Job summary
Are you a committed and enthusiastic communications professional looking for your next step? Want to work with inspiring colleagues across a high performing NHS trust? This is the role for you.
As well as being an excellent writer and having the ability to convey messages to a variety of audiences, you will know your way around key social media platforms and will help us to review and develop our social media presence so that we can connect with our audiences wherever they are.
You'll be the first point of contact for the media, working alongside the External Communications Manager to create exciting stories which promote our services and the care we provide - giving confidence to people needing our support and promoting the Trust as a great place to work and a leading expert in mental health, learning disability and autism services.
No two days will be the same - you'll also help with events, briefings and filming and photography to support a wide range of communications and engagement activities.
In return, we will support you and offer you training to progress in your career, helping ensure you have the skills you need to be a great communications professional.
Main duties of the job
This post is to support the External Communications Manager in a range of projects including promoting the Trust, raising awareness of services and working with our stakeholders, partner organisations and the media.
The post holder will be the team lead for social media and manage the day to day activity of the Trust's social media accounts. They will also have a good sense of what is needed for well designed materials and will support the Senior Digital Design Officer as part of the role.
The post holder will coordinate a proactive programme of news stories to be shared with local, regional, national and trade media, stakeholders and partners as well as handling incoming reactive media enquiries.
The post holder will work with the Communications Team to ensure that all external and internal communications are accurate and reflect the Trust's values - welcoming, kind, positive, respectful and professional. They will have good writing skills and the ability to convey messages to a variety of audiences.
The post holder will also support the rest of the communications team, with a variety of day-to- day requests, as well as longer term projects as required - including overseeing the production of regular e-newsletters and infographics.
About us
We provide health and social care for over 400,000 people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Norfolk and North Essex. We employ around 4,000 people who deliver these services within the community and in inpatient settings.
We also deliver a range of nationally commissioned specialist services including Tier 4 services for children and young people, perinatal services and medium and low secure learning disabilities services.
We have consistently been in the top 5 MH & LD trusts to work in according to our staff survey, where an overwhelming majority of our people would recommend us as a place to work.
We have operated as NHS Foundation Trust since our authorisation in August 2007 and received an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from the Care Quality Commission in May 2019.
The care we provide makes a fantastic difference to the lives of our service users, their families and carers - everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:
Our Trust values are:
Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.
These values are at the core of who we are, everything we do, and how we do it!
Job description
Job responsibilities
General communications activity
- Work with the Senior Communications Manager and External Communications Manager on planning and evaluating communications activity for the Trust
- Work with members of the Communications Team and colleagues across the organisation to write and seek approval for engaging messages supported by relevant graphics and images - for a variety of internal and external audiences
- Support the Internal Communications Officer in creating engaging content and material to share key messages with Trust staff through established internal communications channels and
- Provide support to other members of the Communications Team as required
Social media
- Act as the Communications Teams lead for social media, advising on trends and best use of different platforms to reach varied audiences
- Create content for and manage the Trusts social media channels, working with members of the communications team to create appropriate films, infographics and images to engage with service users, the public, media and stakeholders
- Support other members of the team on the planning and delivery of campaigns through the creation of images, graphics and video for social media channels which will help maximise engagement
- Carry out daily media and social media monitoring
- Co-ordinate appropriate responses to social media queries and online campaigns that involve or are directed at the Trust, ensuring timely and accurate responses are provided
Media management
- Support the External Communications Manager to:
- Enhance and protect the Trusts reputation by identifying and managing potential news stories which can promote awareness of mental health and learning disabilities and support the Trusts reputation
- Act as a regular contact for incoming enquiries from local, regional, national and specialist/trade media, responding in a timely way and consulting senior and clinical staff where necessary and obtaining the appropriate senior sign off
- Maintain a database of local, regional, national and specialist/trade media contacts, developing good working relationships and regularly making contact and pitching stories
Digital & design
- Support the production of high-quality, audio-visual content to engage both internal and external audiences, including films and graphics and taking photos at staff events
- Edit the Trusts intranet and external websites, working with other members of the Communications team to ensure that content is well written, accurate and up to date
- Support colleagues across the Trust in using digital communications with their audiences. The post holder will work with team colleagues on digital communications elements of wider Trust campaigns
- Plan, arrange and organise video and photographic shoots to support short and long-term projects, including arranging scripts, timings, logistics and resources
- Liaise with external suppliers, contractors and other agencies as appropriate and help maintain and develop a database of freelance photographers and film makers
- Review emerging /new digital and social media communications tools, techniques and developments to ensure the Trust is in line with best practice.
- Work with the Senior Digital Design Officer to source and create engaging multi-media content about the Trust and its services to maximise engagement and reach including text, images and videos for digital channels and social media platforms
For a more detailed description, please see attached JD and PS.
