ASCC Communications Awards 2007

Category: Campaigns

Accessible complaints and compliments procedure for service users with a learning disability, Barnsley MBC

A project to look at how the comments and complaints process could be accessed more easily by people with learning disabilities.  The outcome was a makaton based system of cards, yellow for ‘happy‘ and red for ‘unhappy’.  Service users show the card to staff which prompts the rest of the complaints process.

‘Coventry’s Outcomes Journey’ Board Game, Coventry City Council

An innovative game to demonstrate the work Coventry has done on it’s outcomes focussed approach to the delivery of social care.  The game consists of an A1 foamex board, playing cards, counters, dice and ‘rewards’ – a unique approach and very innovative for local government.
The playing cards were written using feedback from staff in response to an ‘Outcomes discussion document’.

Boardtalk, Kirklees Council

Boardtalk is a scheme set up to help people with communication needs in libraries and leisure centres across Kirklees.
The objectives of Boardtalk are:

• Communicate better with people with learning disabilities;
• Reach people with other communication needs, i.e. those whose first language is not English, people who have had a stroke or cannot talk; and
• To build people’s confidence.

Through the Lens, London Borough of Haringey

The aim of this project was to develop an innovative campaign that not only raised awareness of mental illness through a celebration of World Mental Health Day, but also challenged the perceptions and myths of mental illness.

Our approach was to use World Mental Health Day 2006 as a hook to host a documentary photographic exhibition, Through the Lens, in collaboration with mental health service users and our partners, including the local Mental Health Trust.

Making Transitions Work, Dumfries and Galloway

A Policy and protocol for staff and an advice pack for carers/parents and young people.
Objectives:

• To address the difficulties encountered by young people with complex needs or a disability, which they face moving from adolescence to adulthood;
• To ensure the smooth transfer of responsibility between relevant agencies.

Traffic signals in the Vale of Glamorgan, Vale of Glamorgan

From discussions between Highways staff and local blind clubs. A booklet was developed about facilities available at traffic signals across the area.

These facilities include audible warnings and rotating cones, in addition to the standard red/green man and dropped kerbs with tactile paving.

Category: New media

Direct Payments DVD, Lancashire County Council

A 12-minute film to raise awareness and promote the benefits of Direct Payments to people with disabilities, older people and their families – particularly those within Black and minority ethnic communities. The DVD gives an overview of the assessment processes, criteria and support involved and was complemented by an easy-read booklet for adults with learning disabilities and sensory impairment. The film includes a range of interviews with existing services users, health and social care staff, and representatives from partner organisations demonstrating the value of Direct Payments and how it works. The DVD includes multi-language options, English subtitles and English British Sign Language, and is supported by a printed booklet. Translations of the booklet are also available.

Supporting People Website, London Borough of Barnet

Website to communication effective with individual service users and carers on the remit of the Supporting People Programme and the availability of services. The site includes a searchable services directory, information about charging and standards, and a closed section for care providers.  The site was supported by a range of print documents including a booklet and poster.

The Extranet (staff website), Birmingham City Council

A web server that enables all staff to access in-house design work. The extranet also works in conjunction with the Publications Unit’s communications guidelines to ensure that style and accessibility guidelines are adhered to. The site also includes an image library of approximately 6,500 images. Customers can browse the library and select images for their publications The extranet can also create high resolution PDFs for the council’s print section.

Online Care Home Search, Hampshire County Council

An online Care Home search that allows the user to search for Care Homes within Hampshire and filter this search by a number of options, including area, postcode, type of care needed and current bed vacancies. The primary audience was any member of the public who wanted information relating to care homes in Hampshire - mainly service users wanting to decide or plan their own future or those helping others make informed decisions. Care management and contact centre staff within Hampshire County Council were also a target audience to ensure they could guide and assist enquirers consistently and quickly.

The transition to adulthood DVD, Flintshire Council Council

A DVD to provide information in an alternative format on the transition process for young people with a learning disability and their families. The film features service users, carers, and partners such as Jobcentre Plus and education. The DVD provides audio visual information to compliment three existing leaflets covering the topics: becoming an adult; your home; and about things to do in the day. Copies are available in DVD or VHS, and can be produced with a Welsh voiceover on request.

Working for you - Promotional DVD, North Lanarkshire Carers Together

Promotional DVD to explain role of North Lanarkshire Carers Together to carers, voluntary groups, professionals, councillors, MSPs, MPs and funders. The film is split into a series of chapters including What is a hidden carer, training opportunities and the Carers Strategy Implementation Group. It includes interviews with carers, social work and health staff, MSPs and the local Lord Provost.

Torfaen Social Care and Housing: Who cares? DVD, Torfaen County Borough Council

40 minute DVD to raise the awareness of the caring role and identify hidden carers and encourage them to access support. The film includes interviews with 12 local carers talking about their experience and how practical and emotional support has enabled them to continue caring. The film explains what help and support is available and provides contact details. It is introduced by BBC Wales’ broadcaster Roy Noble OBE.

