communicate / plain-English human-centred team comms

TLDR
For public sector teams communicating directly with the public. Helps you make every message clear, human and accessible, applying plain-English principles so people understand and act first time.

This programme helps public sector service delivery and communications teams avoid and remove barriers in everyday service communications - emails, letters, web pages and scripts used with citizens, service users, patients or residents - so users can find what they need, understand it first time and act confidently. It embeds the 2025 Plain English standard and GOV.UK style guide into the way your team writes and reviews high-volume, transactional communications, using your live written materials at a point where clarity and consistency directly affect service outcomes.

The programme emphasises inclusion for readers with diverse reading or comprehension needs including English as an additional language, ensuring every message is clear, accessible and trusted. It is especially valuable where unclear communications are driving repeat queries, disengagement, complaints or drop-outs, or where organisations need visible evidence of accessibility and inclusion improvements.

The programme is built for busy teams, minimising the amount of time needed for training and reducing time away from day-to-day priorities while still delivering meaningful, lasting change.

    • Understand plain English as a foundation for accessibility, equity and trust, and how it reduces barriers for key user groups and improves service outcomes.

    • Apply the Plain English standard and GOV.UK style principles to real team communications: short sentences, active voice, everyday words, clear headings and logical structure.

    • Rewrite live artefacts such as emails, letters and web copy, and test readability and comprehension to check effectiveness.

    • Build a team-owned template library, a quick QA checklist and light review gates that make high standards simple to maintain.

    • Establish straightforward measures such as reading age, comprehension checks and reduction in contact drivers to evidence impact over time.

    • Clearer, more inclusive communications that reduce unnecessary queries, complaints and rework.

    • A plain-English toolkit the team owns: templates, tone notes, word lists and a one-page QA checklist.

    • A consistent voice across channels with repeatable, lightweight review steps that fit naturally into your workflow.

    • Visible before-and-after evidence of improvement to help build organisational buy-in.

  • This programme uses a lean, two-step approach to build confidence and embed plain-English practices quickly, without taking teams out of their work for extended periods.

    Step 1 – Core Workshop (Half-day, virtual or face-to-face)
    A practical, interactive session where the team:

    • Builds a clear understanding of what plain English is and why it matters.

    • Rewrites live examples of team communications with facilitator support.

    • Creates a first version of a team-owned template library and QA checklist for consistent quality.

    Step 2 – Follow-up Session (2 hours, virtual, 1 month later - OPTIONAL)
    A focused session to:

    • Review examples of updated communications and share early successes.

    • Test readability and comprehension improvements.

    • Refine templates, word lists,and QA steps based on real-world use.

    • Plan next actions for continuous improvement and ownership across the team.

    Team deliverables

    By the end of the programme, your team will have:

    • A plain-English template pack for emails, letters, and scripts.

    • A one-page QA checklist for reviewing communications quickly and consistently.

    • A micro style guide aligned to GOV.UK conventions, including preferred words and plain-language alternatives.

    • A measurement starter framework using reading age, comprehension checks and simple service metrics.

  • 09:30 – Welcome and purpose
    Explore why plain English matters for accessibility, trust, and efficiency.

    09:45 – What plain English requires
    Explore the ‘find, understand, act’ outcomes and key principles: using users’ words, short sentences, active voice and clear structure.

    10:15 – Through the reader’s eyes
    Experience the barriers faced by people with lower literacy, English as an additional language or processing difficulties. Identify where friction exists in your own communications.

    10:35 – Live rewrite lab (round 1)
    Rewrite selected communications such as service emails, standard letters or website content, applying plain-English principles and aiming for a reading age around nine.

    11:10 – Break

    11:20 – Structure and layout that carry meaning
    Learn how to layer information for clarity, use headings effectively and create scannable layouts for digital and print channels.

    11:40 – Live rewrite lab (round 2)
    Apply readability checks and simple comprehension tests to ensure your content works for your audience.

    12:10 – Make it stick
    Draft the first version of your template library, a QA checklist and a light review process to keep standards consistent.

    12:30 – Close
    Agree immediate actions and plan for implementation before the follow-up session.

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