The use of Plain English

Plain English is 'writing that the intended audience can read, understand and act upon the first time they read it'. If something can be said briefly, it should be. Plain English is faster to write, easier to read and more easily understood.

Plain English is not being patronising or over-simple. It means being efficient, direct and friendly and reducing the risk of being misunderstood.

It is important to us that all of our communications are easy to understand, concise and avoid unnecessary technical terms and jargon.

We have signed up to corporate life membership of the Plain English Campaign, a national organisation that encourages clear communication. This means we are committed to using Plain English in all of our communications.

For more information visit the Plain English Campaign website. The site contains many helpful tips about how to use plain English.