Senior Communications Manager – Internal Communications

Job responsibilities

Key result areas

• To oversee the development, delivery and evaluation of communications and engagement plans that support the Trusts strategic objectives and build the Trusts reputation as a leading organisation within the NHS, ensuring that activity is in line with the Trusts overall communications and engagement strategy.
• To ensure that relationships with key stakeholders are maintained and proactively developed.
• To oversee the development and delivery of communications and engagement plans to support major trust-wide projects, providing leadership and expert advice, ensuring communications plans align with broader communications strategies including staff engagement and involvement programmes.
• To work with senior managers to identify and develop communications campaigns to support the organisation in meeting its strategic objectives, providing strategic advice and expertise to enable opportunities for feedback, involvement and contribution to decision-making.
• To ensure that all communications materials and channels help build the Trusts reputation as a leading organisation within the NHS, that they are correctly tailored for the appropriate target audiences, including hard to reach audiences, and are in line with the Trusts overall communications strategy.
• To ensure the Trust brand and visual identity are protected, including supporting other staff in the correct application of corporate style guidelines, ensuring compliance and addressing inconsistencies.
• To ensure the organisational internal and external channels are kept uptodate with the relevant information from the clinical programmes and workstreams

Policy and Service Development

• To understand the internal environment, organisational development, and principles of culture change to ensure best practice is brought into internal programmes.
• To review and draft changes to existing policies, guidelines and service level agreements (SLAs) which may impact service delivery, drafting new policies and SLAs where
• To lead the development and implementation of the communications and engagement sub strategies ensuring compliance with disability legislation and that the Trust meets itsstatutory obligations in terms of accessibility.
• To work with senior colleagues to develop new business proposals where needs have been identified.
• To be responsible for the development and implementation of protocols to ensure the Trusts patient information complies with best practice guidance.
• To ensure organisational compliance with NHS and Trust Brand and Identity.
• The post holder will need to maintain a good knowledge of emerging policies and guidance from government departments such as DHSC, NHSE, ICB interpreting the guidance, assessing any impact and ensuring effective communication to the organisation.

Information Resources

• To draft reports summarising status on issues, appraising outcomes, and providing progress reports for the Director of Communications and Engagement and, where necessary, attend relevant meetings to deliver those reports and advise on communications issues.
• To provide regular analysis and reports to senior managers on the use of the website, intranet, staff apps etc, suggesting improvements where necessary.
• To prepare briefings for regulatory and advisory bodies in respect of updating them on complex issues.
• To analyse complex statistical data to inform the development of communications strategies, plans and reports and support decision making, highlighting issues and risks and identifying mitigating action.
• To collate as required, a range of information and lead appropriate analysis to develop robust business cases
• To undertake audits, surveys and utilise other feedback techniques to evaluate the communications function both internally and externally.
• To ensure key corporate documents are managed through version control measures.

Finance

• To plan and manage the Listening into Action budget and be responsible for managing the finances of the Change Makers programme on behalf of Maudsley Charity.
• To monitor and assess the required financial investment for communications activities in order to inform budget setting and to manage resources within the agreed budget identified.
• To commission and brief designers, developers, communications agencies and other external suppliers; ensuring that expenditure stays within agreed budget.
• To ensure administrative and financial integrity as expected within a public sector organisation following Trust and national guidance.
• To be responsible for achieving financial savings targets as required.

Research and Development

• To be responsible for keeping up to date with best practice and new techniques in internal communications including the use and application of AI to achieve greater efficiency.
• To keep up to date with national policy, new health initiatives and partner organisations strategies and plans and how these impact locally on the Trust

Managerial Responsibilities

• Deputise for the Director of Communications and Engagement as required.
• Manage direct reports, assessing and allocating work and ensuring regular supervision and appraisals (PADR).
• To support, motivate and develop people within the team.
• To work with senior colleagues to scope out the communications potential of new projects and determine appropriate staffing levels, assessing line management structures necessary to deliver to these projects where appropriate.
• Managing third parties (such as consultants/interims) to ensure deliverables are met in a timely manner and within budget.

