Creating easy to use forms

There are currently over a one hundred online forms on our website which allow people to contact the council or request services.

We are about to change the software we use to create these forms and will use this as an opportunity to improve the way that they are created to ensure that they are even easier to use.

We have gone through every element on a form and discussed how best to describe it, lay it out and provide text and prompts to help people to complete it. We have also been reviewing best practice on creating online forms to ensure that we incorporate this into our review. We are also paying particular attention to accessibility and will be testing to ensure that our forms can be used by all.

Having reviewed how best to create forms we will produce guidelines and checklists for staff to follow when they are creating forms. This will help to ensure that forms are created consistently according to best practise and follow a standard format. We will also test that forms meet agreed guidelines and work effectively.

Last but certainly not least we want you to help us to test the forms that we will create and tell us if we have got it right. If you would like to be involved in this testing please let us know by emailing us as web.team@bracknell-forest.gov.uk

Follow us on… Facebook, Flickr, Twitter…and more!

We provide a range of ways to find out about Bracknell Forest Council services:

• Bracknell Forest Council website
• Community TV
• Digital TV
• Facebook
• Flickr
• Mobile
• Twitter
• YouTube

Take a look and tell us what you think.

Flickr images added to web pages

We have been encouraging people to send us Flickr images for some time now. To encourage more to send in thier photos we are now adding Flickr image slideshows directly onto web pages. Take a look at our Bracknell in Bloom page for example. Find out more about sharing your photos with us.

Scribd version of documents on trial

We are currently trying out Scribd as a way to present documents on screen. Take a look at Town and Country and click on the image that you’ll see to launch Scribd. We are continuing to provide a PDF version of a file to download for those that prefer this. We’d appreciate your feedback on using Scribd.

More interactive maps added

Interactive Google Maps

Interactive Google maps for Heritage Open Days, Libraries, Polling Stations and Schools have now been added to our website.

Community TV

Community TV

Community TV films being aired on 10 giant plasma screens across the borough can now also be seen on the Bracknell Forest Council website.

The service has been running since October last year throughout the borough, including doctors’ surgeries, sports centres and cafés. The 30-second silent videos cover a range of topics: from information about support for carers, to composting, volunteering or crime prevention.

The films are now available to watch on the council website, so residents who miss a phone number or address while viewing the video at a leisure centre or waiting to see the doctor can see it again in the comfort of their own home.

They can be accessed, paused and rewound on the Bracknell Forest Partnership section of the Bracknell Forest Council website http://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/yc-bfp-community-tv.htm and also under the ‘Find Us On’ section of the homepage http://bracknell.ccnmediaplayer.com

Media interest in our Twitter and Facebook sites

This last week has seen a lot of interest from the media in our social media work. Colin Stenning, Web Services Manager, has been interviewed by Heart FM and BBC South and we hope it will encourage local residents to take a look at our Facebook, Flickr and Twitter sites.

Map of Council car parks in Bracknell

Find Council Car parks in Bracknell with our new interactive Google map. It shows pay and display, multi-storey and lorry parks. You’ll also find details of opening times and spaces provided for disabled badge holders.

Map of parks and countryside sites in Bracknell Forest

Find Parks and Countryside Sites in Bracknell Forest with our new interactive Google map.

Where is my polling station?

If you have mislaid your polling card or just aren’t sure where to vote in the forthcoming European elections then take a look at our new Polling Station finder. You can search by postcode or view all polling stations on a Google map.

Using Web 2.0 to attract job applicants

Did you know that the Council is at the cutting edge of Web 2.0 technology with the work we’ve been doing on advertising job vacancies? All vacancies are automatically posted on our official Bracknell Forest Council Facebook page. Subscribers to Twitter can also have all job vacancies fed onto their pages if they are job-hunting.

As a result of this, Janet Berry, Corporate Recruitment Strategy Manager, shared a platform with leading players such as You Tube and Facebook at a recent conference in London to share with over 300 delegates the innovative steps that Bracknell Forest is taking. Janet says “Using Facebook and Twitter is an ideal way to reach job-seekers who would not traditionally be thinking about the Council as an employer, and its free for us to use.”

Janet’s presentation can be viewed below:

Take up of Web 2.0

Just over six months ago we launched our YouTube, Facebook, Flickr and Twitter sites. Over the period we have seen usage of each of these rise steadily. We currently have 300 followers on Twitter, 111 fans on Facebook and 18 members of Flickr who have added a total of 220 photos. Although we have only currently got 5 subscribers on YouTube there have been over 11,000 channel views – which is not bad when you consider that we only currently have 5 videos!

The feedback we have received has been positive, both from those who have used the service and other local authorities who have contacted us to find out more.

We are keen to encourage others to use these services and will be looking to add more content and services over the coming months. If you have any suggestions we’d appreciate hearing from you.