Gold certification for the department of human services

The Human Services website achieved an impressive 88% score in our 2018 review of its website. In our review, we tested the site against our 13 plain language criteria that measure how easy it is for users to find and understand what they’re looking for.

We first began working with the Department of Human Services when it merged the Medicare, Centrelink and Child Support Agency websites. Under the guidance of Chief Website Editor Julie Watkins-Lyall, the department  revised hundreds of pages and rewrote thousands of words to bring all the content into a single site. 

We helped by providing communications and web writing training, style guides and regular progress evaluations. 

By 2018, it was clear that this was one of the best websites we’d ever seen. Its score of 88% put the department in the gold-class category! 

We were particularly impressed with how well the department presented its material to make it accessible to the diverse range of users that visit the site every day. With so many users visiting the site to access critical government services, it’s important to make their experience as efficient as possible.

Interested to know more? Read about the project or contact us to discuss how we can help with an evaluation of your website.

Postscript: Now known as Services Australia, its website continues to set the benchmark for customer-centric design and clear communication.