Group Head of Internal Communications and Staff Engagement - London
Job overview
GROUP HEAD OF INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS AND STAFF ENGAGEMENT
(BAND 8B)
Rare opportunity to join our award-winning communications team at one of the largest NHS health groups in the country.
After 10 years at gesh, our Head of Internal Communications and Staff Engagement is leaving, creating an opportunity for a driven and ambitious communications professional to join our award-winning team.
Staff survey results for our two trusts show that the work of our IC team is having a real impact with staff engagement scores improving and our people feeling more valued and recognised.
This is a strategic communications role responsible for leading a team who work at pace on multiple projects, creating timely and engaging content to keep our 17,000 colleagues informed and involved. You will also lead on evidence based, insight-driven and targeted behaviour change campaigns on some of the most pressing and high-profile issues facing the NHS.
Managing a team of four, you will help to boost staff morale across our trusts, pioneering new approaches to reward and celebrate the achievements of our people at gesh. Working closely with NHS leaders, you will also develop better ways to engage with non-desk based staff, using best practice to make the content we share on our digital channels, in person and in print, is compelling, accessible and relevant to our audience.
Main duties of the job
The Group Head of Internal Communications and Staff Engagement will play a crucial role in helping to develop staff engagement channels that help us deliver our ambition of providing outstanding care together
The priority for this role is how we engage our workforce where the majority of staff not only work on multiple sites, away from desks but also for two different trusts. We currently have multiple staff in person, digital and print channels and this role is a strategic leadership role created to ensure we deliver the most effective communications for our staff and support visibility of our executive team.
The Group Head of Internal Communications and Staff Engagement will have the challenge of leading the day to day communications function for two trusts while also looking at innovative and modern ways to engage and inform our workforce – a priority in our five year strategy.
This role is part of the senior leadership team and will act up into the Group Deputy Chief Communications Officer role when they are on leave. The post holder will work closely with other members of the senior team to ensure all staff communications is integrated with the gesh successful media, campaigns and stakeholder function.This role will also lead the internal communications function at gesh overseeing the work of the site comms lead at ESTH, 2x B6 communications officer and a B4 Communications Assistant.
Working for our organisation
St George’s, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group cares for a population of four million people in South West London and North East Surrey. Our sites include St George’s Hospital, one of 11 major trauma centres in the UK and the largest healthcare provider and major teaching hospital in the area; St Helier Hospital, home to the South West Thames Renal and Transplantation Unit and Queen Mary's Hospital for Children; and Epsom Hospital, home to the South West London Elective Orthopaedic Centre (SWLEOC).
After years of collaboration, our two Trusts became a hospitals group in 2021. While remaining as two separate Trusts, being a hospitals group will help us to collaborate more closely on research, and the development, education, and training of our 17,000-strong workforce.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities- Develop and review the long-term internal communications strategy for the group using insight and evaluating as it is developed to help gesh achieve its five year strategy of an engaged and empowered workforce
- Overseeing the day to day running of a busy I/C function responsible for engaging with a workforce of around 17,000 people.
- Supporting the team to develop and learn best practice in IC from other organisations both inside and outside of the NHS to ensure our strategies are effective and results based.
- Plan and implement communication strategies for priority campaigns around staff violence, flu and covid vaccinations and the staff survey ensuring the IC listens to what works and adapts accordingly.
- Taking a lead in how staff are recognised across the group particularly in relation to a group staff awards event and other opportunities to celebrate and recognise staff.
- Support the IC team to manage the grid and other forward planning tools to ensure the team works strategically in a planned way, prioritising the organisational objectives.
- Provide internal communications support for the Group’s priority activities including our culture and inclusion work, Green Plan, and embedding our new group strategy.
- Commission, write, edit, proof read, coordinate complex internal publications and advice documents; write articles and shape content for the group intranet.
- Provide a key lead role in the delivery of the group’s internal communications agenda, including signing off on the production of staff newsletters, news content on the intranet and other communications and engagement channels, aligning them with group objectives and national NHS priorities.
- Take a lead role, with the support of the IC team, on the running of face to face events particularly leading and championing the events led by the Group CEO and other exec directors.
- Support the visibility of the CEO and Chairman including coordinating strategic visits and the visibility of the board including feedback to wards following visits.
- Oversee the response to internal enquiries including the management of the communications inbox to ensure enquiries are responded to efficiently and appropriate advice is offered.
- Assist with the development of the Trust’s Digital Communications Channels ensuring that they meet all Government Accessibility Information Standards
- Undertake regular internal communications surveys and audits on behalf of the communications function relating to “reach” of messaging and effectiveness of campaigns, to drive service improvement
- Understand and present often highly complex information in more accessible forms in the preparation of newsletters, magazine articles, advertisements, website content, social media posts etc in such a way as to maximise positive coverage of the Trust
- Produce regular reports, presentations and publications for internal audiences via the intranet or to committees for assurance
- Function as the budget holder for internal communications and staff engagement-related spend and ensuring good value for money
- Supporting the maintenance and the updating of both trust staff intranets with a view to moving to one system in the future.
- Demonstrate and develop examples of continuous improvement and innovation using an evidence-based approach to communications, as well as obtaining feedback and using that learning in future projects.
- Undertake line management responsibility for the Group Deputy Head of Internal Communications, Group Staff Communications and Engagement Officer, Group Communications Officers and Group Communications Assistant, helping them to develop and take pride in their work.
The role is based at St George’s with a requirement to travel to Epsom and St Helier hospitals. The team works from home two days a week.
Person specification
Experience
Essential criteria- Proven track record of internal communications and staff engagement experience
- Experience of using Insight to create engaging and innovative campaigns for staff
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to present complex information to a large variety of audiences
- High standard of self-management, administrative and project management skills
- Experience of planning and implementing communication strategies to support a wide range of internal campaigns, events, awards, and awareness days aimed at staff, using our full range of channels.
Personal Qualities
Essential criteria- Highly self-motivated, proactive, energetic team-player with the ability to work independently and without direct supervision
- Prepared to adopt flexible working practices to meet the needs of the role, this may include working outside of standard working hours
- High levels of drive, enthusiasm and stamina to achieve goals and see things through