People at heart: A guide to communicating with people affected by crime

People at heart checklist

If you are writing a legal document, always check with your legal team whether it is possible to change any of the wording, layout or format.

Is it empathetic?

Did you:

• plan your message around the person’s needs?
• put what’s most important to the person upfront?
• show you’ve listened by showing empathy, being careful to avoid details that may be upsetting or triggering wherever you can?
• avoid making assumptions about how people feel?
• use lowercase and bold, not capitals or underlining?
• use ‘people’ rather than ‘victims’ and ‘witness’?

Is it easy?

Did you:

• organise your message with clear headings so the person reading can get the main points from the headings alone?
• use short, straightforward words not long formal words?
• explain acronyms in full the first time you use them?
• avoid legal terms or, where you had to use them, explain them clearly?
• use short sentences and paragraphs (with one message per sentence and 3–4 lines per paragraph, as a rule of thumb)?
• use bullet points for lists of three or more and numbered lists to explain steps?
• score 65 or above on a Flesch Kincaid readability checker like the one in Word or at www.thefirstword.co.uk/readabilitytest?

Is it empowering?

Did you:

• set out all the options clearly, without bias?
• use direct, active language that explains who’s doing what?
• tell the person what they need to do where it is a legal requirement, using simple, neutral words, not language or formatting that could come across as threatening?
• let the person know how to get extra support in a friendly and helpful way?