writing for the public

Half-day masterclass for public sector professionals communicating with the public

For those writing emails, letters, web content or scripts for the general public, where messages need to be clear, easy to follow and understood first time.

  • By the end of the session, participants will be able to:

    • Write in plain English so messages are easy to understand and act on

    • Structure content so readers can quickly find what they need

    • Use everyday language, short sentences and active voice to improve clarity

    • Adapt writing for people with different levels of literacy and English proficiency

    • Spot and remove points of confusion in existing communications

    • Apply GOV.UK style and plain English principles in day-to-day work

  • This is a practical, hands-on masterclass.

    Participants work on examples of public-facing communication, including their own where possible. Each section introduces a simple principle, followed by short exercises to apply it immediately.

    The focus is on rewriting and improving real content so participants leave with approaches they can use straight away.

    • Half-day masterclass (3.5 hours)

    • Can be extended to a full day to cover additional objectives

    • Delivered in-person or virtually

    • Mixed groups from across teams

    • Level set to match the group on the day

    • Up to 20 participants

    • From £1,800 per session

  • 09:30 – 09:45
    Introduction and context

    09:45 – 10:15
    What makes writing easy to understand
    The "find, understand, act" test - using readers' own words, short sentences, active voice and clear structure so a message works first time.

    10:15 – 10:45
    Seeing communication from the reader’s perspective
    Experiencing the barriers faced by readers with lower literacy, English as an additional language, or processing difficulties, and identifying where friction sits in your own communications.

    10:45 – 11:15
    Rewriting for clarity (practical exercises)
    Rewriting real examples - service emails, letters, web content - aiming for a reading age around nine.

    11:15 – 11:30
    Break

    11:30 – 12:00
    Structure, layout and readability
    Layering information so readers get what they need first, and using headings that help a reader scan the page.

    12:00 – 12:30
    Improving real examples and applying checks
    Applying readability checks and comprehension tests against the reading age target, and building the first version of a QA checklist for future writing.

    12:30 – 13:00
    Key takeaways and application
    Agreeing immediate actions and how to keep applying this in day-to-day writing.

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Sue Calthorpe, Associate Trainer at Teamshaper
Communicate - a Teamshaper training module