How to send letters using GOV.UK Notify

Created by Mark Eves, Modified on Thu, 7 Mar at 11:19 AM by Ben Hayes

Organisations are able to use the GOV.UK Notify service to send letters. The system provides you with the ability to send letters as PDF files, by configuring integration between My Council Services and the GOV.UK Notify service.

What steps do I need to follow to send letters via GOV.UK Notify?

1. You will need an appropriate Layout that can be used to send letters. This can be done via Administration > Branding > Layout. Within the layout details, set the Type to "Service", and the Sub Type to "Gov.Notify".

2. Once you have a Layout, you can create a Template that determines the information and content within the letters. This can be done via Administration > General > Templates > Email Template. Within the template details, set the Print Layout to the layout you configured.

3. You can configure rules to send email notifications for GOV.NOTIFY letters. This can be done via Administration > Service Request and Case > Rules. For example, when a service request is submitted, configure a rule to "Notify Person", select the notification type as "Letter", and select the Template you have created.

This will allow you to automate the GOV.NOTIFY letter service, without manual intervention.

4. To test the GOV.UK Notify service from your system, go into Service Desk. Select an appropriate service request to test, and go to Send > Letter on the right side of the screen.

5. Select the Template you have created, and several fields will auto-populate with the appropriate information. Any files attached to the template will be merged and sent as a single PDF letter. Added files will be included at the bottom of the screen.

If the user is anonymous, you can fill the address fields yourself. Otherwise, the system will auto-populate the address details available within the service request.

Note
Any additional document attachments to a service request will also be formatted to the GOV.NOTIFY template. These files will be rejected if they are not formatted correctly. The individual files should not be larger than 2MB, should not be longer than 10 pages, and margins for each page set to 1.

When sending a letter from a service request, this action will be recorded in the audit history for that service request.