Website content guidelines

ampersands (&)

Do not use '&'. Use 'and' instead.

antisocial

One word. Do not use a hyphen and do not write as two words.

Blue Badge

Start each word with a capital letter.

business rates

Lower case on both words.

cannot

Use cannot instead of can't. See more detail on contractions below.

Child Benefit

Start each word with a capital letter.

childcare

It's one word.

climate emergency

Lower case 'c' and 'e'. 

Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)

Start each word with a capital letter. Write out in full, the first time it's used on a page with the acronym in brackets. Subsequent references on a page can be just the acronym. 

Community Land Trust (CLT)

Start each word with a capital letter. Write out in full, the first time it's used on a page with the acronym in brackets. Subsequent references on a page can be just the acronym.

contractions

Avoid negative contractions like can’t and don’t. Many users find them harder to read, or misread them as the opposite of what they say. Use cannot, instead of can’t.

Avoid should’ve, could’ve, would’ve, they’ve too. These can also be hard to read.

cost of living

Lower case 'c', 'o' and 'l'.

Council Tax

Start each word with a capital letter.

Council Tax Reduction

Start each word with a capital letter when referring to the name of the benefit.

councillor

Lower case if it is used in general, for example 'your local councillor will hold a surgery.' Upper case it it's a specific councillor, for example 'at the opening event Councillor John Smith cut the ribbon.' 

COVID-19

All capital letters.

Dates

• use upper case for months, for example January, February
• do not use a comma between the month and year, so 14 June 2025 and not 14 June, 2025
• do not use a 'nd' or 'th' or similar, so 2 March 2024 and not 2nd March 2024
• do not use ‘quarter’ for dates, use months instead, for example: ‘expenses, January to March 2023’
• use ‘to’ in date ranges, for example: tax year 2011 to 2012

Days

Write out the whole word, and start each word with a capital letter, for example Monday to Friday. You can shorten in a table if space is limited, for example Mon to Fri.

Direct Debit

Start each word with a capital letter.

e.g.

Avoid using e.g. or eg (it can be mis-read by screenreaders). Use 'for example', 'like', 'such as', or 'including' instead.

etc.,

Avoid using 'etc.,'. Do not put 'etc.' at the end of a list that starts with 'for example', 'like', 'such as', or 'including'.

Freedom Pass

Start each word with a capital letter.

GCSE, GCSEs

All capitals, apart from the s if it's plural. No full stop between letters.

government

Lower case unless it’s a full title. For example 'the government funding lasts until 2026 or ‘His Majesty’s Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland’.

homeowner

One word. Do not hyphenate or write as two words.

Homesearch

One word and start with capital 'H'.

Housing Benefit

Start each word with a capital letter. However, benefit/s on its own is lower case e.g. Housing Benefit is a benefit.

Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO)

Write the first letter of each word in upper case, except the preposition 'in', with the acronym at the end.

hyphens

Never use hyphens in ranges. Always use 'to' instead. For example write 10 to 15 March and not 10-15 March. 

Where possible use one word, rather than two words or a hyphenated word. For example the following should be one word.

• email
• reuse
• webpage
• headteacher

Add a hyphen to 're' and 'co' words when the two letters either side of the hyphen are the same:

• co-ordinate
• co-operate
• re-evaluate

Hyphens can be used to join words together to make compound adjectives, but only if it helps to make it clear and unambiguous. For example 'the council-owned properties' has a different meaning to 'the council owned properties'.
 

Income Support

When referring to the name of the benefit, start each word with a capital letter.

jobseeker

Write as one word.

Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)

Start each word with a capital letter, put the apostrophe before the s, and make sure Jobseeker's is one word. Write out in full the first time, with the acronym in brackets afterwards. Subsequent references on the page can just be the acronym. 

library

The first letter of library should be lower case, for example 'your library account' or 'libraries in Southwark'. When referring to a specific library, it should start with a capital, for example 'Peckham Library'. The correct name for each of our libraries is as follows:

• Blue Anchor Library
• Brandon Library
• Camberwell Library
• Canada Water Library
• Dulwich Library
• Grove Vale Library
• John Harvard Library
• Kingswood Library
• Nunhead Library
• Peckham Library
• Southwark Heritage Centre and Walworth Library
• Una Marson Library

licence and licensing

Licence with 'c' is a noun. Licensing with an 's' is a verb. For example, 'you need a licence as part of our licensing scheme'. 

