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Case Study: Humberside Learning Consortium: Communications Strategy

Communication Strategy and Action Plan

First developed, in conjunction with a Steering Group formed from external partners, in April 2002. Revisited and rewritten in April 2003 and April 2004, again with the help of partners. See attached. This aspect of HLC work supported by funding from LSC.

Web Development

HLC’s first web presence was a minimal Home Page introduction in March 2003, funded by LSC. Development since this point has been funded in an ad hoc way with monies being accessed through the LSC, YH Regional Forum and internal project funding. We now have a live site, with the following pages:

• Global, i.e. on every page, links to “Imagine” the Information, Advice and Guidance network, the National Childcare Link and the download page for our own Training News. Plans are now in place to link this to “The Forum”, see below. There is also a link throughout the site for direct email to HLC as well as the option to display pages in large text.
• Home - Includes news items
• About Us - some generic information about HLC
• Contacts - Database driven page with contact details for all projects within HLC, as well as certain core functions.
• Courses & Conferences - Database driven and carries between 750 and 11000 events at any one time, both local and national. Visitors can browse ALL or just local. They can also use the search facility, based on topic, provider, start date and limit the search to local events if they wish. Includes live web and email links.
• Resources - This contains 3 resource areas for information about trainers/consultants, venues and other resources, i.e. equipment loan. Each area has an appropriate search methodology. Includes live web and email links.
• Representatives - Contact details, including live web and email links, of local voluntary sector representatives on strategic bodies. Also, where available a direct link to download Meeting Minutes, Agendas etc.
• Training News - Download page for the current copy of Training News with the ability to download exactly the sections you require.
• Publications - Download other publications, i.e. our Annual Report and Financial Summary, strategy documents, survey reports. Also includes “Through the Maze”, see below.
• Feedback - straight forward email based feedback page.
• Links - Contains over 200 web links, sorted first in to local/regional and national and then by topic. These form the basis of a hyperlinked contents section.

Sharing Resources

A sub-regional information strategy group is in its embryonic stages and the launch meeting will take place 19 August 2004. In partnership with North Bank Forum and other leading agencies we will be looking at joint working to improve information dissemination throughout the sector in the sub-region. Also, the group will approach the problems relating to ICT in the sector, its use for dissemination and how it can be supported to make it sustainable. There is an ICT mapping exercise taking place now by NBF and the results of this should be collated by October 2004 and act as a base line information resource.

In addition both FOLDA (The Federation of Local Development Agencies) and this group will be discussing the development of a web-based database to make base line information more readily available, means of measuring a snapshot against previous snapshots, means of avoiding duplication when supporting organisations and encouraging a joint approach to building the capacity of the sector. Funding for the way forward to be identified, yet.

HMSG (Humber marketing Strategy Group) hosted by the LSC

The communications function of HLC has been involved in HMSG from its inception. HLC was the primary agent in developing a workable scheme to incentivise sign-posters in the sector. This scheme was launched late June / early July 2004 and since, 32 organisations had registered up to 23 July 2004, of which 29 are voluntary sector.

HLC Communication Systems - Phones and ICT Network

When HLC was set up we had access to email and the web via the network belonging to our landlord, the Goodwin Centre. We were not connected to their network as a working environment. In addition our telephones were routed through their exchange. Of course, then we were 4.

We are now 16 going on 17 and in August 2003 set up our own phone system and network with the help of funding from Lloyds TSB and a local trust.

An internal ICT strategy is being explored and hopefully will be written by October 2004. An upgrade/replacement strategy for hardware and software should be in place before September 2004.

HLC is about to expand further within these premises, which necessitates the installation of further infrastructure for both phones and ICT.

HLC Training News

Training News will next be distributed on Friday 27th August 2004 and uploaded to the web site on 19th August 2004.

6,750 copies will be distributed. Web downloads will increase this number by between 350 and 500 copies.

Training News is partially funded by the LSC, approximately 60% with the remainder coming from billing for individual inserts.

Publications - Through the Maze Guides

HLC have been developing a series of easy guides under the banner “Through the Maze”. In 2003/2004, the pilot publication “ Funding Applications Made Easy” was made available and has been well received. These guides will be available both in printed format and on the Publications page of the web site.

In May 2004 the following additions were made to the series:

• “Setting Up an Organisation”.

• “Secured Your Funding? The Next Steps”.

Funding for this project, so far, has been from NLDC and further funding is sought to increase the number of titles.

Verbal Communications / Networking

Further networking events will take place during 2004/2005.

• The Trainers Forum will next run in September 2004, followed by further events in December and March. This forum has taken place at least 4 times each year. funded by ESF Co-Financing. It will soon be supported by “The Forum”, see below.
• A major Trustee event, “Developing Ourselves” is planned for 16th October 2004. This is an annual occurrrence targeting different practitioners/professional groups each year and is, at present funded by ESF Co-Financing.
• Other networking events take place throughout the year funded by different projects and usually involve at least one major event each quarter.
• In addition there are a number of networking fora involving different practitioner networks, such as:
• Basic Skills support workers.
• local development agencies (FOLDA).
• quality network.
• Information and ICT network.

Other HLC web presences

HLC has web presences, with links to www.hlc-vol.org, on;

• beehive in Scunthorpe.

• beehive in Grimsby.

• beehive in Hull.

• the North Lincs Net.

• HEROS.

• Communityresource in Hull.

The Forum

HLC have developed a platform with CSWebsites for peer support mechanisms for different practitioner groups in the sub-region. The initial development, funded by ESF Co-Financing, is due to launch October 2004 and includes member areas for:

• Trustees.

• Managers in the sector.

• Treasurers and Finance Workers.

• Community Development Workers.

• Funding Advice Workers.

• Trainers.

• Basic Skills Support Workers.

Web Statistics

30 days to 30th July 2004

• Hits - 20,018.

• Visits - 1,659.

• Average visits per day - 55.

• Total downloads - 1,163.

• Top 5 pages (excluding Home with 1,296 views)1.

  1. Courses - 675 views*.

  2. Resources - 255 views*.

  3. Links - 191 views.

  4. Training News - 151 views*.

  5. About Us - 115 views.

* HLC completed 28 days of telephone monitoring to gauge the impact of the web site on general enquiries, relating to course and other learning related resources. The total number of calls received during the period was 839, of which 120 (14.3%) were general enquiries, i.e. not linked to HLC project activity. In the past the percentage of general enquiries would have been between 50 and 60%. The overall call figure would have been similar, of which up to 500 would have been general information requests. The call total remains high because HLC has increased in size significantly. The above figures would indicate that the web site is generating and servicing more enquiries than at any time previously and that overall enquiries, serviced by both means are more than doubled.