Finding Information On This Web Site

We have made every effort to make it as easy as possible to find information on services on this web site.

Finding Information From The Front Page Or Home Page

The main page (homepage) has been designed so that you can see the main content categories as well as frequently used pages. On the home page the main components are:

• Left hand menu
• Navigation bar at the top of the page, including Search
• News and events
• A quick links menu on the right hand side of the screen
• Contact details

Left hand menu

The left hand menu shows the main categories of information on the site. These categories are based on the types of services available, rather than the departmental structure of the Council. Clicking on any of the categories will take you to the pages under that category.

Navigation Bar at the top of the page, including Search

The top hand navigation bar appears on every page of the site so that you can access this information at all times.

A to Z

Here all our information is arranged alphabetically by subject. You just select the letter of your choice and from the menu listing select the topic you require. Click on that item and you will then be taken straight into the webpage

Please note that a number of services in Dacorum are provided by the County Council. Some sections in the A-Z will take you to the Hertfordshire County Council web site.

Site map

This shows you were each page lies within the structure of the web site. View the layout of the site and choose from the clickable links to each area.

Contact

This shows you the main contact details for the Council.

Accessibility options

This explains the many ways you can change your browser, computer, keyboard and mouse settings to make the web more accessible for you.

Search

Use the search box, on the right of the top menu bar, to find specific information. Type a word or short phrase in lower case or capitals and click on the search button. Choose the most relevant pages from the search results.

Simple search checks all the text on all the pages in the website. If you search for very common words or phrases, you may get some unexpected results.

Advanced search. The Advanced Search allows you to set options which target your search more accurately. Options include:

• Saying where in the site or under what categories you want to target your search. This includes searching by title and page, under the A-Z of services, under forthcoming events, or under the press releases.
• Asking the search to look for all the words in your search phrase, some key words or to show only results containing an exact phrase.
• Searching for when the page was last updated.

News and Events

Clicking on the underlined links for a particular news story or event will take you into more detailed information for that item. Once in the News and Events section you will be able to view details of the full selection of news stories and events. You can also get to the News and Events section from the left hand menu.

Quick links menu

On the right hand side of the home page is a quick links menu. This shows clickable or hypertext links that that take you to popular pages of the web site. They are organised into categories so that you can easily see which pages might be relevant to you.

Section and page navigation

Left hand menu

This can be seen on each page on the web site. Clicking on a word in the menu will take you to that section or page. Please note that some services are provided by the County Council. Some pages in the menu will take you to the Hertfordshire County Council web site.

When you go to a section or page within the web site you will see an arrow next to the title on the left hand navigation to show which area you are in. The title of the section or page you are in will also appear in a dark green band. Any further categories or sub pages within a section will appear as an indented list under the arrow.

Right hand navigation boxes

On some pages you will see boxes on the right hand of the screen. These boxes are as follows.

• Do it on-line – allowing you to request or pay for a service or report a problem via the web site. Some links will take you to an electronic form that you can fill in on-line. Other links may be to a form or leaflet for you to download and fill in.
• Also see – showing you other pages within the web site where you can get related information.
• Elsewhere on the web – providing links to other related web sites.

Hypertext links

Within some pages you will see words or phrases underlined in green text. These are clickable or hypertext links. Clicking on these links will lead you to other web pages providing more detailed information.

Navigation string or "breadcrumb trail"

Above the title on each page you will see some grey text starting with Home> . This string of text shows where the page you are in lies in relation to other higher level pages. Clicking on a word within this navigation string will take you to a higher level page. It is a shortcut to previous pages within the section you are in.

Jargon

We strive to ensure that content on this website is easy to understand and contains a minimal amount of jargon. However if you do come across a term or phrase which you don't understand a useful glossary to public services (and voluntary sector) jargon can be found at: www.societyguardian.co.uk/glossary

Problems With Finding Information

If you cannot find the information you are looking for if you have any problems using this web site please let us know.

• email us at feedback@dacorum.gov.uk
• telephone us on 01442 228097 or Textphone number (non speaking telephone) 01442 228656 (opening hours are 8.45am – 5.15pm, Monday to Thursday and 8.45am - 4.45pm, Friday)