Traffic Signals in the Vale of Glamorgan and how they can help you – Audio, print and Braille information, Vale of Glamorgan Council

A booklet providing a range of information for blind and partially sighted people about facilities at road traffic signals. The booklet is provided in large print (bilingual – Welsh and English), Braille, audio tape and online as an audio file. It tells you where the traffic signals are, alphabetically, by area. It also tells you which ones have bleeping sounds and rotating touch cones.  The booklet was developed in liaison with Cardiff Institute for the Blind and local groups.

Soundslide for Ernest Bold Resource Centre, Wolverhampton City Council

A three-minute audio visual presentation featuring a series of 38 photographs taken at the opening of the Ernest Bold Resource Centre for people with learning disabilities, combined with audio of people involved in the facility’s development. It contains information about the centre, its aims and objectives and how people go about finding out more. Soundslide combines a Powerpoint presentation (text and images) with audio information.  The product is aimed at potential service users, their carers, existing users, and staff.

Category: Publication

Adoption – What’s it all about?!, London Borough of Richmond (Special Children’s Services)

The guide is for looked after children aged nine and over, who have been placed for adoption. The book aims to give young people a better understanding of adoption and explains what adoption is and how it works in clear and simple language. It has been designed to complement and enhance the work that social workers do with young people in preparation for adoption.
The guide is divided into different sections, with features and activities to make it more accessible, interesting and user-friendly for the target audience. There are several interactive features so that children can personalise their own guide with photographs and information about themselves. There is also a quiz, designed to test their understanding of adoption in a fun and non-judgemental way.

Helping adults keep safe and independent, Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (Community Care Services)

Following a change in our eligibility criteria for services we needed to update our main publicity leaflet to explain the new situation to the public and potential service users and carers.  The information for the leaflet was developed from the results of consultation meetings with service users and the public on the proposals to change our eligibility criteria and the type of information they said would be useful to have.

Information for Carers, Scottish Borders Council (Social Care and Health) and NHS Borders (Organisation Change and Development)

The primary aim of producing Information for Carers was to respond to requests by carers themselves for information about the resources and support available to them throughout the Scottish Borders. The booklet contains up-to-date information, and features an A-Z of local and national organisations, a Who’s Who of the professionals providing care, information about charges and benefits and a relaxation CD. The impetus for this, the third edition, was the need to update information and the fact that supplies had run out due to its popularity.

Supporting People – Directory of Services, Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council (Supporting People)

The production of the Directory was part of an overall marketing and communications campaign that aimed to increase knowledge and understanding of Supporting People, what services can be funded by SP monies and how to access them.

The Directory provides key information and aims to:

1. promote the range of services on offer
2. ensure consistent and equitable access to information and services
3. enable service users to use their knowledge of the different services and providers to exercise choice when looking for support

The Directory is available in a range of accessible formats, e.g. large print, audio tape/CD, Braille or disk, alternative languages, Council website.

Public Information Strategy (plus sample leaflets), Blaenau Gwent (Community Services Directorate)

Social Services developed a Public Information Strategy to establish a framework and direction for information provision and to make clear to all staff the Council’s statutory requirement to provide good quality public information to ensure people are aware of the services they are entitled to. The focus of the Public Information Strategy is to ensure that actual, and potential service users, are properly informed about the services available, what is involved in being assessed for and receiving a service, and their rights and responsibilities in these processes.
The Strategy includes guidelines on what style should be adopted for any new public information produced. 

‘Develop your flair for Customer Care!’ – calendars and diaries, Carmarthenshire County Council

The department had recently undergone a major re-structure and we wanted to produce a useful communication tool to further inform staff about the changes to the divisions, as well as keeping the focus on customer care.  The calendars for office-based staff, and pocket diaries for other staff, promote customer care messages, reinforce restructuring information as well as raising awareness of the vision, mission and values of the department.  The information contained:

1. the departmental vision, mission and values
2. an explanation of the divisions within the department
3. customer care messages and quotes throughout
4. monthly calendar sheets
5. backboard with year-at-a-glance calendar
6. useful telephone numbers and school holidays
7. pictures of staff and service users

Joint Commissioning Strategy for People with Learning Disabilities in Birmingham 2006-2011, Birmingham City Council

The booklet is primarily aimed at any adult with learning disabilities and their families/carers.  The 28-page booklet sets out the City Council’s vision for improving the lives of people with learning disabilities.

A big consultation exercise centred on the draft commissioning strategy and the opinions of service users, carers, staff and other professionals were sought.  It was recognised that the final strategy – a very technical document – should be available in an accessible format so that service users would be able to understand how their lives were going to change for the better.  Service users with a wide range of ability levels, communication needs and styles of learning were consulted with to gauge their understanding of what the words and pictures meant. This invaluable feedback let to changes in the words and pictures.