‑reduction activities in Scotland.

Workforce skills

A further sign of success lies in how DLS has equipped frontline workers and organisations – more than 500 staff and volunteers have received digital inclusion training, helping practitioners integrate digital tools confidently into support provision. This capacity‑building element has enhanced service responsiveness and the ability to maintain contact with individuals at risk, as well as sector‑wide collaboration on digital approaches.

Digital solutions developed through the programme have enabled organisations to deliver safer, more flexible support, particularly important for people who face stigma or life circumstances that can hinder traditional service access. The programme’s wider system impact is evidenced through:

» Joined‑up digital approaches across sectors, supporting cross‑organisational learning

» Significant contributions to national harm‑reduction priorities

» The embedding of digital practice into health and social care pathways

Strong outcomes

Comprehensive evaluations, such as the Digital Lifelines Scotland Evaluation 2025 by Figure 8 Consultancy, and Drugs Research Network Scotland’s assessment of the first two years, have shaped the design of the current phase 3 of the programme. These consistently emphasised the programme’s strong outcomes and its potential for scalable, long‑term impact. Ongoing impact reports produced by SCVO also show that DLS has been effective at reaching groups and areas previously underserved by digital inclusion initiatives.

A pivot towards system and sector level impact has been adopted for phase 3, working with some of Scotland’s alcohol and drug partnerships (ADPs) to help facilitate change. DLS continues to explore opportunities with suppliers and developers who are innovating in this still somewhat immature marketplace – alongside addiction-specific and overdose detection products is an enthusiasm to introduce people to the advantages of the digital world, reducing their fears and increasing their skills and confidence. 

Continued funding 

The Scottish Government’s decision to allocate funding for 2025-26 demonstrates strong confidence in the programme’s achievements and future direc­tion. After a competitive application process, funds were awarded to East Ayrshire and Angus ADPs – both have been exploring how digital zones and ‘Well-Bean’ recovery cafes hosted and developed by trusted community partners can improve access to digital support. In both locations the intention is to improve communications and collaboration between the many services supporting people who use drugs to better integrate services. 

It’s anticipated that further funding for 2026-27 will be confirmed this month, and senior government and sector leaders have publicly affirmed the programme’s life‑saving potential, describing DLS as ‘a powerful example of how innovation and compassion can come together to save lives’. The programme has also been recognised nationally, winning at the Holyrood Connect Digital Health and Care Awards in the digital Inclusion category, as well as being shortlisted for several other awards.

Across its first five years, Digital Lifelines Scotland has established itself as a transformative programme with demonstrable impact at personal, service, and system levels. Through improved digital access, stronger support networks, enhanced workforce capability, and evidence‑driven innovation, DLS has contributed meaningfully to Scotland’s efforts to reduce drug‑related harm and death. 

The programme’s expanding reach, strong evaluations and ongoing government investment position it as a vital component of Scotland’s national digital inclusion and public health landscape.

Alan Connor is portfolio lead at the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI)