Jargon-buster training for council employees

Training in plain English is set to be given to council workers in Sandwell to stop them baffling residents with jargon.

Sandwell Council plans to pay £3,000 to enrol a worker on a Plain English diploma course.

The worker would lead the rest of the council in cutting out "bureaucratic gobbledygook". Other councils in the region say they have methods in place to cut jargon.

The moves could herald the end of "partner agencies", "gateway reviews", "up-skilling" and schemes being "actioned".

Sandwell Council leader Councillor Darren Cooper said: "Councils are often accused of using bureaucratic gobbledygook which confuses and mystifies people. We want to improve our communications with residents, make them clearer and strip out jargon.

"We are therefore drawing up proposals for a campaign across the council to make our communications easier to understand.

"We are looking at enrolling one member of staff on a specific course run by the highly respected Plain English Campaign to lead this.

"This would involve a mix of study at home and work over a year at a cost of around £3,000. The Plain English Diploma is a nationally-recognised qualification which we see as the best way for a member of staff to develop skills in this area which can then be shared across the council."

Walsall Council leader Councillor Mike Bird said all staff were already told to use more "user-friendly" words to avoid jargon and make publications clear to understand. He said there was a "tool kit" on the council staff website showing plain English alternatives.

Lichfield District Council is currently drafting an in-house style guide for workers to stick to plain English. Deputy leader Val Richards said: "I think the attitude we have taken to so-called council speak is the right way."

South Staffordshire District Council gave staff training in plain English in February last year after 17,000 residents complained in one year that they were baffled by jargon.