Training and Development

• To undertake Mandatory and Statutory training (MAST) as required by Trust Policy
• To contribute and commit to undertaking and Performance Appraisal and Development Review (PADR).
• To undertake personal development as identified in the PADR.
• To introduce new starters to the communications and engagement function at corporate inductions.
• To train colleagues at all levels across the Trust in internal communications and digital skills as required.

General

• This is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities, and the postholder may be required to undertake other duties which fall within the grade of the job, in discussion with the manager.
• This job description will be reviewed regularly in the light of changing service requirements and any such changes will be discussed with the postholder.
• The postholder is expected to comply with all relevant Trust policies, procedures and guidelines, including those relating to Equal Opportunities and Confidentiality of Information.
• The postholder is responsible for ensuring that the work that they undertake is conducted in a manner which is safe to themselves and others, and for adhering to the advice and instructions on Health and Safety matters given by Manager(s). If postholders consider that a hazard to Health and Safety exists, it is their responsibility to report this to their manager(s).
• The postholder is expected to comply with the appropriate Code(s) of Conduct associated with this post.
• South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust operates a no smoking policy. We are an equal opportunities employer. It is the policy of the Trust to ensure that no user of the service, past, present or future employee, or job applicant, receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of their age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex, sexual orientation; in line with the Trust's Equality and Diversity Strategy

Other

• The post holder will occasionally be exposed to distressing situations which may include suicides and absconds as well as dealing with sensitive staffing issues and managing communications, particularly with the media, in times of crisis.

Training and Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to Masters level in relevant subject or equivalent level qualifications or significant experience working at a similar level in specialist area
• Evicentce of continuing professional and personal development in the field of marketing, journalism or public relations - CIM, CAM, IPR or similar

Desirable

• CIPR diploma or advanced certificate
• Prince 2 practitioner
• Professional qualification in marketing, journalism or public relations (CIM, CAM, IPR or similar)
• Professional qualification in ecommunications

Experience

Essential

• Demonstrable experience of working in a communications / PR / Senior journalist role within a large and complex organisation
• Experience working in NHS communications
• Experience of writing excellent copy for a wide range of outlets and for a wide range of target audiences
• Demonstrated experience of managing communications projects including development, planning, implementation and evaluation
• Experience of managing relationships with design and print agencies
• Experience of managing website and/or intranet development projects
• Experience of successfully delivering communications strategies and implementing communications programmes
• Experience of operating in a politically sensitive environment
• Experience of managing/supervising staff
• Experience of successfully managing large scale stakeholder events, launches and campaigns

Desirable

• Experience of working in mental health
• Excellent presentation skills
• Understanding of brand management
• Experience of drafting briefing papers and correspondence at a senior level
• Understanding of best practice in social media

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Good understanding of the national government and the NHS, how it works, the issues it faces and how to communicate within it
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills
• In-dept knowledge and understanding of current communications practice and theory
• Knowledge and understanding of digital communications including public websites, intranets and social media
• Ability to grasp complex issues and concepts
• Ability to prepare and produce concise and insightful communications for dissemination to senior stakeholders and a broad range of stakeholders as required
• The ability to identify the target audience for any given issue, understand their needs and the best channels to reach them, adapting writing styles to suit and developing copy with speed and accuracy
• Experience of creating and giving presentations to a varied group of internal and external stakeholders
• Report writing skills
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to prioritise workload
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint)
• Ability to think creatively and to assess the merit of design work
• Ability to demonstrate a high level of attention to detail
• Policy design, development and implementation skills
• Ability to build and maintain effective relationships with people at all levels
• Ability to remain calm under pressure
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a small team

Desirable

• Knowledge of HTML coding
• Knowledge of website content management systems
• Knowledge of Microsoft SharePoint

Behaviours and Values

Essential

• Ability to behave in accordance with our Trust values

Other

Essential

• Empathy for individuals who have experienced mental health problems
• Support the Trust's clinical governance framework monitoring and improving standards of care
• Ensure you are familiar with and adhere to guidelines for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults
• Attend safeguarding awareness training
• Carry out responsibilities in such a way to minimise risk of hard to children and young people and promote their welfare

Desirable

• Personal experience of mental health problems

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).