About this role
Job summary
The purpose of this role is to oversee the delivery and ongoing development of Trust's public affairs and stakeholder engagement plan, using a range of communication channels in support of short and long term aims. This includes maintaining the organisation's Trust and Reputation dashboard and stakeholder mapping across the area including by borough(s) and programmes/projects, working with senior colleagues to ensure these are relevant, maintained and intelligence is shared with colleagues.
Main duties of the job
This role will support the delivering of communications and engagement events in support of the Trust's capital projects and commercial partnerships. This includes writing newsletters and reports, organising and hosting events, and preparing and delivering briefings.
The post holder will work effectively with external stakeholders, ensuring effective and proactive delivery of communications and stakeholder engagement activities to support key objectives. This includes partner organisations, particularly the Maudsley Charity, IoPPN and King's College London, local authority officers and elected members (councillors), service users and carers community groups, local residents and residents' associations, other NHS bodies (e.g. NHSE, NHS trusts, Integrated Care Systems), and others including architects, developers and advisors; charitable trusts/foundations and individual donors; third sector; housing providers.
The post holder will deploy strong interpersonal skills in presentations, meetings, informal and formal settings. As well as building and maintaining effective stakeholder relationships, you will have good written communications skills to produce content and reports for various audiences.
About us
South London and Maudsley offers the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK. We care for people locally in south east London, nationally and internationally where we work in partnership with a range of stakeholders in the health system, academia, voluntary and commercial sectors.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Stakeholder Engagement and Public Affairs
To deliver public affairs, communications and engagement activity which builds relationships, enhances the Trusts reputation and is in line with overall communications and engagement strategy.
To take responsibility for ensuring stakeholder relationships are maintained and proactively developed.
To produce regular stakeholder briefings working with other departments in the Trust and partners to co-ordinate content ensuring absolute accuracy.
Devise and deliver stakeholder engagement plans and strategies for key projects and/or audiences as directed.
To drive understanding and positive perception of capital projects withexternal stakeholders, staff and patients through effective engagement work.
To establish and maintain effective co-operative working relationships with stakeholder groups, including attending meetings and presenting and discussing reports.
Develop, write and manage new and existing stakeholder engagement products including newsletters and events (digital and face-to-face).
Devise and deliver proactive campaigns that will improve community engagement and understanding/awareness of the Trusts mental healthcare services for local people.
To lead on key events and visits, including high profile stakeholders, working alongside partners.
To manage enquiries from stakeholders including councillors, council executives, MPs, commissioners, public, residents associations, ensuring timely and accurate responses.
Communications and relations
To oversee the implementation of the Trusts Stakeholder and Community Engagement plan.
To produce briefings / papers updating colleagues with the Associate Director of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement.
To proactively work with partners to ensure communications are consistent and timely.
To produce and/or assist in the preparation of reports; and briefings including for partners, regulatory and advisory bodies in respect of updating them on complex issues.
To establish and maintain effective co-operative working relationships with all stakeholder groups, internally and externally, at all levels.
To ensure that communications are correctly tailored for the appropriate target audiences.
To manage contracts with external suppliers ensuring value for money and working within the framework of the organisation.
Advocate on behalf of the department on the importance of good practice in communications.
Information Resources
Maintain the Trusts Trust and Reputation dashboard, with latest annual data and provide data analysis of key metrics
Undertake market research projects as necessary to explore, benchmark and measure levels of trust and the Trusts reputation amongst its communities and stakeholders
Horizon scan the political landscape for opportunities for the Trust to raise its profile externally, including regional and national initiatives and events, within and beyond the sector and produce monthly reports
To stay up to date with national policy, new health initiatives and partner organisations strategies and plans and how these impact locally on the Trust.
To produce and/or assist in the preparation of reports and represent the Trust at meetings with internal and external stakeholders to deliver those reports and advise on public affairs
To prepare briefings for regulatory, advisory bodies or internal stakeholders in respect of updating them on complex issues on an ad hoc basis as requested by the Associate Director of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement.
To manage and maintain stakeholder distribution lists.
General
This is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities, and the postholder may be required to undertake other duties which fall within the grade of the job, in discussion with the manager.
Person Specification
Training and Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to degree level or appropriate vocational experience
- Evidence of continuing professional and personal development
Desirable
- Membership of CIPR or other appropriate professional body; and/or professional qualification or appropriate professional experience
Experience
Essential
- Demonstrable experience of working in a Public Affairs management role
- Writing copy for a wide range of outlets and target audiences
- Managing stakeholder and public affairs projects including writing and production of communications materials
- Successfully producing strategies and implementing communications and engagement programmes
- Managing stakeholder and partner relationships and engagement, and representing organisations
Desirable
- NHS, public or third sector experience
- Organising and managing events
Knowledge and skills
Essential
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- In-depth knowledge and understanding of current engagement practice and theory
- Ability to grasp complex issues and concepts
- Excellent organisational skills with the ability to prioritise workload
- Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
- Understanding of brand management
- Excellent presentation skills
- Public affairs and stakeholder relations campaign planning, development and implementation skills
- Ability to build and maintain effective relationships with people at all levels
- Ability to remain calm under pressure
- Ability to work both independently and as part of a small team
- Understanding of working in a partnership environment
Desirable
- Good understanding of national government and NHS (including policy), how it works, the issues it faces and how to communicate within it
- Report writing skills
- Knowledge and understanding of digital communications including public websites and intranets
- Understanding of working in an NHS environment and with the public, partners and external statutory and voluntary organisations
- Experience of communicating with diverse audiences including hard to reach groups
Values and behaviours
Essential
- Ability to act in accordance with our values and behaviours
Other
Essential
- Empathy for individuals who have experienced mental health problems
Desirable
- Personal experience of mental health problems
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
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Maudsley Hospital
London
SE5 8AZ
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.slam.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)