Content and tone of voice

Office of the Public Guardian

Lorena SutherlandContent Lead 20 February 2014

Office of the Public Guardian

Today- Tone of voice - Correspondence review- Digital and print guidance

Office of the Public Guardian

Customer feedback‘I just find all the legalese confusing.’

‘The tone of letters is very formal and sometimes threatening.’

‘I got your letter on Friday and I've been crying all weekend.’

‘Punitive… bellicose… obfuscatory…’

Office of the Public Guardian

Customer feedback‘My concerns … were dealt with very quickly. I had good email correspondence after my meeting and I was very happy with the service offered.’

Office of the Public Guardian

Customer feedback‘My concerns … were dealt with very quickly. I had good email correspondence after my meeting and I was very happy with the service offered.’

This is how we want people to feel when they’ve dealt with us

Office of the Public Guardian

Tone of voice- Professional- Approachable- Accurate - Relevant- Clear- Accessible

Office of the Public Guardian

How do we do that?- Simple, straightforward language- Consistency- Adapt to meet the reader’s needs- Empathy- Responsibility

Office of the Public Guardian

Tone of voice workshops- Staff who write letters or emails- Background and evidence- Practical exercises and discussion- Developing e-learning- Writer’s toolkit

Office of the Public Guardian

Workshop feedbackI’d always thought I was fairly good at writing letters, so I didn’t expect the workshop to change much about my own letter writing style. I was wrong.’

Office of the Public Guardian

Writers

Office of the Public Guardian

Correspondence review- 400+ letter templates- Team of content editors- Tone of voice- LPA done- Supervision and finance in progress- Core solution

Office of the Public Guardian

Digital guidance- LPA digital tool- Digital deputyship- Register search- Core solution

Office of the Public Guardian

Digital guidance- User needs- Plain English- GOV.UK style- Optimise for reading on screen- ‘Front-load’headings and text- Short sentences, break up content

Office of the Public Guardian

LPA tool feedback‘...clear not too long guidance that picks out the important stuff.’

‘help as you go along … made it clearer’

‘It provides all the advice needed clearly and logically.’

‘Sometimes a little too much information … might prefer the information and guidance in smaller doses.’

Office of the Public Guardian

Print guidance- Refresh and rewrite- User needs, plain English etc- Some topics:- How to be a good attorney / deputy- Donor / person without capacity- Health and welfare deputies - Gifting guidance

Office of the Public Guardian

Thank you

Office of the Public Guardian

Lorena SutherlandContent Lead 20 February 2014