We are looking for an outstanding senior communications and engagement leader, to join the ICB’s Chief People Officers senior leadership team. There has never been a better time to join us at NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board (ICB), a key part of the new NHS landscape.
As Deputy Director of Communications and Engagement, you will lead the development and implementation of a new communications and engagement strategy for NHS Dorset and the Dorset Integrated Care System. The strategy will align to the four core purposes of integrated care system:
Improve outcomes in population health and healthcare
Tackle inequalities in outcome and access
Enhance productivity and value for money
Help the NHS deliver broader social and economic development.
You will lead the central NHS Dorset communication and engagement teams and will design and deliver the Communication and Engagement Strategy in partnership with all Dorset’s Integrated Care System Partners.
About the role
Band: Band 8d
Salary: £79,592 to £91,787 a year
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, Flexible working
As a senior communications and engagement leader you will:
create a new communications, marketing and engagement strategy for NHS Dorset, its internal and external stakeholders;
provide expert professional advice and guidance to the board on a range of complex matters;
effectively manage the reputation and profile of NHS Dorset;
develop and oversee the internal communications and engagement interventions that create a common understanding and guiding vision of NHS Dorset;
create a way to gather insights to inform how we design and redesign services;
build upon, develop and create new ways to use NHS Dorset’s social media and digital platforms;
ensure that appropriate mechanisms are in place for working with communities across Dorset to co create inclusive health and wellbeing pathways and services that address cultural differences and reduce health inequalities;
help ensure that service change is patient centred and the patient voice is at the heart of decision making.
Who we are looking for
We’re looking for a Are you an outstanding communications and engagement leader looking for your next senior role? Are you keen to work for a great organisation with big ambitions and the commitment to challenging the status quo?
If you think you have what it take and are excited by this opportunity, please get in touch. We would love to hear from you.
- Help shape the future of the organisation and wider health and care system (ICS) through creating and implementing a strategic and measurable communications, marketing and engagement strategy for all internal and external stakeholders. This will include activity aimed at driving the ICBs relationships with employees, patients, regulators and partners, as well as local and national stakeholders, the media, policymakers, opinion-formers and the general public.
- Provide expert professional advice and guidance to the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Officers, the Board and other senior staff in relation to complex and often contentious communications, marketing and engagement issues.
- Effectively manage the reputation and profile of the organisation (and wider ICS partners where appropriate) through high quality proactive and reactive public relations activity that promotes the ICBs activities and showcases the best in local innovation on a wider footprint.
- Develop and oversee implementation of an effective and systemic approach to internal communications that creates a common understanding of the guiding purpose, vision and values/behaviours of the organisation.
- Create and implement a systematic approach to gathering comprehensive insights into public and patient views of the local NHS, the services they receive and opportunities for improvement. This data will be shared with colleagues to guide and inform strategic approaches to service change and pathway redesign.
- Develop creative approaches to using social media and other digital platforms to communicate and engage with target audiences, including those who may not traditionally engage with the local NHS or health messaging, to change the way in which patients and the public relate to health and care services.
- Utilise behaviour change and insight theory to develop activities, based on population understanding and insight, to influence or change behaviour to support the ambitions of the Health and Care Strategy. This includes encouraging people to use NHS services differently and/or look after their own health appropriately and make informed health and lifestyle choices.
- Ensure the organisation has effective, seamless communications with external stakeholders such as patients, partner organisations, primary care services, local and national politicians and political organisations, the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and other key organisations.
- Ensure that appropriate mechanisms are in place for working with communities across Dorset to co create inclusive health and wellbeing pathways and services that address cultural differences and reduce health inequalities. Ensure that service change is patient centred and the patient voice is at the heart of decision making.
- Oversee the relationships with local authorities, the voluntary and community sector to support them in a shared role to reach out to all parts of the community, as well as to ensure they are at the heart of policy and strategy development and implementation.
- Provide expert advice on legislation and best practice in relation to public consultation, ensuring effective implementation on behalf of NHS Dorset (and the wider ICS), as appropriate.
- Lead on the development of the NHS Dorset and Dorset Integrated Care System brand and identity, to engage with partners, the community and staff, and drive the ambitions of the Communications and Engagement Strategy.
- Ensure public and staff confidence is maintained through effective brand and media management.
- Oversee the NHS Dorset and associated websites to maintain public and staff confidence in the information provided.
