Background

This study sought to understand the feasibility, acceptability, and potential impact of a new online community platform rolled out by a UK-based housing association (Coastline’s Customer Investment Team), called the Click and Connect forum, on users’ feelings of social connectivity and mental wellbeing.  A secondary objective is to understand the potential role of online platforms in developing a sense of community among users.

Methods

The study design comprised of two core components:

1.            Co-production of the intervention logic model with Coastline Housing Association

2.            Process evaluation

Semi-structured qualitative interviews with forum users (social housing residents and Coastline staff facilitators) informed the feasibility, acceptability, self-reported impact, strengths, limitations, challenges and recommendations for the intervention. 

Content analysis of the anonymised forum data posts enabled an immersive understanding of how social housing residents and service providers co-constructed their online community and the topics and issues that were important to them. 

Results

Forty-four social housing residents and thirteen Coastline facilitators contributed to the Click and Connect platform as forum users between January 2021, when the platform was launched, and January 2022, when the forum data were extracted for anonymization and analysis. 

The reach of the intervention appeared to extend to those working or furloughed during COVID-19 lockdown, reaching mostly middle aged and older adults primarily recruited from Coastline’s Facebook page, Zoom based weekly coffee mornings and word of mouth promotion.

The majority of residents stated that their reason for engaging with the forum was to keep in touch with Coastline residents and staff, particularly during lockdown.  Many residents reflected that the forum provided a direct and strengthened link between residents and their housing provider that enabled any queries to be answered easily.  The forum was a hub for some residents to learn about upcoming events, and to receive news updates within their communities, which prompted them to log in regularly.

The forum had over 500 posts including uploaded photos within threads, and at its peak the forum had nineteen active users at any one time.  Most residents engaged with the forum for its topic threads on interests and hobbies that resonated with them.  However, many residents felt frustrated with the platform technology being difficult to use and struggling to navigate the forum.  Forum usage dropped off throughout the course of the year to no registered users actively using the forum by the end of January 2022. 

Conclusion

Residents perceived the forum to be a place to offer and receive help during Covid-19 lockdowns, particularly for those feeling isolated at home.  Online forums managed by housing associations for their residents may be particularly helpful for older adults in particular, but with additional support provided for those with lower levels of digital literacy.  Functionality of bespoke forums such as these need to be more user-friendly, designed in co-production with the end users.