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Job summary

Main area
Communications
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 7
Contract
12 months (Fixed term)
Hours
30 hours per week (Part time)
Job ref
354-CO-21532
Employer
Sussex Partnership NHS FoundationTrust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Portland House
Town
Worthing
Salary
£46,148 - £52,809 pro rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
19/01/2025 23:59

Employer heading

Sussex Partnership NHS FoundationTrust logo

Communications Specialist

NHS AfC: Band 7

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

We are looking for a Communications Specialist to help deliver the biggest mental health transformation programme in a generation across Sussex. The Community Mental Health Transformation programme for Adults and Older Adults aims to create an integrated service which puts the needs of our service users at the heart of provision.

The post holder will be responsible for developing and delivering deliver targeted communications to a range of internal and external stakeholders across the integrated care system in Sussex.

Main duties of the job

Communications is central to the success of the transformation programme and early and continual engagement with staff, service users and partners is vital not only to communicate an exciting vision but to engage and gather early insights that will shape the new, future model of service provision. 

The post holder will be an experienced communications professional with an ability to communicate complex ideas and systems in an easy-to-understand way; to be able to work independently with excellent organisational skills and be able to advise and steer senior members of the project team. The successful candidate will have attention to detail, excellent written communication skills; be flexible, creative and able to work with partners across the Sussex Integrated Care System (ICS).

Working for our organisation

All staff are required to

•    Abide by the standards of behaviour expected of all staff in the Trust disciplinary policy and procedure.
•    Adhere to all Trust policies and procedures and be responsible for making themselves aware of these policies and procedures.
•    Treat information relating to patient, employees and businesses of the Trust in the strictest confidence.  
•    Maintain their own awareness of, and comply with, policies and procedures relating to Health and Safety (whether statutory or Trust), and assist in ensuring the compliance of other staff.
•    Support the Trust’s visions and values and in particular the promotion of a positive approach to diversity, equality, rights, and treating others with dignity and respect; to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage in service delivery and employment, and to manage, support or comply by adhering to the Trust’s Equality and Diversity Policy.  
•    Demonstrate the core principles of safeguarding and protection Human Rights; treating people with dignity, fairness, equality, respect and autonomy.
•    Develop and maintain positive relationships with all colleagues, taking account of their age, religion or belief, ethnicity, sex, marital or civil partnership status, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy or maternity status and any disability.  
•    Take responsibility for the safeguarding and protection of children and young people and vulnerable adults very seriously, as does The Trust.  

Detailed job description and main responsibilities


•    To provide leadership for communications, engagement and involvement strategies and plans to support the community transformation programme and related initiatives;
•    To provide communications advice to the senior project leadership team, board members, clinicians, staff and partners;
•    To manage and support stakeholder and public engagement related to the community transformation programme;
•    Provide media relations, stakeholder engagement and other support as needed in relation to the Communications Department and the work of Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust;
•    Ensure communications is considered in all planning relating to the programme; advising programme teams on appropriate approaches; 
•    Act as communications link between the community transformation programme and stakeholders including local community, local government, NHS England and NHS Improvement and all ICS partners. 
Community Mental Health Transformation programme for Adults and Older Adults 
•    Develop and deliver a communications and engagement plan for internal and external stakeholders in line with the national and local objectives of the community transformation programme;
•    Lead early and continual engagement with stakeholders to explain the programme vision and seek views in order to shape and design community services for the future;
•    Develop creative content to explain the programme to the public;
•    Produce briefings / newsletters / updates to proactively inform stakeholders about key activity of the transformation work; 
•    Facilitate a monthly webinar open to all stakeholders, to provide the latest updates from the programme.
•    Position the local transformation work nationally - through blogs and media relations work in order to generate interest and clarity;
•    Explore opportunities to share best practice with communications colleagues within the Sussex Partnership Communications team, the ICS and the NHS national communications network;
•    Support the facilitation of the changing the language project and reference group, and work in collaboration with people with lived experience, and staff across the health and care sector;
•    Ensure systems are in place to maintain an effective stakeholder management database.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Educated to degree level or relevant experience
  • Evidence of continuing professional development

Knowledge/Experience

Essential criteria
  • Highly specialist knowledge with significant experience in communications
  • Knowledge of communications, public relations, journalism and marketing communications.
  • Experience of developing communication and engagement plans involving internal and external stakeholders.
  • Experience of or training in public sector communications and understanding of local Sussex political, NHS and third sector organisations
  • Experience of setting up and implementing internal processes and procedures
  • Knowledge of Financial Systems e.g. monitoring budget management, processing invoices and procurement
  • Understanding of purchasing and budget sign off requirements for major projects

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - BronzePride In Veterans

Documents to download

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Jane Vickers
Job title
Director of Communications
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07471 031457