Communications Manager
The Communications Manager will support the Communications team to develop, manage and deliver evidence-based tactical external and internal communications plans to support the ICB and system-wide programmes, projects and campaigns. The successful applicant will deliver communications activity to support the way in which patients access services and manage their own health, and help maximise the reputation of the ICB and health and care system, using genuine patient insight and communications and marketing best practice.
This will include: Implementing a high-quality social media strategy for the ICB, using innovative approaches that engage with a wide reaching and diverse audience. Creating high quality internal and external communications and marketing material and content both online and offline - to support the delivery of communications plans and objectives.This will include taking the lead on the production of publications and content, ensuring adherence to NHS Branding requirements within the ICB and ensuring relevant standards related to communications are adopted e.g. Information accessibility Managing the delivery of any internal or externally facing events, such as the ICBs annual general meeting, as is deemed appropriate.Providing professional advice to projects and programme leads on all relevant communications and marketing activity.
Ensuring communications is an integral part of projects, programmes and campaigns. Key responsibilities will include: Carrying out a communications business partner role for communications, projects and campaigns, identifying communications requirements, and providing communications advice and support as requested.Creating, managing and implementing integrated and evidence-based communications action plans to support projects and campaigns. Determining requirements from clients for communications support using an agreed template/process Promoting the adoption of good practice in communications planning such as the National Social Marketing Centre framework and the Government Communications Service OASIS tool, and Behavioural Science tools to promote behaviour change.
Ensuring requirements of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) are followed in the delivery of the role, in particular taking account of Equality Impact Assessments as a key part of communications planning to influence the development and implementation of plans.
Working closely with the engagement team to ensure any statutory requirements impacting on communications are factored into planning, specifically those relating to the NHS Duty to Involve. Work as part of LLR multi-agency teams on communications projects and programmes including representing the ICB and occasionally the NHS LLR on LLR forums and networks and as part of project/programme.
teams. Delivery of actions assigned as part of these groups. Advising and influencing senior managers/project and programme leads on the best communications and marketing approach for projects, campaigns and responding to media enquiries. Working closely with the engagement team to determine and commission patient, service user and public insights to support communications planning and implementation utilising the data available through the insights hub.
Managing, advising and co-ordinating suppliers/agencies including design, advertising, research/insights, video, print and social media ensuring delivery of a high-quality service that meets the specified requirements Producing high quality online and offline material and content for a variety of channels to support delivery of communications plans.
This will include press releases, briefing documents, communications toolkits, reports, case studies and website material Supporting maintenance and development of the new ICB intranet to enable effective engagement and communication with staff.
Using CMS' and creating content to ensure the ICBs websites accurately reflect latest news and initiatives. Continuing to grow the ICBs social media channels to ensure they accurately reflect our organisation and increase engagement with our key audiences.
Establishing internal networks with colleagues including the People Forum, to identify online and offline opportunities and enhancing their effectiveness in line with requirements. Managing all proactive and reactive media requests associated with projects, programmes and campaigns.
Includes drafting and agreeing responses and liaising and organising media coverage for projects where appropriate Creating and delivering where appropriate all social media content, including graphics, video content and tailored messaging, with audiences in mind, to support ad-hoc corporate requirements, projects, programmes and campaigns, working closely with corporate communications to manage scheduling of posting.
Maintaining personal and professional development to meet the changing demands of the job, participate in appropriate training activities and encourage and support staff development and training, assigning work Ensuring requirements of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) are followed in the delivery of the role, in particular taking account of Equality Impact Assessments as a key part of communications planning.
Leading the communications planning for specific projects. Leading the delivery of specialist communications and engagement activities within projectsPlanning & Organising Planning and managing own work portfolio of work regularly reporting progress and escalating risks.
Liaising with appropriate functions within the directorate and key stakeholders of the ICB. Contributing to the strategic planning of team projects, identifying interdependencies, and potential impacts on wider organisation, resource requirements and building in contingency and adjustments as necessary.
Contributing to short, medium, and long-term business plans. Service Improvement Devising and providing improvements to current management information, analysing, reporting and suggesting procedures to enhance decision making processes. Contributing to performance improvement, taking a lead for identified areas.
Pro-actively identifying business improvement needs and opportunities, by complex audits or surveys, and prioritising improvement activities across the directorate.Analysis & Judgment Ensuring timely and accurate information analysis and reporting to management on agreed areas of work.
Working with members of the team to investigate the causes of any variance from plan and proactively contribute to the implementation of solutions. Managing a risk and issues tracking mechanism and the resolution and escalation processes. Using autonomous judgement and initiative, where there may be conflicting views, to respond to communications on complex issues and draft non-standard responses that may include the analysis of technical information.Communication Maintaining constructive relationships with a broad range of stakeholders.
Providing relevant and timely specialist advice and guidance on own portfolio. Maintaining strong links with directorates using tact, negotiation and influencing skills to facilitate the development of effective networks / working groups / projects and the delivery of their key objectives.Using influencing, persuasion and negotiating skills, supporting senior managers to update and manage directorate wide forums such as senior leadership team meetings and working groups on specific topics. Producing material for and present complex presentations which are engaging, influential and effective in delivering key messages, the content of which may include highly complex technical, contentious or very sensitive information.
Financial Management Managing budgets allocated to own work portfolio. Providing regular reporting on the targeting of resources and monitor their implementation from a value for money perspective. Ensuring activity expenditure is monitored accordingly.
People Management Leading the training and development for specialist communications activities Managing the delivery of activities associated with the project by junior members of the communications and engagement team. Research & Development Contributing to the development of key performance indicators.
Delegating aspects of research and development activities, collating information, analysing and reporting findings. Policy & Service Development Developing policies and procedures in own work function with an impact on the wider organisation, as required.
Contributing to the review and development of existing information management systems. Contributing to the development of an integrated approach to service management. Key relationships Establish and maintain collaborative working relationships with: ICB colleagues, Senior Managers and wider colleagues Local system stakeholders including healthcare providers and local authorities Other ICBs; NHS England / Improvement; Commissioning Support Unit Governing Body Members (clinical, managerial and lay) Executive Team GP Portfolio leads Primary Care Network Clinical Directors Member GP practices and other practice staff Public Health England ICS stakeholders including Health and Wellbeing Board members Patients, carers and communities Local professional committees (LMC, LPC, LOC, LDC) Health Education England Academic Health Science Networks and Centres Voluntary Groups Other local and national organisations as required, including Regulatory Bodies.