In more than 20 years as a freelance writer, editor and proofreader (since 2010 as Vicky Burman Communications Limited) I’ve worked with many government agencies, local authorities and non-departmental public bodies, plus regulators, think tanks, professional membership organisations and sector skills councils.
I was previously a journalist and worked in both internal and external communications, including for public sector bodies.
As a result, I’m used to engaging with, and producing content for, lots of different people, including decision-makers, managers, staff, the general public and marginalised groups.
Wide experience
The type of content I’ve written and edited has varied a great deal too. I can help with corporate information, research and investigation reports, policies, strategies and action plans, case studies, websites and intranets, professional guidelines, training materials and development frameworks, public information and advice for service users.
I’ll ask the right questions to help identify any gaps in information and possible assumptions about your target audience. I’m able to grasp the detail of complex subjects quickly while considering wider issues.
I stay focused on the purpose and intended readership of your content. At the same time I can offer a fresh perspective, including as a user of public services.
Confidentiality
This is really important. I handle confidential material with great care and am always mindful of sensitive information.
For example, I have edited draft reports relating to child sexual exploitation and individual asylum seekers’ experiences and written case studies about people’s health conditions – all these included details that needed to be redacted before publication.
Standards
You can rest assured I work to the highest professional standards. I’m a member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) and the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and follow their codes of conduct and practice.
“We always find Vicky’s work to be of a very high professional standard. She is a responsive and effective communicator from initial contact to completion of the work. She understands us as an organisation, our language and style, and that makes working with her a pleasure. Vicky’s impact on our work is always to make the final document better.”
Professional officer, Society of Radiographers