Communications Specialist - Specialised Services Bath, England
Job description
Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP) is looking for a highly skilled Communications Specialist to join our communications team for 37.5 hours a week on a 12 months Fixed Term basis.
Our Specialised Locality has two exciting services being launched in 2023, Our Veterans service OpCOURAGE and our Gambling Harms service. Both of these services need communications support to ensure that we engage with service users who need our support, inform staff about the services and link in with partners to ensure a seamless, joined up experience for people. So this is a really exciting time to join the team and make your mark on these services. We are looking for someone who is passionate about creating insightful, engaging communications that support our service objectives. Ensuring that we are listening to our key stakeholders and that we have an innovative and responsive communications function delivering creative, cutting edge content with consistency across our communication channels.
You’ll work closely with the wider communications and engagement team and our directorate and divisional teams to ensure a strategic approach to all elements of communications. A big picture thinker; you’ll be able to join the dots between different elements of AWP’s work and tell our story powerfully and effectively to our staff.
We’re looking for someone who shares our values and strives for excellence in everything they do. If this sounds like you get in touch today!
As a Communications and Engagement Specialist, you will be an expert in reaching a variety of different audiences and story telling, and able to guide others in best practice. You will possess a project management skill set to ensure that work is completed to a high standard, within relevant timescales and to cost.
You will have responsibility for the direct delivery and commissioning of a broad range of communications and engagement activity, aligned to Trust priorities and as agreed in the overarching communications and engagement strategy.
You will possess a broad range of engagement and promotional skills and will focus on projects to support our Specialised Services, particularly our Veterans and Gambling Harms services..
You will be involved in the full range of communications and marketing activities, including internal communications, media and stakeholder relations, digital communications and marketing of our services.
You will also measure the impact you’ve had, sharing the results as well as knowledge gained and lessons learned with colleagues and the wider Trust. We have a diverse community of staff, service users and other stakeholders who like to receive information in different ways; our challenge is engaging and reaching as many of them as possible.
We are AWP (Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust)a diverse organisation with over 5,000 dedicated staff providing inpatient and community-based mental health care.
We provide services from a range of locations to approximately 1.8 million people living in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, across the county of Wiltshire and in parts of Dorset.
At AWP we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.
Design and deliver communications activity using the full communications and marketing mix to support service delivery and Trust priorities.
Lead on the day-to-day media relations activity in the team. This could include writing and approving press releases, preparing briefings for external stakeholders and co-ordinating visits and official openings.
Work in partnership with staff at all levels across the Trust (including the Trust Board and Executive Team) to advise, influence and support them on communications issues as required.
This will include writing communications strategies for specific projects and advising on reactive and high-profile media issues.
Under the direction of the Deputy Head of Communications, provide and receive highly complex and sensitive information where co-operation and agreement will be required.
Support the internal, external and digital communications requirements for our Divisional Teams and Corporate Services.
Developing media campaigns – for both external and internal audience, directing on messaging, creatives and evaluation for these campaigns.
To work as a member of the wider-communications team to develop messaging for different audiences and stakeholders, including MPs, public members, patients, media, GPs/clinical commissioning groups, local residents and community on a range of subjects and issues.
Responding to media requests on issues which are often sensitive and highly complex.
Briefing and escorting journalists/photographers/film crews around the Trust, in line with Trust policy.
Handling enquiries from members of the public, patients, partner agencies and the media associated with Service Level Agreement contracts.
Produce and present information (presentations / leaflets) on sensitive issues to staff, the media and other stakeholders.
Develop new and build on existing mechanisms for effectively communicating Trust-wide issues, key committee decisions and policies.
Contribute to the production of Trust publications by researching, writing and editing articles and providing photographs.
To commission work by in-house and external graphic designers for campaigns and other corporate communications priorities. To work with the Deputy Head of Communications to manage budgets relating to such campaigns
Working with other colleagues in the Communications Team to develop and maintain the Trust’s web and social media presence.
Help manage the strategic co-ordination of the Trust’s communications and marketing activity –
contributing to the proactive forward-planning for all channels.
Work with other members of the team to develop, maintain and promote effective and inclusive internal communications systems and mechanisms for staff recognition, involvement and
engagement within the Trust.
Provide advice to staff and patients on media handling and meeting confidentiality and consent
guidelines.
Ensure that all Trust information meets NHS corporate identity guidelines and the Trust’s own
style guide.
The team is predominantly working from home at present but office working will be required on occasion.
For an informal chat or to ask any questions, please get in touch with Fi Cormie, Deputy Head of Communications –[email protected]
