Communications Engagement Manager

Band 7
Job summary
Are you a talented communications professional with a passion for making a difference?
We are looking for a proactive, motivated and skilled Communications & Engagement Manager to join us at Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust.
NHS communications is fast-paced and varied and you will play a key role in helping our team to develop new and effective ways of communicating , create proactive opportunities to share stories from the Trust and provide trusted advice on communications and engagement to colleagues at all levels.
If you have as strong track record of planning and delivering effective communications, are a creative thinker, and calm under pressure, we'd love to hear from you!
Main duties of the job
The Communications and Engagement Manager is responsible for the development and delivery of communications and engagement activity at Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust.
Reporting to the Associate Director of Communications and Engagement, the post holder is responsible for supporting the day-to-day running of the Communications and Engagement team to deliver effective, integrated communications both internally and externally.
This involves leading on planning activity, identifying proactive opportunities to share exciting Trust news and building strong relationships across the Trust and wider health and care system.
About us
We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex. Our 6,000 staff serve a population of 1.3 million providing essential medical, nursing, and therapeutic care to adults and children.
Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community, helping people plan, manage, adapt to changes in their health, supporting avoidable hospital admissions and reducing hospital stay times.
We have opportunities for everyone across our wide variety of services including medical, clinical, support and corporate services.
Why work for us?

• Positive 2022 NHS Staff Survey results, scoring highly in compassionate culture & leadership, and staff wellbeing support
• Variety of working environments across the community, in patients' homes, within our community hospitals and bases across the county
• Supportive flexible working patterns such as: part time, flexi time, annualised hours, and flexi retirement options
• Excellent training and development opportunities
• Research opportunities
• Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove and Brighton
• Thriving BAME, Disability and Wellbeing, LGBT+ and Religion and Belief staff networks
• Level 3 accredited Disability Confident Leader, committed to creating inclusive workplaces
• Veteran Aware Trust, achieving accreditation from Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA)
• Located in stunning Sussex, with easy access to the South Downs and the coast
• Access to a wide range of benefits and discounts for NHS staff

Job description
Job responsibilities
Communications and engagement

• Support the development of an ambitious communications strategy for the Trust.
• Working with managers and clinicians to identify and understand the communications needs for specific projects. Ensuring unique, robust communications plans are produced for each project, then monitoring their delivery and evaluating their effectiveness.
• Develop strong relationships with staff at all levels of the organisation; utilising strong communication and influencing skills to convey and discuss complex information with a diverse audience.
• Handling highly sensitive, confidential, and often complex information. This could be providing communications expertise during an incident or on a challenging reputational issue to guide written or verbal communication to internal or external audiences.
• Develop and manage our communications channels to ensure they are continuously improved, appropriate for our audiences, effective, value for money, and up to date.
• Drive improvement and service changes within the Communications and Engagement team which will bring benefit to the wider organisation. Developing policies and guidance where appropriate.
• Support the communications team to maintain the staff intranet, as the go-to-point for news and information about the Trust.
• Actively seek out opportunities (internally and externally) to celebrate the achievements of staff and to help raise the Trusts profile and boost confidence in our care and services across Sussex.
• Build strong working relationships with local stakeholder offices and local journalists/media outlets.
• Develop plans to support an increase in leadership visibility of the Trust Executive Team, seeking out opportunities to involve the senior team and foster two-way communication.
• Lead and support Communications team in coordinating Trust-wide events and initiatives such as the annual Staff Awards working with external suppliers, sponsors and key internal stakeholders.
• Supporting the AD of Communications and Engagement to build an understanding of, and insights into, the views of key internal and external stakeholders.
• Supporting the team to manage Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trusts web and social media presence and communications and engagement activity.
• Supporting with activity to ensure the implementation of the organisations brand and visual identity.
• Supporting and leading on filming opportunities, using Trust equipment (iPhone, cameras, lapel microphones) to capture effective audio-visual content in a range of environments (e.g clinical and non-clinical, events, patient houses).
• Support and oversee video and design editing where required, using specialist software such as PremierPro, Canva and InDesign.
• Leading the organisation of high-profile public events, e.g. ministerial and other VIP visits and openings of new facilities and services.

Leadership and management

• Line management of other members of the Communications and Engagement team, holding regular one to ones and formal appraisal and employee meetings.
• Working with the AD of Communications and Engagement, have a strategic oversight of communications activity to ensure it is effective in meeting Trust objectives.
• Propose changes and support development of communications policies and guidance to support the wider organisation.
• Lead on the development of the communications team planning tools to ensure a coordinated and integrated approach to communication activity and messaging, ensuring consistency and joined-up working.
• Provide day-to-day support to all members of the communications team to help coordinate activities and ensure priorities are met and delivered to a consistent professional standard.
• Lead on evaluation and reporting of the teams activities to show breadth of the work undertaken and impact on the Trusts reputation.
• Represent the Trust at external meetings with partners and key stakeholders and joining relevant working groups as directed by the AD of Communications and Engagement.
• Deputising for the AD of Communications and Engagement as needed, including periods of leave or unplanned absence.
• Monitor the use of the Communications and Engagement team budget, and work with the AD of Communications and Engagement to allocate the budget appropriately within the team.

Person Specification
TBC after JD approval
Essential

• TBC after JD approval
• TBC after JD approval
• TBC after JD approval

TBC after JD approval
Essential

• TBC after JD approval

TBC after JD approval
Essential

• TBC after JD approval

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Employer details
Employer name
Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Brighton General Hospital;
Brighton
BN2 3EW
Employer's website
https://www.sussexcommunity.nhs.uk/work-with-us/ (Opens in a new tab)