An update on the Parish Council Domains Helper Service and .gov.uk domains
Hello, as part of our efforts to keep in touch more regularly, we write to you today with an update on the Parish Council Domains Helper Service and .gov.uk domains, before everyone starts disappearing on leave, to enjoy this truly British version of summer (!)
Continual improvement to the Parish Council Domains Helper Service
We have continued to work on improving our sessions and guidance. With the support of session attendee feedback, we have made a slight change to the design of the service to make it even easier for clerks, councils and other council members to get the information they need.
The service will now provide three online sessions
- The first provides foundation information - everything a clerk might need to understand the process of moving across to a .gov.uk and choosing the right Approved Registrar for their council.
- The second is a drop-in support session for queries and ad hoc support. This is an optional session and can be attended by any council, at any point in the process.
- The third and final session will take clerks through the necessary checks and tests to complete ahead of going ‘live’ with their new .gov.uk domain, and how to build good working practices.
We found that attendees to the original introductory session were keen to find out more about .gov.uk Approved Registrars immediately, so it makes sense to bring this content forward. It’s an efficient way for clerks to get the information they need in just one session.
To align with this change, we have also brought reference material together in 1 comprehensive guide. This is called ‘Getting started: A parish council’s guide to moving successfully to a .gov.uk domain.’ It replaces the 2 original guides (getting the green light and choosing the right Approved Registrar). We have also separated out the shortlist of .gov.uk Approved Registrars so that this information can be more flexibly distributed.
We are currently working on a revised guide to help the clerk through the important checks and tests they should complete before going live with their new domain. We expect this to be ready within the next week.
New communications about the Helper Service
We have recently dipped our toe into the world of podcasts. Khidr and Sandra got together with SLCC’s Shelley Parker to record an episode of the SLCC’s ‘What’s on the agenda?’ podcast. They discussed everything from why a .gov.uk domain should be considered to how to maintain best practices when working in one. Anyone can listen to this episode - you do not have to be a member of SLCC - it’s available on their podcast page, just scroll down to listen to ‘making the move to a .gov.uk domain’ in the list or access via Apple podcasts. Please feel free to distribute this link to your members.
We are also in the process of developing a short video presentation for councils to use when talking to their staff and councillors. It’s just a couple of minutes long and provides foundation information about .gov.uk and why they should consider the move. We’ll let you know as soon as this is available.
Please contact us
For any questions or presentation requests please contact us via our email address
Thank you for your continued support.
Kind regards
Khidr, Tim, Sandra, Karen, Stephanie & Will
Parish Council Domains Helper Service Team