- Oversee the design, marketing and campaign management for key measures to inform partners, the community and staff including access to services through to employment opportunities.
- Develop and lead a dynamic, innovative and high performing team of communications, marketing and engagement professionals, setting clear expectations and desired outcomes in support of delivery of critical organisational objectives and ensuring delivery.
- Act as the system convener to bring together communications and engagement colleagues from across the Dorset health and care system to maximise opportunities for partnership activity and response at system level.
- Contribute to NHS Dorsets emergency preparedness plans by acting as a lead on communications for responding to all crises or serious incidents.
- As a senior manager you will form part of the on-call rota for the organisation.
- Develop and review procedures, standards and policies for media management, corporate identity and branding, and other areas of communication and engagement to ensure they are implemented consistently and appropriately across NHS Dorset and the Dorset Integrated Care System.
- Engage with key strategic regional and national policy makers to inform development of corporate strategy and policies.
- Act as champion for patients and involve patients and public in policy development.
Person specification
- Able to make a connection between their work and the benefit to patients and the public.
- Leadership, vision, strategic thinking and planning with highly developed political skills.
- Ability to demonstrate a high level of expertise in providing senior leadership.
- High level analytical skills and the ability to draw qualitative and quantitative data from a wide range of sources and present in a clear concise manner.
- Demonstrates sound judgement in the absence of clear guidelines or precedent, seeking advice as necessary from more senior management when appropriate.
- Ability to analyse numerical and written data, assess verbal, written, numerical and draw appropriate conclusions.
- Ability to develop, maintain and monitor information systems to support innovation initiatives
- Ability to work on own initiative and organise workload, allocating work as necessary, working to tight and often changing deadlines.
- Ability to make decisions autonomously, when required, on difficult issues.
- Commitment to and focused on quality, promotes high standards in all they do.
- Consistently looks to improve what they do, looks for successful tried and tested ways of working, and also seeks out innovation
- Track record of developing and implementing innovative communication, marketing and engagement practice that is based on real insights from patients/target audiences.
- Demonstrable experience and knowledge of using social and digital media to communicate with key audiences in new and innovative ways, including individuals and groups who might not normally engage with the local Led and implemented nationally acclaimed best practice ` NHS.
- Demonstrable experience and understanding of effective patient and public involvement practices, including effective implementation of creative and innovative approaches that target seldom heard/often overlooked communities.
- Knowledge and experience of managing formal public consultation on service change/reconfiguration.
- High level of political knowledge and influencing skills.
- Experience of delivery through partnership working across a wide variety of stakeholder.
- High level analytical skills and the ability to draw qualitative and quantitative data from a wide range of sources and present in a clear concise manner.
- Demonstrates sound judgement in the absence of clear guidelines or precedent, seeking advice as necessary from more senior management when appropriate.
- Ability to provide and present highly complex, sensitive and/or contentious information to large groups, responding openly to questions to ensure full understanding and engagement in a hostile or antagonistic environment.
- Able to manage and navigate complex and sometime contentious public and community relations matters.
- Proven previous experience of working at a senior level in a large and/ or complex organisation.
- Extensive experience as a communication and engagement leader.
- Experience of devising and implementing highly effective communications, marketing and engagement strategies in a complex organisation for a range of internal and external stakeholders.
- Experience in health, care, or related sectors welcomed, as is experience outside of the health and care setting.
- Experience of devising strategies which are inclusive and proactively reach out to ensure marginalised and underrepresented communities and people are at the centre of decision making.
- Experience of navigating the media and political stakeholders is highly desirable.
- Educated to a Masters Level qualification, or equivalent level of experience
- Registered member of an appropriate professional body.
- Personal commitment to the values of the NHS.
- Demonstrates a compassionate leadership style with a track record of improvements to equality, diversity, and inclusion.
- Lives by the values of openness and integrity and has supported the development of teams where this thrives.
About us
We are joining up to tackle all the things that affect our health and wellbeing, make real change, and improve things for our communities.
Dorset ICS is made up of:
NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board
University Hospitals Dorset Foundation Trust
Dorset County Hospital Foundation Trust
Dorset HealthCare University Foundation Trust
18 primary care networks (made up of 80 GP practices)
Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole Council
Dorset Council
194 town and parish councils
Southwestern Ambulance Service Foundation Trust
Dorset Police
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service
7,300 voluntary organisations
