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About

Updates
  • 18/09/2019 Improvements to functionality of Gateway Script pages.
  • 05/07/2019 Social media icons added to access Chelmsford CA’s social media accounts.
  • 15/03/2019 New Universal Credit script added to Gateway Scripts.
  • 29/01/2019 New link added in the Resources section, ‘AdviceNow‘ which has over 20 self help guides to common client issues.
  • 14 Nov 2018: Welcome Script and Gateway Scripts updated as a result of recent training. The ‘Copy to Clipboard’ pages accessible from the Scripts pages have also been updated.
  • 2 Jul 2018: Search tool added to the Resources page.
  • 8 Feb 2018: A new section, ‘Adviser‘ has been added with useful resources for Advisers.
  • 1 Nov 2017: A new section, Resources ‘By LCA‘, has been built within the ‘Resources’ tab and, related to that, a new main menu item, ‘Find LCA‘ which converts a client’s postcode to their Local Authority and therefore their LCA.
  • 13 Oct 2017: A new section,  Resources ‘By Issue‘, has been built within the ‘Resources’ tab. This pulls together all the resource information into client issue categories e.g. Debt, Housing, Work etc. etc.
  • 20 Sep 2017: All the Gateway scripts have been updated with new content.
  • 24 Aug 2017: The website has moved to a new domain. The site has been rebuilt using WordPress, a Content Management System (CMS) which makes site updating easier and within the capabilities of others. I’d be grateful for any feedback on the changes. The old site is still functioning here but will not be kept up to date and is only really there for backup purposes.
The good news:
  • Access to a common ‘notebook’ available to all volunteers in the form of the Resources tab above rather than each of us maintaining our own notebook.
  • Speeds up interaction with clients both face to face and by phone by offering access to comprehensive, easy to find, information.
  • The ‘Copy to Clipboard’ links on the Gateway Scripts pages speeds up and standardises Casebook notes.
  • Links are to more explicit pages (rather than a home page) e.g. the ‘Benefits Calculator’ on the Turn2us website.
Highlights so far:
  • The site is live, though constantly evolving, since June 2016 and is used frequently at every session since then.
  • The ‘Resources’ tab is fairly well developed now with over 160 entries.
  • Relevant news appearing in the weekly briefings is included so the website’s content is dynamic and relatively easy to keep up to date.
  • A ‘Contact’ tab has been added to report issues, amendments and suggestions for the site so that others can contribute to its content.
The bad news (with adoption of the website more widely in mind):

Website maintenance and the skills needed – construction is a one off, maintenance is for life!

Here’s some detail…

  • The whole site has been set up using WordPress which means that someone with moderate IT skills can maintain it. Acquisition of purchased specialist software is not necessary to maintain the site.
  • The volatile Resources section has been set up as a database within the WordPress framework which means that the data held there is relatively easy to maintain and update.
  • Changes to the content of other parts of the site may require someone with web knowledge (HTML and CSS) to update it though that is not beyond the capability of someone who is computer literate.
  • Changes to the sites’ basic structure, site navigation etc. would need someone with more serious WordPress skills and PHP / HTML / CSS skills specifically to amend the Contact page.
So, this is a starter for ten:

This site is,

  • Live and gets regularly used with clients,
  • Gets updated regularly, almost after every visit made to the bureau, and,
  • A proposal for wider adoption amongst assessors.

My motivation for developing the site is that it has helped me to get familiar with the Gateway Scripts and the range of resources available to assessors and it regularly provides me with those resources.

I hope that’s all good and I’d welcome your feedback on the site and its general concept.

My thanks,

Rog

Roger Wolfendale
Chelmsford CA Volunteer.
Web tinkerer and occasional Android and Windows coder.