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CASE
STUDY: Sure Start children centre gives events and
services updates by text. |
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See also:
>Business
SMS Package
instant text message
communication between SureStart centre, Parents, and
back again.
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A government
backed community project embraces text messaging to
communicate with parents. |
| A West Yorkshire
centre for a major government programme designed to
give every child the best start in life has selected
Text-Connect™ to help promote its services to
parents. Text-Connect™ gives the centre targeted,
low cost and immediate communication with
parents. |
| The Sure
Start programme targets specific geographic area's or
disadvantaged groups by helping develop services which
support parents. This improves the availability of childcare
for all children and improves the health and emotional
development of young children while supporting parents
and facilitating their search for employment. |
| The centre
provides a wide range services, but with so many activities,
and so much variety, very few parents need information
on everything at once. To solve this problem the centre
uses Text-Connect™ to provide a SMS text information
service which is parent driven. |
| Parents
simply choose which services they want to have
notification of, and text a key word to the centre's
dedicated text number. The parents mobile number is
automatically subscribed to the “mailing list” associated
with the key word. There is an automatic 'unsubscribe'
function too. There is no limit to the number subscriptions,
and a parent can choose as many, or as few, as they
like. |
| When an
update or alert for an activity or service is due, staff
simply write the message like an email on their office
computer. At the required time, the message is automatically
sent to all the numbers subscribed to the selected list.
Messages arrive on the parents' mobiles as a ‘text’.
Parents don’t need a computer, they get the message
pretty-well instantaneously, and they only get messages
appropriate to them. |
| Because
message delivery is virtually instantaneous the service
is ideal for time critical alerts. For example if a
session or event is unexpectedly cancelled, parents
are informed immediately saving them a wasted journey.
And at nominal cost to the organisation. |
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Another great aspect of the system is that because
parents have a dedicated number to text to, they can
quickly and easily text general enquiries. This has
led to a greater feeling of ‘community’ and even more
client satisfaction with the service. AND enquiries
can be handled at the right time, instead of interrupting
current work.
Angela, Deputy Programme Manager says that
"Parents are very satisfied with the system and
we have found Text-Connect™ easy to use"
Tracey, Children's Centres Area Co-ordinator
for a SureStart centre on the South coast continues
"We use the texting system to let parents know
what is going on in the programme and to remind them
to attend sessions that they have booked onto. We
also use it as a reminder for parents who have volunteered
to be on the parent forums to attend meetings etc.
As our reach area has extended, we have found that
the text messaging system has been an invaluable way
of keeping families up to date and we have a better
response using the system than using mailouts, especially
with young parents. It also means that the messages
that are sent are succinct and easy to understand."
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| The centre
selected the Text-Connect™ 'Business'
package. |
phone: 01952 820453 | text:
07781472088 | email: info@text-connect.co.uk
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