leisure centres

You should use a lower case l and c, for example 'your local leisure centre' or 'leisure centres in Southwark'. When referring to a specific leisure centre, use upper case, for example 'The Castle Leisure Centre'. The correct name for each of our leisure centres is as follows:

• Camberwell Leisure Centre
• Dulwich Leisure Centre
• Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Sports Facility
• Peckham Pulse Leisure Centre
• Seven Islands Leisure Centre
• Southwark Park Sports and Athletics Centre
• Surrey Docks Fitness and Watersports Centre
• The Castle Leisure Centre

London Living Wage

Write the first letter of each word in upper case.

MySouthwark

One word with capital 'M' and 'S' when referring to the name of our online account. For example 'sign in to your MySouthwark account'.

NHS Health Check

Start each word with a capital letter

numbers

You should:

• write all numbers in numerals (including 1 to 9), except where it’s part of a common expression, for example ‘one or two of them’
• insert a comma for numerals over 999, for example ‘It was over 9,000’
• not abbreviate monetary values, use £20 million not £20m
• use a % sign for percentages, for example 50%
• use ‘500 to 900’ not ‘500–900’, except in tables
• use ‘to’ in address ranges, for example 49 to 53 Cherry Street

page titles

See separate guidance on page titles.

PDF

All upper case. No need to explain acronym. 

Pension Credit

Start each word with a capital letter.

percentages (%)

Always use the sign '%' not the word. 

phone numbers

Phone numbers should be written like this:

• 020 7525 1234 (split three, four, four)
• 07970 123 456 (split five, three, three)

police

Lower case 'p', even when referring to the police.

post-16 education

Use a hyphen and do not use a capital letter.

public health

Lower case on both words.

pupil premium

Lower case on both words.

seasons

spring, summer, autumn, winter are lower case.

school subjects

All lower case apart from languages, for example 'she studied geography, French and maths'.

sign in or log in

Use sign in rather than log in (verb) for calls-to-action where users enter their details to access a service. For example, 'sign in to your MySouthwark account'

Smart Move

Start each word with a capital letter when referring to the name of our scheme to help people downsize their council home.

south, south-east

Use lowercase for north, south, east and west. Add hyphen for south-east: Southwark is in south-east London.  

Southwark 2030

As above but use lower case for associated words such as Southwark 2030 vision, Southwark 2030 values and Southwark 2030 ambitions.

Southwark Cost of Living Fund

Start each word with a capital letter apart from 'of'. If referring to 'the fund' in body copy, use lower case.

Southwark Council

In most cases we should refer to ourselves in the first person: we or us. When we need to refer to ourselves in the third person it should be Southwark Council or the council. Never call our organisation 'Southwark'.

Southwark Leisure

Write the first letter of each word in upper case. Southwark Leisure is a council service, so refer to our leisure centres in the first person on the main council website:  'we have opened a new leisure centre' and not 'Southwark Leisure has opened a new leisure centre'.

Southwark Maternity Commission

Start each word with a capital letter. If in body copy you are shortening to 'the commission' use lower case c.

Southwark Policing Oversight Board

Start each word with a capital letter. Do not refer to it without the word 'Southwark'. If written out in full already on a page, subsequent references can be shortened to 'the board'

Southwark Reuse and Recycling Centre

Start each word with a capital letter, except 'and'.

Start for Life

Use a capital 'S' and capital 'L'.

Streets for People

Capital 'S' and 'P'.

Times

Times are written as below:

• 1am (not 1.00am)
• 6.30pm
• 10am to 5pm not 10am-5pm
• 12 noon or 12 midnight (do not use 12am and 12pm)

Transport for London (TfL)

Write out in full for the first mention on a page, with a capital T and L, and lowercase f,  followed by the acronym in brackets, again noting the capitalization. Subsequent references can just use the acronym.  

Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ)

For the first mention on a page, start each word with a capital letter followed by the acronym in brackets. Subsequent references can just use the acronym in capital letters. 

Universal Credit

Start each word with a capital letter.

webpage

It's one word. 

Roadworks

It's one word.