Job summary
Have you got a good eye for a story?
We currently have an exciting opportunity for a communications officer to join our talented and friendly communications and design team.
We're looking for a brilliant storyteller to enhance our internal communications and media coverage. You will also have the chance to work on campaigns and projects to help promote our mental health, learning disability and autism services.
We need a creative ideas person who is good at building relationships, who can hit the ground running, and prioritise a busy and ever-changing workload.
The role is a mix of home and office based.
We'd love to hear from you, please get in touch for a chat.
Main duties of the job
You'll be responsible for finding and writing stories for ourinternal communications updates, along with press releases for local and national media.
You'll also support key projects, help to promote services to a range of stakeholders, anddevelop close relationships with service managers, operational leads and other key colleagues working across Pennine Care.
As well as proactively seeking good news opportunities, you'll respond to issues and provide communications advice and support as required.
About us
We are a creative, supportive and friendly team of 8 people, helping to promote Pennine Care's mental health, learning disability, and autism services, and helping to celebrate the incredible work of over 3800 colleagues.
We have a flexible and blended approach of home and office working. Currently our team office days, at Trust HQ in Ashton-under-Lyne, are Mondays and Thursdays.
With many different skills and areas of expertise between us, this is a great place for you to develop and grow in your communications career.
As a team we cover:
- PR advice and support - developing campaigns and communications plans for new services, initiatives or changes
- Media relations - respond to media requests, proactively promote good news, organise media training and offer advice
- Digital communications - manage our social media, website, intranet and content for the digital screens
- Internal communications - share good news and important updates with our colleagues, using various channels
- Graphic design - design and produce high quality and professional materials, develop designs and artwork for campaigns, advising on the correct use of the NHS and Pennine Care brand
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Implement plans and actions identified within the Trusts communications strategy.
- Proactively seek good news stories; drafting press releases, taking photos and filming video clips.
- Co-ordinate Trust communications campaigns events and promotional activities from planning to implementation.
- Test, monitor and evaluate all elements of campaign strategies and plans
- Provide advice and support operational/service managers on matters relating to communications, public relations and stakeholder engagement.
- Support and implement effective internal communications mechanisms to continuously improve communication between management and other colleagues.
- Maintain content on our intranet, including news, events, briefings and announcements.
- Develop a broad network of contacts to ensure continued awareness of issues affecting different parts of the organisation.
- Work with communications team members to provide advice and support to services on the Trusts brand and corporate identity, equality and accessibility guidelines and cost effectiveness, ensuring these reflect the vision and values of the organisation.
- Provide written and verbal briefings for services/departments on key communications initiatives and issues as required.
- Represent the Pennine Care at key meetings at the request of the communications managers
- Draft content for the Pennine Post newsletter
- Communicate with public/patients for case studies and press releases
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Implement plans and actions identified within the Trusts communications strategy.
- Proactively seek good news stories; drafting press releases, taking photos and filming video clips.
- Co-ordinate Trust communications campaigns events and promotional activities from planning to implementation.
- Test, monitor and evaluate all elements of campaign strategies and plans
- Provide advice and support operational/service managers on matters relating to communications, public relations and stakeholder engagement.
- Support and implement effective internal communications mechanisms to continuously improve communication between management and other colleagues.
- Maintain content on our intranet, including news, events, briefings and announcements.
- Develop a broad network of contacts to ensure continued awareness of issues affecting different parts of the organisation.
- Work with communications team members to provide advice and support to services on the Trusts brand and corporate identity, equality and accessibility guidelines and cost effectiveness, ensuring these reflect the vision and values of the organisation.
- Provide written and verbal briefings for services/departments on key communications initiatives and issues as required.
- Represent the Pennine Care at key meetings at the request of the communications managers
- Draft content for the Pennine Post newsletter
- Communicate with public/patients for case studies and press releases
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience working in a communications role
- Experience of client management
- Experience of working with senior management
- Possess tact and diplomacy in dealing with people
- Experience of organising events
- Advanced IT skills with working knowledge of Microsoft office applications
- Experience of working as part of team
Desirable
- NHS or healthcare experience or experience of working public sector
- Private sector agency experience
Education and qualifications
Essential
- Educated to degree level in a communications, PR, marketing, journalism or English
Desirable
Knowledge
Essential
- Understanding of copywriting and writing press releases, features, articles
- Understanding of communications principles.
- Understanding of internal communications.
Desirable
- Understanding of the NHS structure and processes
- Understanding of the local areas in Greater Manchester
Skills and abilities
Essential
- Excellent writing skills
- Creative
- Good communication and interpersonal skills and be able to make judgements regarding making decisions independently and to respond to the unexpected.
- Ability to take promotional photos and film video clips
- Ability to liaise with a wide range of people and build effective relationships at all levels.
- Ability to work in a pressurised work environment with constant telephone and personal interruption
- Mature and confident approach to work
- Flexible/adaptable time management skills
- Demonstrate a high level of accuracy
Desirable
- Knowledge of/willingness to use databases
- Powerpoint for creating presentations
- Social media and web
Work related circumstances
Essential
- Flexible working hours, willing to travel between sites
- Use of a car or access to a means of mobility to travel across the Trust footprint in line with service needs
- Willing to carry out all duties and responsibilities of the post in accordance with the Trust's Equal Opportunities and Equality and Diversity policies
- Appointments to regulated and controlled activities require an enhanced DBS disclosure.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience working in a communications role
- Experience of client management
- Experience of working with senior management
- Possess tact and diplomacy in dealing with people
- Experience of organising events
- Advanced IT skills with working knowledge of Microsoft office applications
- Experience of working as part of team
Desirable
- NHS or healthcare experience or experience of working public sector
- Private sector agency experience
Education and qualifications
Essential
- Educated to degree level in a communications, PR, marketing, journalism or English
Desirable
Knowledge
Essential
- Understanding of copywriting and writing press releases, features, articles
- Understanding of communications principles.
- Understanding of internal communications.
Desirable
- Understanding of the NHS structure and processes
- Understanding of the local areas in Greater Manchester
Skills and abilities
Essential
- Excellent writing skills
- Creative
- Good communication and interpersonal skills and be able to make judgements regarding making decisions independently and to respond to the unexpected.
- Ability to take promotional photos and film video clips
- Ability to liaise with a wide range of people and build effective relationships at all levels.
- Ability to work in a pressurised work environment with constant telephone and personal interruption
- Mature and confident approach to work
- Flexible/adaptable time management skills
- Demonstrate a high level of accuracy
Desirable
- Knowledge of/willingness to use databases
- Powerpoint for creating presentations
- Social media and web
Work related circumstances
Essential
- Flexible working hours, willing to travel between sites
- Use of a car or access to a means of mobility to travel across the Trust footprint in line with service needs
- Willing to carry out all duties and responsibilities of the post in accordance with the Trust's Equal Opportunities and Equality and Diversity policies
- Appointments to regulated and controlled activities require an enhanced DBS disclosure.
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.
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).
Additional information
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.
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).
