We want people to trust that our information is accurate, up to date and reliable. This page explains what we do to make sure that our public information is of a high standard.
The PIF TICK
You know that you can trust our information because Independent Age is a certified member of the PIF TICK – a quality mark scheme for organisations that produce health information.
We are able to use the PIF TICK logo on our whole range of guides and factsheets, covering topics from money and benefits to housing and loneliness. Wherever you see this logo, you can be sure that the information you are reading is clear, accurate and trustworthy.
Our information production process
To meet the requirements of the PIF TICK scheme, our information products have been through a strict quality control process.
You can be sure that the information you are reading is of a high standard because we:
- use reliable evidence sources to create the information
- write in plain English, and explain any complicated terms
- check the accuracy of the information with experts in that subject area - usually advisers from our Advice and Support service. This service holds the Advice Quality Standard (AQS)
- involve older people in testing the information
- ensure that the final product is checked several times before it is published
- always plan a date for the information to be reviewed, so it stays up to date.
We also make sure that the final product is available in large print and on audio CD for those who need it, and other formats on request.
Involving older people
We test every new information product with older people, to make sure that it's as useful as possible to you.
Usually, we ask members of our Readers’ Panel about the format of the information and how easy they find it to understand. We also want to know whether they think there is any information missing that would be of interest to them, and if they have any suggestions for other improvements we could make.
When we want to get more detailed feedback on our information, we may arrange focus groups or in-depth interviews with small groups of people who have experience in the subject area we are covering.
In all of our publications, we also encourage readers to share any feedback that they have, so that we can further improve our information when it is next reviewed.
If you would like to help us to produce our information, you can join our Readers’ Panel by completing the online form.
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Next steps
For more details about how we produce our information, please email us at readers@independentage.org.