Ministry of Social Development
Finalist: Best Plain English Document — Public Sector / Non-Government Organisation (NGO) 2013
SKIP Tips for Parents
Judges' comment
The conversational style takes away any suggestion that the guides have come from a bureaucracy. It’s more like an experienced friend offering advice.
Inclusive, engaging language is presented in easy-to-absorb chunks. Simple, direct, active language demonstrates skilful communication that looks deceptively easy.
Media statement
The Ministry of Social Development’s SKIP Team is excited to be a finalist in the WriteMark Plain English Awards for our SKIP Tips series.
Parenting under-fives is a rewarding and challenging job, and parents and caregivers under pressure need clear and straightforward advice. SKIP is committed to providing high-quality, positive parenting resources that can be easily understood by new generations of parents from different cultures and backgrounds.
Earlier this year we decided to simplify our original 12 booklet series down to three booklets, significantly reducing the amount that parents need to read. The new SKIP Tips series features practical tips, brain development facts, parent quotes, web links and images to communicate information in a range of ways to suit different preferences.
We’ve had great feedback from parents on the new series — the general response is summed up in the words of one young mum: "Yay, fewer words!" More than 100,000 copies have been ordered in the four months since the launch, which makes them the three most popular items out of the 90 parenting resources we currently offer.
The recognition of the SKIP Tips series by WriteMark is further encouragement for our approach.
Emily Fulford
Advisor — Planning, Performance and Governance