Communications Officer

Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust; Redhill; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job description

Job Summary

The communications team operates in a very busy working environment, promoting and enhancing the reputation of the Trust to a wide range of audiences that includes 5,000 staff; a catchment population of over 535,000; local and national broadcast; print and social media; GPs; clinical commissioning groups (CCGs); Integrated Care Boards; local authorities, MPs and other NHS organisations. The department plays a key role in managing the reputation of the organisation. It leads on campaigns; media relations; FOI; day-to-day communications and engagement with staff; corporate digital and social media platforms; communications with external stakeholders; corporate publications; events and SASH Charity. Reporting to the senior communications manager, the post holder will be involved in all aspects of our work including media relations, digital communications, reputation management and internal communications. The communications officer will deputise for the senior communications manager in their absence.

The team is looking for a well-rounded and experienced communications officer with good time management skills and the ability to deal diplomatically with a wide range of stakeholders.

Main duties of the job

The post-holder must have media experience and should ideally have previous experience of content management systems to help maintain the Trust's internal and public-facing websites. Whilst not wholly essentially, the ideal candidate would also possess some experience filming and editing content for social media and web.

The Communications Officer Will:

• Assist the head of communications and senior communications manager with campaigns and consultations, working to an agreed communications strategy.
• Develop innovative ways of engaging with staff and communicating the Trust's key messages and key objective.
• Act as a positive and professional ambassador for the communications department in providing a point of contact.
• Lead on the writing, editing and production of creative and engaging content for communications channels.
• Provide communications advice and support to Trust staff and SASH Charity.
• Manage and align communications and engagement within national policy and public opinion.
• Deal with issues around confidentiality and data protection, equalities and human rights.
• Build relationships with internal and external stakeholders and audiences.
• Maintain communication with staff who do not regularly access email and maintain the trust notice boards.

About us

Physical working conditions and environment

• The role is a hybrid role (typically two days at home, three on site depending on the business need of the organisation), primarily based at East Surrey Hospital with travel to Crawley Hospital and other sites as and when required.
• This role also involves occasional evening work to facilitate events run by the communications team.
• This is a non-clinical post which requires occasional manual handling (for example moving boxes of publications).

Job responsibilities

Main Duties And Key Responsibilities
The communications officer will:

• Assist the head of communications and senior communications manager with campaigns and consultations, working to an agreed communications strategy.
• Develop innovative ways of engaging with staff and communicating the Trust's key messages and key objective.
• Act as a positive and professional ambassador for the communications department in providing a point of contact.
• Lead on the writing, editing and production of creative and engaging content for communications channels.
• Provide communications advice and support to Trust staff and SASH Charity.
• Manage and align communications and engagement within national policy and public opinion.
• Deal with issues around confidentiality and data protection, equalities and human rights.
• Build relationships with internal and external stakeholders and audiences.
• Maintain communication with staff who do not regularly access email and maintain the trust notice boards.

Media relations
The Communications Officer Will:

• Identify stories and develop them into news release and features items.
• Participate in researching, drafting and distributing publications for internal audiences, external stakeholders and local, national and specialist media.
• Develop good working relationships with key journalists, co-ordinate and deliver proactive news releases and seek new ways of increasing positive coverage.
• Identify photography requirements, liaising with service leads and arranging for photography sessions.
• Receive and co-ordinate media enquiries and actively monitor media coverage, blogs and social media postings and agree responses.
• Establish, build and maintain good working relationships with key journalists in the local, national and specialist media.
• Ensure that broadcast media adhere to the Trust's media policy while working on site.

Publications
The Communications Officer Will:

• Handle, draft, and process complex and sensitive information, liaising with senior staff including making decisions about how information is presented.
• Negotiate the competitive production of communications and liaise with selected agencies in the design and print of items and publications using established Trust brand guidelines.
• Support the production of displays and publicity materials.
• Write the Trust's internal newsletter by interviewing staff, drafting articles, overseeing design and distribution.
• Act as guardian of communication through noticeboards and posters.
• Source and create good news material for local, national and specialist media to help raise the profile and reputation of SASH through news releases, photo/filming opportunities and interviews.
• Maintain and develop content for SASH's website, Intranet and social media platforms.
• Help to develop new opportunities with social and digital media, including the increased use of digital images and video.

Digital communications

• Support the Trust's digital communications lead to maintain digital communications channels.

Event management
The communications officer will assist in the management of a range of corporate and charity events, including the Trust's annual general meeting; TeamTalk; open days, official openings, VIP, royal and ministerial visits. They will also lead on Team Talk, the Trust's monthly staff forum.

Financial responsibility

• Assist in ordering of goods and services and maintaining accurate financial records.

Level of clinical responsibility

• No direct clinical responsibility however the post holder requires an understanding when clinicians need to be consulted or involved in communications projects.

Leadership and staff management responsibility

• Will be required to act on behalf of the senior communications manager in their absence with support from the head of communications.

Responsibility for dealing with difficult situations

• Although this role involves working to meet various fixed project deadlines, a proportion of the post holder's time will be devoted to ad hoc projects.
• Little of the work is routine and this calls for flexibility and sound judgement about often complex or sensitive issues.
• Requires good interpersonal skills. Important when interacting with the public and the media, consultants and other clinical and non-clinical staff.

Person Specification

Criteria Essential

• Evidence of a good standard of written English appropriate to the role.
• A complete and accurate application.
• Suitability for role evidenced in supporting statement.
• Evidence of essential experience for role.
• Meet the essential education/qualifications required for the role.
• Hold the necessary mandatory professional/clinical registration.
• Evidence of the Trust values and behaviours.
• Evidence of any other essential criteria outlined in the person specification.

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.

Employer details
Employer name
Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
Address
East Surrey Hospital
Canada Avenue
Redhill
RH1 5RH
Employer's website
https://surreyandsussex.nhs.uk/

Seniority level

• Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Contract

Job function

• Marketing, Public Relations, and Writing/Editing
• Industries: Hospitals and Health Care