Newsletter November 2022

Welcome to our November update. Here’s what we’re up to and how you can get involved.

Team News

Chris Sutton, our User Researcher, is leaving this week to take up a new role as Senior User Researcher in DXW. Chris was the second member of the team to be hired when it started in 2021 and has been integral to our work since then as both a Delivery Support Officer and then a User Researcher. We’re going to miss him a lot – all the best in your new role Chris!

We’re now hiring 2 new User Researchers to join our team and you can see the job advertisement on the WLGA website. If you’d like to chat about the post before applying, please contact paul.owens@wlga.gov.uk.

Blaenau Gwent Service Improvement Project

We have now kicked off a project with Blaenau Gwent who are using user centred design to address issues with their litter reporting service to help residents and the council. We’re holding the first show and tell for this work on Friday 18 November 10:30 – 11:30. If you’d like an invite, email digitalteam@wlga.gov.uk.

Learning Frameworks and Content Community of Practice

This week we’re launched our User Research and Content Design learning frameworks for local government. You can see the frameworks themselves, and a recording of the launch on this blog on our website.

Our first Content Design Community of Practice is happening on Tuesday 29 November at 1pm. We’re planning to hold these Community of Practice sessions every two months. In this first session we’ll open the discussion about what people want from the community. This could cover how often you want to meet up, what topics you’d like to see covered, and how the community will be managed.

If you’d like to attend, email digitalteam@wlga.gov.uk.

Cost of Living content Design Sprint Workshop

On Thursday 17 November WLGA and CDPS are hosting a Cost of Living content design sprint workshop across the Welsh public sector. The workshop will look at current problems with cost of living help and online services content. As more people create and publish online content and information about the cost of living, and do this in isolation, it’s causing confusion and challenges for the people needing to access support and benefits. This workshop will focus on a shared content approach, taking the research and evidence we’ve gathered to make improvements collaboratively. The outcomes from this day will be:

• A shared use of language to describe benefits and services across Wales.
• A single, bilingual landing page design to be shared and implemented across local government in Wales.

We’d love to invite a diverse range of people to the session and welcome officers and staff from all services that deliver or support the delivery of services, including digital, communications, customer services, education, council tax, benefits, social care and wider. If you would like to attend, please sign up using this Eventbrite link.