Job description
Job responsibilities
General communications activity
- Work with the Senior Communications Manager and External Communications Manager on planning and evaluating communications activity for the Trust
- Work with members of the Communications Team and colleagues across the organisation to write and seek approval for engaging messages supported by relevant graphics and images - for a variety of internal and external audiences
- Support the Internal Communications Officer in creating engaging content and material to share key messages with Trust staff through established internal communications channels and
- Provide support to other members of the Communications Team as required
Social media
- Act as the Communications Teams lead for social media, advising on trends and best use of different platforms to reach varied audiences
- Create content for and manage the Trusts social media channels, working with members of the communications team to create appropriate films, infographics and images to engage with service users, the public, media and stakeholders
- Support other members of the team on the planning and delivery of campaigns through the creation of images, graphics and video for social media channels which will help maximise engagement
- Carry out daily media and social media monitoring
- Co-ordinate appropriate responses to social media queries and online campaigns that involve or are directed at the Trust, ensuring timely and accurate responses are provided
Media management
- Support the External Communications Manager to:
- Enhance and protect the Trusts reputation by identifying and managing potential news stories which can promote awareness of mental health and learning disabilities and support the Trusts reputation
- Act as a regular contact for incoming enquiries from local, regional, national and specialist/trade media, responding in a timely way and consulting senior and clinical staff where necessary and obtaining the appropriate senior sign off
- Maintain a database of local, regional, national and specialist/trade media contacts, developing good working relationships and regularly making contact and pitching stories
Digital & design
- Support the production of high-quality, audio-visual content to engage both internal and external audiences, including films and graphics and taking photos at staff events
- Edit the Trusts intranet and external websites, working with other members of the Communications team to ensure that content is well written, accurate and up to date
- Support colleagues across the Trust in using digital communications with their audiences. The post holder will work with team colleagues on digital communications elements of wider Trust campaigns
- Plan, arrange and organise video and photographic shoots to support short and long-term projects, including arranging scripts, timings, logistics and resources
- Liaise with external suppliers, contractors and other agencies as appropriate and help maintain and develop a database of freelance photographers and film makers
- Review emerging /new digital and social media communications tools, techniques and developments to ensure the Trust is in line with best practice.
- Work with the Senior Digital Design Officer to source and create engaging multi-media content about the Trust and its services to maximise engagement and reach including text, images and videos for digital channels and social media platforms
For a more detailed description, please see attached JD and PS.
Person Specification
Qualifications, education and training
Essential
- Educated to degree level in a related discipline or equivalent professional experience
Desirable
- Further qualification/ experience in communications,
- Evidence of continuous professional development
Knowledge and experience
Essential
- Knowledge of digital and social media platforms, tools and techniques acquired through training and/or recent experience
- Creative flair to adapt subject matter into messages relevant to a variety of audiences
- Experience of drawing down data and performance analytics and producing reports
- Experience of managing difficult and/or multiple online conversations
- Experience of media relations, both proactive and reactive, in a previous communications role
Desirable
- Knowledge and experience of digital and social media monitoring and analysis tools
- Experience of researching and filming short videos to a broadcast standard, including editing and related tasks
- Experience of design software such as InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator
Skills and abilities
Essential
- Excellent verbal and written skills.
- Excellent planning and organisational skills, with the ability to take the initiative
- Proven fluency and engagement on established social media and digital platforms.
- Ability to produce creative content for social media and digital platforms, for example video, infographics and gifs
- Track record of proactive creativity and the ability to generate and then deliver on new and inspiring ways to identify and engage with key audiences.
- Confidence in communicating directly with the public and online communities
- Ability to work to tight deadlines and prioritise effectively
- Understanding of the value of evaluation and being able to measure the impacts of communications activities
- Judgement and care when dealing with contentious and occasionally confidential issues.
- Diplomacy and effective interpersonal skills when working with internal and external contacts on communications issues
- Confidence to take ownership of issues and see them through to conclusion
- Ability to identify ways to improve services and performance.
Person Specification
Qualifications, education and training
Essential
- Educated to degree level in a related discipline or equivalent professional experience
Desirable
- Further qualification/ experience in communications,
- Evidence of continuous professional development
Knowledge and experience
Essential
- Knowledge of digital and social media platforms, tools and techniques acquired through training and/or recent experience
- Creative flair to adapt subject matter into messages relevant to a variety of audiences
- Experience of drawing down data and performance analytics and producing reports
- Experience of managing difficult and/or multiple online conversations
- Experience of media relations, both proactive and reactive, in a previous communications role
Desirable
- Knowledge and experience of digital and social media monitoring and analysis tools
- Experience of researching and filming short videos to a broadcast standard, including editing and related tasks
- Experience of design software such as InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator
Skills and abilities
Essential
- Excellent verbal and written skills.
- Excellent planning and organisational skills, with the ability to take the initiative
- Proven fluency and engagement on established social media and digital platforms.
- Ability to produce creative content for social media and digital platforms, for example video, infographics and gifs
- Track record of proactive creativity and the ability to generate and then deliver on new and inspiring ways to identify and engage with key audiences.
- Confidence in communicating directly with the public and online communities
- Ability to work to tight deadlines and prioritise effectively
- Understanding of the value of evaluation and being able to measure the impacts of communications activities
- Judgement and care when dealing with contentious and occasionally confidential issues.
- Diplomacy and effective interpersonal skills when working with internal and external contacts on communications issues
- Confidence to take ownership of issues and see them through to conclusion
- Ability to identify ways to improve services and performance.
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.
