Digital week marks 12 years of Family Information Service
Shropshire Council’s Family Information Service (FIS) will be launching a series of digital events to celebrate 12 years of service from Monday 30 April 2012 to Saturday 5 May 2012.
Parents and carers will get the opportunity to link with other families and organisations to share information, and to get advice and support through a range of social media channels such as Facebook and twitter. Events include:
Monday 30 April – launch of the new FIS Blog http://shropshirefamilyinfo.wordpress.com/ – aimed at sharing news, information and tips for parents and carers. The FIS blog will include a series of guest blogs, including one from author Ben Wakeling called “Five things dads should do before childbirth”.
Tuesday 1 May – launch of a new FIS GooglePlus, so families and services can share information, advice and support.
Wednesday 2 May – live ‘Ask us a question’ on Facebook from 8pm-9pm.
Thursday 3 May – all day live ‘tweet’ for enquiries. Use the hashtag #FISlive alongside the #WeAre12 tag.
Friday 4 May – FIS will be issuing facts and figures on enquiries, information on childcare in Shropshire and the FIS online information directory.
Saturday 5 May – FIS will be launching a blog on the week’s events.
FIS provides free, impartial information, advice and support on all aspects of family life. The service launched on the 5 May 2000, and was the first in the West Midlands to achieve the national Family First Quality Award for their service to families, in providing varied information, advice and assistance.
Tina Woodward, deputy Cabinet member with responsibility for customer care, said:
“The Family Information Service is continually working to expand the ways that parents and carers can gain access to quality information, advice and support that might otherwise remain unknown and therefore inaccessible to families. The FIS already has a growing Facebook page and busy twitter account, and events like the digital week will build on the work it has been doing with social media reaching even more people.”
Since its launch in 2000, FIS has dealt with 76,800 requests for information; with the onset of social media channels, this figure is rapidly increasing.
Martin Taylor Smith, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member with responsibility for ICT, said:
“Many people are now using social media as their main means to communicate and access information. The activities planned throughout the week means we can add to the variety of channels to help parents to access relevant and timely information to support them.”
To find out more about the events tweet hashtag #WeAre12, visit our website at www.shropshirefamilyinfo.co.uk or Facebook page here. You can also call us on 01743 254400.
