External Links Policy
Relevance
The following policy is applicable to all corporate online channels including the Warwickshire website and the Intranet. This policy should be followed by all council content authors and reviewers.
Requirements
The criteria set out below will be used wherever external links are published online. This includes but is not limited to: webpages, a downloadable document (for example a report or leaflet) and other channels such as blogs and discussion forums.
The E Communications Team reserves the right to remove any links that may adversely affect the reputation of the council or may raise unacceptable risks.
All websites offered by Warwickshire County Council must publish the following disclaimer:
“Warwickshire County Council accepts no liability for the content, performance, accuracy, privacy or availability of external websites. Views expressed on external websites and on any social networking services (including those offered by the council) do not necessarily represent the views of or endorsement by Warwickshire County Council.”
This disclaimer will be published in appropriate places on the Warwickshire website, such as within the website’s disclaimer page, by the E Communications Team. Publishing the disclaimer on other council websites should be discussed with the E Communications Team.
Links to external websites must only be provided where the following criteria are satisfied:
- The website offers information or services that are genuinely relevant to the council information or service it is linked from.
- The website is reputable and does not provide content which may be illegal, promote dangerous or illegal acts or may be considered offensive.
- The website does not breach the council’s Equality and Diversity policies.
- The relevant information or services provided on the website linked to must be free to access.
- Websites which promote political or religious viewpoints must only be linked to where they provide essential information relevant to the council’s services and responsibilities.
- Where-ever possible, websites which provide overt commercial advertising should be avoided where services are aimed at children and young people. This is in line with Department for Children, Schools and Families guidance.
- Links to commercial websites should be provided only where the relevant information or services are free to access or where it is a commercial partner providing services on behalf of the council or where they have met specific criteria set by the council (such as through trader vetting schemes).
Links to websites which provide online discussion forums, blogs and other social networking services (such as Facebook and Twitter) must only be made with the approval of the E Communications Team.