Job summary
Head of Communications and Engagement, Band 8C, full-time
Flexible & hybrid working available
As the most senior communications professional in the Trust, you will have responsibility for providing strategic and tactical communications advice and support to the Trust's Board, Executive Team, and Leadership Team together with being responsible for the day-to-day delivery and ongoing development of the Communications Team as business partners supporting clinical and corporate teams. Additionally, you will also actively help lead the development and nurturing of effective bi-lateral and multi-lateral working relationships with external communications leads, partners and stakeholders across the Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care System and beyond, helping to enhance HCT's reputation and strengthening collaborative communications and engagement with local communities, to improve population health management and the reduce health inequalities.
The profile and impact of community health services nationally and locally is continuing to increase. HCT is incredibly proud of the innovation and agility our services and people have shown during and since the pandemic in developing and adapting our services to support better outcomes for patients and helping our systems to manage the ever-increasing demand for health and care services. This has included the development of remote monitoring, virtual wards, urgent community response and the COVID-19 mass vaccination programme.
Main duties of the job
This role will also provide opportunities to develop your profile and actively develop and sustain effective working relationships with external communications leads, partners and stakeholders across the Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care System and beyond. In doing so you will play a key role in strengthening place-based and collaborative communications and engagement with local stakeholder and communities; breaking down barriers and working together to support population health management and a reduction in health inequalities.
Interview - 6th January
About us
- A big thank you for considering joining us at Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust
- You'll find it a great place to work with many benefits offered to you as a member of our staff
- We put our patients, their families and carers at the centre of our vision - Outstanding Services and Healthier Communities
- Our staff are proud to be Innovative, Caring and Agile in their work to help achieve the Trust vision
- We welcome diversity in our workforce and are interested in applicants from all backgrounds and ages
- We don't want you to miss out so we'd like you to know that if we have a high level of interest in this role, the vacancy may close prior to the advertised closing date, so please make your application as soon as possible - Apply now
You've made a great decision to apply to join to HCT - we're looking forward to taking the next steps of the journey with you
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Support the Director of Strategy to ensure effective engagement in strategy development. Design and deliver communication strategies and plans to raise and embed internal awareness and understanding of the Trusts strategic direction and aims.
- With the Director of Strategy, drive the development, implementation and assurance of the Trusts Communications and Involvement Strategy, involving staff, patients and stakeholders in the design and delivery of communications and engagement to support the organization continually improve services to meet the needs of patients, staff, partners, and our wider community.
- Provide effective leadership and continual improvement of the Trust's Communications function and team
- Support the Associate Director of People to deliver the People and EDI Strategies, facilitating communications and engagement with the Trusts workforce to help make HCT a great place to work where staff thrive and deliver outstanding patient care.
- Drive and optimise the development of a digital culture within communications and engagement, in line with the Trusts Digital Strategy, where this enhances quality, efficiency and/or access to communications and feedback. Play a leading role in the commissioning and delivery of a new Trust website.
- Support effective external stakeholder communications and engagement. Work closely with the Assistant Director of Strategic Partnerships to provide strategic and tactical professional input to further improve our understanding and response to of the needs of external stakeholders, with particular attention to existing and emerging key influencers and how they relate to the Trusts strategic and tactical aims and objectives. Co-produce associated reports to Board committees.
- Provide strategic and tactical communications and engagement advice to the Board, Executive and senior leadership teams, covering reputational management, internal communications, stakeholder relations, crisis and issues management, media relations and digital/online communications.
Whilst it is not a legal requirement, Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust encourages and supports all staff to be vaccinated as this remains the best line of defence against COVID-19.
We are committed to supporting flexible working options for staff, wherever possible, and welcome discussions on flexible working patterns to support our staff to maintain a healthy work life balance.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Support the Director of Strategy to ensure effective engagement in strategy development. Design and deliver communication strategies and plans to raise and embed internal awareness and understanding of the Trusts strategic direction and aims.
- With the Director of Strategy, drive the development, implementation and assurance of the Trusts Communications and Involvement Strategy, involving staff, patients and stakeholders in the design and delivery of communications and engagement to support the organization continually improve services to meet the needs of patients, staff, partners, and our wider community.
- Provide effective leadership and continual improvement of the Trust's Communications function and team
- Support the Associate Director of People to deliver the People and EDI Strategies, facilitating communications and engagement with the Trusts workforce to help make HCT a great place to work where staff thrive and deliver outstanding patient care.
- Drive and optimise the development of a digital culture within communications and engagement, in line with the Trusts Digital Strategy, where this enhances quality, efficiency and/or access to communications and feedback. Play a leading role in the commissioning and delivery of a new Trust website.
- Support effective external stakeholder communications and engagement. Work closely with the Assistant Director of Strategic Partnerships to provide strategic and tactical professional input to further improve our understanding and response to of the needs of external stakeholders, with particular attention to existing and emerging key influencers and how they relate to the Trusts strategic and tactical aims and objectives. Co-produce associated reports to Board committees.
