11.1. Footnotes

Do not use footnotes. They do not transfer to the web. 

11.2. Footers

Remember to change the footer when you convert your draft decision into your final decision. The correct wording is ‘Final decision’.

11.3. Images

You should not insert images in to your decision statement. 

11.4. Statement for publication folder

You should only save one document in this folder – your final decision statement.

11.5. Hyperlinks

It’s important we only put hyperlinks in decision statements that link to our own (LGSCO) website, guidance and focus reports. We can also link to decisions on our website, but remember they are only there for five years. Our decision statements should always make sense without reference to other documents. Any hyperlink text must therefore describe the document it links to. So, for example you could say “I have referred to the LGSCO’s focus report on children out of school” (with a hyperlink on LGSCO focus report), but should not just say “See this focus report for more information” (with a hyperlink on focus report) because that does not make sense on its own. Someone should not have to read the focus report for the decision statement to make sense.   

This rule is important because we control our website and we always record when we amend our policy documents. Other organisations can change documents without reference (meaning we would be linking to something that may no longer read as it did or could even say the opposite of a previous policy). Other organisations can change the path to websites (meaning we might use a broken website address). 

Hyperlinks work when inserted into the document, both when converted to pdf and on the webpage. They will not work for printed out text so remember not to use them if there is a reasonable adjustment to print out documents for the complainant.

11.6. Summary

Do not copy and paste text over the word ‘Summary’. This skews the format when the SOR is published on the website and prevents the weekly newsletters for that subject area from being sent to those who have signed up to receive them. It is better to avoid copying and pasting text in the summary section and type the text instead.