Statements
Statement blocks are concise policy and values sections, typically placed near the end of an email. They help close communications responsibly while reinforcing trust and accountability.
Common statement types include inclusivity, privacy, and disclaimer statements. Together, these sections reflect values, signal inclusion and respect, provide transparency, set expectations, and support organisational commitments to transparency and integrity.
When to use
Use statement blocks when you need to:
- reflect organisational values and respectful communication standards
- provide transparency about privacy, data handling, or limits of advice
- set clear expectations through concise legal or operational disclaimers
- close the email responsibly with policy-aligned supporting information
- maintain consistency across campaigns, service notices, and transactional messages.
In most cases, place statements near the end of the email body, above the footer, so they support the primary message without distracting from key actions.
When not to use
Avoid using statement blocks when:
- long legal or policy text overwhelms the main content and readability
- wording has not been approved by relevant legal, privacy, or policy teams
- the content duplicates full policy documents when a concise summary and link would be clearer
- statements are used as decorative filler instead of meaningful commitments or expectations.
Variations
Statement variations should adapt to context while keeping intent consistent: reflect values, signal respect and inclusion, provide transparency, and set clear expectations at the close of an email.
Privacy statement
Concise privacy messaging for data handling, consent and expectations.
Disclaimer
Clear limitation-of-liability statement for formal and service communications.
Emphasised statement
Stronger visual treatment for values-led or high-visibility supporting statements.
Acknowledgement of Country, flags left
Standard Acknowledgement of Country layout with the flags beside the text.
Acknowledgement of Country, stacked flags
Stacked-flag variation for narrower layouts or stronger visual emphasis.
Acknowledgement of Country, flags top
Vertical Acknowledgement of Country layout with the flags above the text.
Design guidance
- Keep statement text concise, plain language, and specific to the audience context.
- Use approved wording and review with relevant policy, legal, and privacy owners.
- Place statements near the end of the email and keep visual hierarchy consistent.
- Provide clear links to full policies where more detail is required.
- Maintain strong contrast, readable typography, and accessible link text.
- Ensure statements reinforce, not replace, critical instructions in the body content.