Job Description
We are looking for an experienced communications officer who is highly organised with an eye for detail to join our busy, creative, and skilled team.
You will thrive in a fast-paced environment, relish the opportunity to deliver communications across multiple channels and be skilled at capturing the attention of audiences whether it's writing brilliant copy for traditional media releases, producing must see content like video, audio, photography, and animation for our social channels or delivering key internal messages to motivate our staff.
Each day you’ll have the opportunity to show off your talents and, working with colleagues at all levels of the organisation, turn your ideas into great content.
In return you will work as a key member of an award-winning communications team in an outstanding organisation (CQC 2019). A place where hard work, commitment and kindness is recognised. There are also exciting opportunities to develop and progress your career as we embark on an exciting new partnership with Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust.
As a key member of the corporate communications team, you will support the organisation to provide an outstanding, forward-thinking communications function.
The team leads on both internal and external focused communications and has responsibility for everything from creating and delivering regular staff and stakeholder briefings to digital communications including social media, maintaining the Trust's brand and identity, producing, and delivering corporate documents and organising numerous events across the year.
The team is also committed to delivering highly visible and effective media and marketing campaigns across regional and national media and are increasingly working in partnership with organisations from across Cheshire and Merseyside.
St Helens & Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is the only acute Trust in Cheshire and Merseyside and one of the few in the country to achieve OUTSTANDING rated by the Care Quality Commission.
We provide a full range of acute adult services to our local population of circa 360,000 and provide tertiary services across the North West, North Wales, and Isle of Man. We are a Major Trauma Unit and the Mersey Regional Burns Unit.
Our '5 Star Patient Care' strategy is at the heart of what we do; supporting our vision to provide world class services for all our patients by getting it right for every patient, every time.
Our latest achievements include:
- Acute Trust of the Year HSJ Awards November 2019
- Trust rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
- Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
- Best acute Trust in the North West for quality of care (NHS Staff Survey 2021)
- Best place to work in the North West (NHS Staff Survey 2021)
- Awarded National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for our Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme
In the NHS Staff Survey 2021 the Trust scored the highest marks in the North West for the following areas:
- Standard of care
- Best place to work
- Care of patients being the Trust’s priority
- Staff engagement
- Staff morale
- Compassionate & inclusive
- Providing safe environments for staff
Please see attached Wellbeing & Benefits booklet for more information on our benefits for staff. Accessible version available upon request.
KEY DUTIES
- Develop effective project, communications plans, which are tailored to the needs of different stakeholders and consider how best to use a range of channels creatively, including social media, multimedia and those managed by other colleagues.
- Interpret clinical and operational information into easy-to-understand messages for staff, stakeholders and the general public and promote them across relevant channels.
- Lead on the production and delivery of the Trust’s weekly all-staff briefings and the staff magazine.
- Advise Trust services on their communication needs, support where required and manage expectations.
- Proactively seek out and learn from best practice, informing the development of our externally and internally facing communications channels.
- Support proactive and reactive media relations activity for the Trust by:
- Drafting press releases
- Liaising with journalists
- Researching stories and fact checking
- Advising and supporting directors in drafting press releases and media responses on issues including those which are complex, contentious and/or challenging
- Help in the management and development of the Trust's digital platforms as required including website, social media and developing multimedia content including videos and graphics.
- Work with the wider team to support the organisation of Trust events such as the Start of Year Conference, AGM, Annual Staff Awards, Long Service Awards, VIP visits.
- Support the marketing of the Trust’s charity.
- Support the rest of the communications team, with a variety of day-to-day requests as well as longer term projects.
- Maintain an up-to-date knowledge and understanding of the NHS nationally and locally.
- Share ideas, develop new projects, and consistently strive for excellence.
CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
- Adhere to relevant Code of Practice of Professional body.
- Ensure that all Trust information meets NHS corporate identity guidelines and the Trust’s style guide.
- The post holder is required to uphold and model the Trust values in everything they do.
ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES
- Proofread and quality check various corporate and patient publications and materials.
- Prepare media statements and releases.
- Contribute to the creation of the Trust’s digital and social content; ensure the content is always factually correct and up to date.
- Help drive the Trust’s communications activity by contributing to the proactive forward-planning for all channels.
TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSIBILITIES
- Prepare Trust spokespeople for media interviews.
- Teach and support staff members to manage individual department social media channels adhering to trust policy at all times.
LINE MANAGEMENT/SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Provide support to all communications colleagues, working closely to share key messages and materials.
FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
- Work with the Head of Communications to plan and agree campaign budgets and secure appropriate resource.
RESEARCH & AUDIT
- Evaluate communications campaigns, website and intranet traffic and oversee the production of a quarterly media dashboard to evidence the value, output and outcomes of campaigns and media work.