Communications Manager

31 hours per week, Band 7 �43,742 - �50,056 per annum pro rata

An excellent opportunity has arisen to provide senior leadership within a friendly, innovative and imaginative communications team in an Outstanding mental health Trust.

We are looking for a highly motivated, organised professional with confidence and ability to ensure delivery of fast-paced, flexible and creative programmes and projects and lead engagement with external stakeholders.

With a high degree of autonomy, reporting to the Associate Director, you will be responsible for leading the implementation of the 3-year Delivery Plan arising from the trust's Strategic Review of Communications. As a permanent 0.8 WTE role with a strong commitment to hybrid and flexible working, this is an excellent opportunity to combine personal and professional development with a healthy work-life balance.

Main duties of the job

The team you will manage delivers industry-standard digital and video production entirely in-house - including film and video, digital broadcasting, hybrid events, virtual reality, live streaming and podcasting - offering you an opportunity to oversee modern creative production across a wide range of channels and techniques.

We also deliver increasing numbers of face-to-face events, conferences, training sessions, offline engagement and outreach activities, traditional print media copy and materials. You do not, therefore, need to be a digital specialist yourself - instead you need to be able to oversee and manage delivery by others of the full range of activities and outputs.

About us

North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust is a leading provider of mental health, social care, learning disability and substance misuse services in the West Midlands.

We are a forward-thinking Trust and are extremely proud to have attained the highest possible rating of Outstanding from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), one of only two specialist mental health Trusts in England to achieve this.

We're also delighted to have won the prestigious award of 'Trust of the Year' at the national Health Service Journal Awards 2022.

Our vision is 'To be Outstanding in all we do and how we do it' and the way we do inclusion is no exception. As a 'Disability Confident Employer', we very much believe that inclusion is something that you feel when you work at the Trust and we are continuously developing our culture of inclusion. Our teams pride themselves on compassion, team work and resilience.

The Trust is committed to ensuring that a diverse workforce is representative and inclusive at all levels. We would very much welcome applications from all under-represented groups including women, people with disabilities, people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, and those from the lesbian, gay, bi and trans communities

Job description

Job responsibilities

You will:

• lead implementation, progress reporting and assurance of the 3-year Delivery Plan 2024-2027 arising from the trusts Strategic Review of Communications and Engagement
• provide strategic advice and lead on engagement with stakeholders and system colleagues
• commission, write, edit, proof read, coordinate complex internal, external publications, patient leaflets and advice documents write press releases, articles
• lead in anticipating, responding to media enquiries, briefing journalists
• provide reputation management advice and media advice/training to senior managers, decision making bodies
• management of communications for specific workstreams/programmes
• development of specific key communications materials and briefings
• line manage and develop Digital Content Lead and Communications Officer
• ensure there are no single points of failure in knowledge across the team for all key activities and skillsets
• support the full range of work carried out by the Communications Team, including providing cover when required for the Associate Director of Communications.

Specific deliverables for this role in the 3-year Communications and Engagement Delivery Plan include:

• produce Chief Executive's Board Reports and Local Management Committee Reports
• maintain ongoing promotion and internal/external communications and engagement covering all aspects of the Trusts strategies across all relevant communications and engagement channels and activities
• increase the number of organisations with which we engage with and 'listen to' by 4% each year of the three year plan
• produce Annual Comms year plan and content plans and monthly implementation through team workflow meetings, reporting to Associate Director of Communications
• baseline seldom heard groups in stakeholder database by 31/02/2024, then increase the number of seldom heard groups we engage/communicate by 10% annually of each year of three year plan
• produce comms 'manual', editorial and brand guidelines, relevant SOPs and SLAs and team profile -who does what, all hosted on single location on CAT intranet
• manage the Ask The Board Online business process, including achieveing a 20% increase per year proactive submissions
• increase the number of key external awards supported by proofreading and Comms' role by 10% each year of the three year plan
• produce awareness days toolkit for staff to aid staff to promote their own activities
• produce events planner on CAT Intranet and manage underlying business process so there are no unforeseen duplications
• increase campaigns/content led and supported by Comms Team for/in liaison with system and region by 30% annually for duration of three year plan and
• maintain up to date monitoring and assurance reporting within Team management and agreed Trust governance structure.

Person Specification

Essential

Essential

• Training to relevant degree level or equivalent plus training and/or experience in communications and stakeholder engagement
• Significant knowledge of communications, public relations, journalism and marketing communications techniques, approaches, procedures, health service communications, organisation, external political environment: acquired through training to relevant degree level or equivalent plus training and/or experience in communications field to master's level equivalent
• Demonstrated capability to plan, manage and deliver programmes and projects over short, medium and long-term timeframes and adjust plans and resource requirements accordingly
• Ability to provide, receive highly complex, sensitive information where cooperation, agreement required presentations. Influences, persuades committees, staff on appropriate communications approach, journalists on high profile issues make presentations on sensitive issues to staff, media
• Organises, project manages communications campaigns and events.
• Ability to develop and propose changes to communications policies for the organisation e.g. on dealing with the media.
• Excellent verbal and written skills to translate complex ideas and information into clear, concise, compelling messages to deadline
• Excellent attention to detail and experience of wider communications for example public relations and online and offline journalism and practical application
• Strong editorial skills to proof content for different platforms and to provide plain language content that engages internal audiences
• Ability to use audience insight data to target and engage staff groups effectively by tailoring tone, message and channel

Desirable

• Knowledge and proficiency in desktop design and publishing (e.g Adobe InDesign)

Employer details

Employer name

North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare Trust

Address

Lawton House

Bellringer Road

Stoke-on-Trent

ST4 8HH

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

232-COR-6278960