- Provide strategic and tactical communications and engagement advice to the Board, Executive and senior leadership teams, covering reputational management, internal communications, stakeholder relations, crisis and issues management, media relations and digital/online communications.
Whilst it is not a legal requirement, Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust encourages and supports all staff to be vaccinated as this remains the best line of defence against COVID-19.
We are committed to supporting flexible working options for staff, wherever possible, and welcome discussions on flexible working patterns to support our staff to maintain a healthy work life balance.
Person Specification
Qualifications & Training
Essential
- Educated to Masters level or equivalent
- Professional qualification in Communications /Media Management/Corporate Affairs or other relevant area (or equivalent experience)
- Evidence of Continuing Professional Development
Desirable
- Chartered member of a relevant professional body
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of key communications channels and when and how best to use them
- Knowledge of how to create accessible communications, including Plain English writing skills and readability calculators
- Knowledge of Umbraco and/or other content management systems
- Knowledge of social media platforms (including Twitter, Instagram and Facebook) and Hootsuite for scheduling/evaluating posts
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working at a senior level in communications or marketing in a large and complex organisation
- Relevant recent experience within communications / journalism / public relations field within a large and complex organisation,
- Evidence of team and individual interventions to develop, implement and measure communications strategies and campaigns
- Experience of building strong and effective relationships with a wide range of people
Desirable
- Experience of working in a senior communications role in the NHS
- Experience of working in a senior level communications post in the public sector
- Clear understanding of the strategic context of the NHS and the Trust
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Demonstrates a compassionate leadership style with a track record of improvements to equality, diversity, inclusion, and social justice
- Exceptional communicator, able to create impact and demonstrate proactive relationship management with a range of stakeholders
- Ability to motivate and coach staff
- Drive, energy, enthusiasm, and resilience to achieve end results
- Political acumen and effective networking skills
- Highly effective interpersonal, influencing and communication skills, both verbal and written, appropriate to a wide range of audiences
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Willingness to uphold the Trust's values
- Willingness to uphold the Trust's values
- If applicable to the role - hold a full, valid, UK driving licence and have access to a car to use for business purposes (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010)
- For all supervisory /management/policy roles: experience and evidence of engagement around equality, diversity and inclusion issues in relation to policy, service development and service delivery in respect of both services to users and the management of staff
- For all Senior Manager roles: Experience and evidence of engagement around the equality, diversity and inclusion agenda. Able to actively support the development of a culture that recognises and promotes equality, values diversity, and actively leads by example in deploying these qualities. Understands the impact on equality, diversity and inclusion issues in all aspects of service delivery and planning
Person Specification
Qualifications & Training
Essential
- Educated to Masters level or equivalent
- Professional qualification in Communications /Media Management/Corporate Affairs or other relevant area (or equivalent experience)
- Evidence of Continuing Professional Development
Desirable
- Chartered member of a relevant professional body
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of key communications channels and when and how best to use them
- Knowledge of how to create accessible communications, including Plain English writing skills and readability calculators
- Knowledge of Umbraco and/or other content management systems
- Knowledge of social media platforms (including Twitter, Instagram and Facebook) and Hootsuite for scheduling/evaluating posts
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working at a senior level in communications or marketing in a large and complex organisation
- Relevant recent experience within communications / journalism / public relations field within a large and complex organisation,
- Evidence of team and individual interventions to develop, implement and measure communications strategies and campaigns
- Experience of building strong and effective relationships with a wide range of people
Desirable
- Experience of working in a senior communications role in the NHS
- Experience of working in a senior level communications post in the public sector
- Clear understanding of the strategic context of the NHS and the Trust
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Demonstrates a compassionate leadership style with a track record of improvements to equality, diversity, inclusion, and social justice
- Exceptional communicator, able to create impact and demonstrate proactive relationship management with a range of stakeholders
- Ability to motivate and coach staff
- Drive, energy, enthusiasm, and resilience to achieve end results
- Political acumen and effective networking skills
- Highly effective interpersonal, influencing and communication skills, both verbal and written, appropriate to a wide range of audiences
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Willingness to uphold the Trust's values
- Willingness to uphold the Trust's values
- If applicable to the role - hold a full, valid, UK driving licence and have access to a car to use for business purposes (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010)
- For all supervisory /management/policy roles: experience and evidence of engagement around equality, diversity and inclusion issues in relation to policy, service development and service delivery in respect of both services to users and the management of staff
- For all Senior Manager roles: Experience and evidence of engagement around the equality, diversity and inclusion agenda. Able to actively support the development of a culture that recognises and promotes equality, values diversity, and actively leads by example in deploying these qualities. Understands the impact on equality, diversity and inclusion issues in all aspects of service delivery and planning
Additional information
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).
