Skip to main content

This site is independent of the NHS and the Department of Health.

Please wait, loading

Job summary

Main area
Administration
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 8a
Contract
Fixed term: 18 months
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
354-CO-21456
Employer
Sussex Partnership NHS FoundationTrust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Portland House
Town
Worthing
Salary
£50,952 - £57,349 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
08/07/2024 23:59

Employer heading

Sussex Partnership NHS FoundationTrust logo

EPR Communications and Engagement Lead

NHS AfC: Band 8a

Welcome from our Chief Executive

Our organisation is expanding and we're looking for people with the right values, skills and/or potential to join us. We need people with energy, expertise, enthusiasm to help us provide the very best possible specialist NHS mental health and learning disability care. This involves helping us achieve our strategy to improve the quality of life for the communities we serve through People, Prevention and Partnerships.

So what can we offer you in return?

We're an organisation which puts people first. We'll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. We'll help you learn, acquire new skills and gain further experience to support your career development. And we'll provide the opportunity for you to bring your fresh ideas to work about how we can do things differently and continue improving.

You will also be joining a health and care system committed to working together to do the best we can for the communities we serve. Above all, at Sussex Partnership you'll have the chance to make a difference to the lives of the patients, carers and families across our communities.

As a Trust we are committed in making a difference. Your development is important to us, so don't forget to ask us during interview what opportunities we can offer. We can offer fully funded lifelong learning opportunities such as an apprenticeship from GCSE to Masters level.

If you like the sound of that, then come and join our team.

Job overview

The role requires someone with specialist communication and engagement expertise (as well as energy and enthusiasm) to plan and deliver our new Electronic Patient Record (EPR) to improve quality & safety and to enable efficient working practices, leading to better patient experiences.
As EPR Communications & Engagement Lead you will have a high level of experience in developing, promoting and reviewing high impact communications and engagement projects that involve collaboration with both senior operational and clinical based staff.
The post holder should be skilled at engaging with staff and stakeholders and developing effective partnerships to ensure that the EPR is co-designed and user-led.

Interviews are planned for the 25th July

Main duties of the job

The post holder will lead the communications and engagement work stream, working as part of the EPR Programme team and in partnership with the Trust's Communication team to devise, plan and deliver a communications strategy covering:
• Internal communications, ensuring the Programme can provide information to staff and engage with them through a variety of means, building staff knowledge and confidence.
• External public communications, including seeking out interesting stories and considering appropriate channels for spreading positive news about the Programme.
• External stakeholder communications, ensuring that they are aware of key information about the organisation and briefed on a regular basis, that our messages are communicated effectively, and partners are engaged and supportive of our strategic direction; and
• Digital communications, ensuring that channels are exploited to provide opportunities for engagement as well as broadcast communications and that the trust is using the appropriate channels.

Working for our organisation

Background
We are implementing a new Electronic Patient Record (EPR) to improve quality & safety and to enable efficient working practises, leading to better patient experiences.
The EPR Communications and Engagement Lead will play a pivotal role in the implementation of the EPR, by planning and delivering the communications and engagement strategy, ensuring milestones are met and risks appropriately managed.
The post holder will lead on planning, identifying and delivering activities to create awareness and understanding and increase staff engagement, morale and participation in the EPR programme to maximise adoption and realisation of benefits and design and delivery of the programme.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To develop, lead and monitor the communications strategy for the EPR programme, and to drive forward the implementation of that strategy, working collaboratively with clinical and operational colleagues across the Trust, ensuring a proactive and consistent approach is maintained and effective communications are in place when dealing with reactive issues.
• Lead programme level communication activities, and with a focus on maximising engagement and participation with the widest possible range of staff.
• In partnership with the Communications team, develop and implement high quality internal communications to build staff engagement in the EPR programme.
• Distil highly complex information into accessible and engaging content suitable for a range of audiences and tailor them to be used across a range of communications platforms, including media releases, stakeholder newsletters, social media, staff bulletins, online platforms and other channels as needed.
• Ensure reputational issues are escalated appropriately, that plans are put in place to deal with these and that risks are identified, logged and managed.
• Develop and identify events and issues for which the Programme will require a public or media response or for which there are opportunities to promote the Programme, working with the Communications team to ensure activity is delivered.
• Use appropriate evaluation tools to demonstrate the effectiveness of communications strategies and plans, supporting the EPR Programme Director in advising senior leaders of the outcome of such evaluation and advising on any required amendments.
• Use judgement to identify and interpret areas for developing communications capacity across the Programme at all levels (in sometimes complex situations), considering solutions (and any financial implications) and providing advice in order to support effective communication.
• Interpret and implement national policies in relation to communications across the EPR Programme, and work with the Communications team to ensure dissemination within the organisation.
• Deliver objectives and meet deadlines for communication and stakeholder engagement projects, including the management of projects, within timescales and resources.
• Work as part of the EPR Programme team on the planning, management and communication arrangements for all stakeholders, sites and services.
• Continually develop and implement new ways to involve and engage service users, staff, stakeholders and other services.
• Lead on or support events, related to own work workstream or the wider work of the EPR Programme, such as stakeholder sessions, training sessions, etc., in collaboration with the wider programme and other partners where appropriate.
• The post holder will be expected to manage a budget for communications and engagement activities and in line with the allowed budget.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Educated to degree level or equivalent experience
  • Recognised project management qualification or equivalent experience

Knowledge/Experience

Essential criteria
  • Excellent written, verbal and visual communications skills
  • Significant experience of communications and engagement practice, management and planning
  • Knowledge of equality and diversity and legal requirements.
  • Ability to give sound communications and engagement advice to senior colleagues.
  • Ability to generate positive news stories for a wide range of media
  • Excellent interpersonal skills
  • Strong negotiation and influencing skills
  • Ability to handle multiple tasks while working to tight deadlines
  • Ability to work under own initiative
  • IM&T - digitally literate
  • Experience of managing projects to deadlines
  • Experience of developing and implementing communication and engagement strategies
  • Experience of writing and creating content for a wide range of audiences.
  • Ability to work well under pressure

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoNo smoking policyDisability confident leaderDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - BronzeCare quality commission - GoodArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardStep into health

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Justine Williams
Job title
Senior Communications & Engagement Manager
Email address
[email protected]
Apply online nowAlert me to similar vacancies