Communications Guide - Fran O'hara

Copy and Editorial Guidelines 4
Section 4.0: Writing guidelines
Effective writing
The Older People’s Commissioner for Wales is an independent
organisation, which was set up to make a difference to the lives of older
people.
In broad terms we have two types of communications:
1. About the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales and our work.
2. About issues affecting older people, including good practice.
We are a national, independent, publicly funded organisation, with legal
status, we need to be able to explain how 1 and 2 work together i.e. how
our work makes a difference to older people. We want to make sure that
our audiences are aware of the full range of our work and how, and when,
to contact us.
We also communicate our primary message that older people are at the
heart of the Commission’s work.
Our work plan is based on what older people tell us. We
also consider whether we are the best organisation to
progress a piece of work.
We should ask ourselves:
• Do we have the power to act
• What difference we can make
• Are we duplicating someone else’s work
As well as various other questions.
Thinking about the answers to these questions helps us to
communicate our decisions about priorities to older people
and stakeholders.
Communications Guide Page 4.0