How to use this website

This directory of information and advice is growing every day, as we continue to link to other relevant sites and organisations within the county.

Meanwhile, you can find a variety of services, ideas on things to do, advice on independent or supported living, or information on adult social care support either using the buttons to the left, or the search boxes to the right.

There are a number of different types of search that you can use, either on their own or in combination to really narrow down and focus your results. These are:

• Keywords search (e.g. housing advice)
• Search by place name (e.g. Gloucester)
• Search by postcode (e.g. GL1 2TG)
• Search by part postcode (e.g. GL2)
• Reset search using 'reset' button
• Refine search using filters
• Sorting your search results
• Text Translation

Keywords Search (e.g. housing advice)

Just typing in a few words into the search box brings you back all entries that contain at least one of the words you have entered. You can also use special characters to limit your results more closely. The plus sign (+) before a word means that each of the results must contain that word, so the example search below brings back all results containing both of the words housing and advice.

+housing +advice

Using double quotes (") around your search words brings back only results that contain those words as an exact phrase, for example:

"badminton club"

Search by place name (e.g Gloucester)

Entering a place name in the box marked 'Location' will bring back results of services based in and around that location.

Search by postcode (e.g. GL1 2TG)

Entering a full postcode in the box marked 'Location' will bring back results in order of closeness to that postcode. This is really useful for finding services located close to your home.

Search by part postcode (e.g. GL2)

Entering the first part of a postcode (such as GL2) in the box marked 'Location' will bring back a list of services and activities located in your postcode area.

Reset search using 'reset' button

Pressing the 'Reset' button, clears any category, keyword or location you may have selected and returns all results.

Refine search using filters

Once you have your search results, you may be able to improve them still further by selecting one or more of the search filters which are displayed in lists to the right of your results. These filters allow you to limit results by subject area (such as 'Money Matters'), and by user group (such as 'Carers') and so on. The more use you make of the filters, the more focussed your results will be.

Sorting your search results

You can change the sort order of your search results using the options that are shown in the section just above your results. Depending on the type of search that you have done, your results can appear in any of the following sort orders:

• Sorted by relevance (i.e. the best match to your search)
• Sorted alphabetically (i.e. in A-Z order of title with numbers first)
• Sorted by distance (only if you have done a full postcode search)
• Sorted by user rating (i.e. results that have been given the highest rating by other users first)

Text Translation

The Google Translate tool allows you to view information in another language. This tool appears on the right-hand side of the screen when you open a record (by clicking on an underlined title). Use the drop-down menu to select your chosen language. To return to English, click on the 'Show Original' button that will appear in the top right of your screen.

Back to top ↑