We use links to external sites to ensure our website directs users to up-to-date information provided by the most relevant expert.
Signposting from one site to another is standard practice to help users find the information they need and it means we're not creating and maintaining content that's already covered elsewhere. It also creates a single source of truth that's kept up to date by experts in the external organisation, so we can use our resources more efficiently to focus on our content.
Linking to GOV.UK and other trusted content
The content on our site focuses on information that's specific to our area. We give the users the detail they need to complete a task, not general background information or advice they can already get from GOV.UK or other trusted sources like the NHS.
When creating content, check it's content only we can offer or if you could direct the user to where it's available elsewhere. For example, our Trading Standards content gives details about what our officers can help with, but it also sends users to Citizens Advice and the Business Companion website to find relevant information that's not specific to our area.
Our website should not be a one-stop shop with all possible information a user could need. Instead, we should give them the content they can only get from us, then use links to send them on an onward journey to a trusted source. Examples of trusted sources include the websites of:
- government departments
- non-ministerial departments such as the Food Standards Agency or the Met Office
- national or regional charities such as Recycle Now or People First
- organisations that serve the whole of Cumbria, such as the Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service or Carer Support Cumbria