Help and Care
has been certified as a provider of high quality health and social care information by The Information Standard scheme. Help and Care met the scheme criteria of producing safe and reliable health and social care information. The organisation has consequently been awarded The Information Standard quality mark, which it can display on its literature and website illustrating to the public that its information can be trusted.
According to a survey carried out by The Information Standard[1], the majority of the general public (72%) believe that they would be better able to manage their own and their family’s health if they had quick and easy access to health information they could trust. The Information Standard, which is supported by the Department of Health, was launched to provide this kind of assurance.
Angela Coulter PhD, Hon FFPH, Hon FRCGP, an independent healthcare analyst who advises on the scheme, commented: “Organisations that become certified members of the scheme, and therefore display The Information Standard quality mark on their health information or social care materials, have proven that they adhere to the very highest standards of information production. The public can feel confident that if they see The Information Standard quality mark on health and social care websites or leaflets then the information can be trusted and relied upon.”
Peter Munns, Director of Operations at Help and Care said of its certification : “We are thrilled to have received this stamp of approval. We give information and advice to many people searching for assistance many of whom are in difficult circumstances. It is so important that people know that the information we give them is trustworthy and reliable. People can either phone us or check our website for our information. We have a huge number of informative factsheets about all sorts of topics. We hope that more people will use them and that their lives will be better for it. That’s our aim – that people can use our information to get the best out of their lives, even if they are in difficult circumstances with their health or caring for a loved one with health problems.”
Any organisation that produces health and social care information can apply to become a certified member of the scheme.
To contact Help and Care call 0300 111 3303 or visit the website www.helpandcare.org.uk
[1] Results taken from a survey, conducted on behalf of The Information Standard scheme of 2100 people in England in November 2010.