Get involved in a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform our region's hospitals.

The NHS in Lancashire and South Cumbria welcomed the Government's May 2023 announcement of two new hospitals to replace Royal Lancaster Infirmary and Royal Preston Hospital as part of a rolling programme of national investment in capital infrastructure beyond 2030 (opens in new window). In addition, Furness General Hospital in Barrow will benefit from investment in improvements.

We need you to support our work to seek out and listen to the views of patients, colleagues, and local communities as we progress through the New Hospitals Programme process.

This is the opportunity for each and every one of us to have our say and work together in planning a happier, healthier future for our local communities.

Find out more on the New Hospitals Programme website (opens in new window).

Please note: Interviews are planned for the week commencing 29th of April.

Main duties of the job

The Communications and Engagement Officer is responsible for implementing the programme communications and engagement strategy and plans to support delivery of communications and engagement objectives. This includes providing a reactive and proactive media management service supporting the responses to MP, stakeholder, colleague, and public queries creating compelling content managing and updating the programme website and presence on internal communications channels social media channel management delivering communications and engagement campaigns and activities event organisation and management monitoring, evaluation and analysis and developing, recruiting and supporting a network of community ambassadors.

About us

Hosted by Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, this role involves working collaboratively with partners across the local health and care system.

The Lancashire and South Cumbria New Hospitals Programme sees Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (LTHTr) and University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT), together with NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board, working in partnership with all NHS organisations and wider partners, including town, city, borough and county councils and universities, to develop proposals for new hospital facilities in our region.

Job description

Job responsibilities

• Contribute to researching, creating, and delivering communications and engagement activities, identifying innovative approaches and new opportunities.
• Monitor, measure, analyse and report on programme communications and engagement activities and performance against objectives.
• Working with NHS partners to provide a reactive and proactive media management service including responding to media enquiries, writing media releases, coordinating media interviews, monitoring media mentions and building relationships with local and trade media.
• Public affairs / stakeholder relations supported by the Communications Workstream Project Manager, help to arrange and facilitate local briefings with stakeholders in writing, meetings and presentations and coordinate responses to MP, Local Authority, and other stakeholder queries.
• Create compelling content including proactive media releases, website content, social media content, newsletter articles, external and internal communications toolkits, and promotional materials.
• Manage, produce content for, update and monitor performance of the programme website.
• Co-ordinate the updating of programme content on partner internal communications channels.
• Manage, monitor, and develop the programmes social media channels including producing and scheduling content, responding to comments and highlighting issues.
• Organise and coordinate colleague, stakeholder and public events and engagement activities.
• Further develop the approach for creating a network of programme ambassadors within the local community, project managing the implementation of the scheme including recruiting, briefing and providing ongoing support to the network to ensure programme objectives are met, capturing and sharing results to inform the development of the programme.
• Work with the Communications Workstream Project Manager and Communications and Engagement Working Group to devise, develop and deliver communication and engagement campaigns.
• Work with the Communications Workstream Project Manager and Communications and Engagement Working Group to contribute to the development of communications and engagement campaigns, plans and strategies.
• Support, build links with, and learn from other transformation programmes.
• Other duties as commensurate with the role.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Education

Essential

• Educated to degree level, with a qualification in communications, marketing, PR, journalism or other relevant subject.
• Evidence of continuing professional development

Desirable

• Communications and engagement related professional qualification or equivalent experience.

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Experience of working with manager and senior staff within a complex / matrix organisation
• Experience of managing multiple complex work requests
• Experience of planning and delivering complex projects and services effectively and on time
• Experience of coordinating and managing projects with limited supervision
• Good understanding of the health and social care environment.
• Knowledge and experience of delivering offline and online communication and engagement campaigns and activities.
• Experience of organising and running events and engagement sessions
• Experience of developing networks
• Experience of establishing and maintaining good media relations
• Experience of handling media enquiries
• Experience of writing media releases
• Experience of making best use of social media to support key messaging.

Desirable

• Experience of working in communications, engagement, marketing or public relations in the NHS or wider public sector.
• Experience of handling sensitive and complex media / stakeholder enquiries
• Knowledge and experience of patient and public participation in NHS service change
• Knowledge of the principles of and legal duties for communications and engagement in NHS service change
• Experience of working with political stakeholders
• Experience of developing video content.
• Experience of commissioning agencies to produce materials.
• Knowledge and experience of using asset development tools e.g. image and video editing software
• Knowledge and experience of basic HTML.

Employer details

Employer name

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Royal Preston Hospital

Sharoe Green Road, Fulwood

Preston

PR2 9HT

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

438-PB1355-A