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.

If you like the sound of that, then come and join our team.

Job overview

We are looking for a communications manager 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 targeted communications to a range of internal and external stakeholders across the integrated care system in Sussex. Communications is central to the success of the 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.

This contract is initially for 12 months.

This is an opportunity to make a real difference to people who use our services and help shape local NHS mental health services for the future.

To protect the health and safety of our staff/workers, patients, and those attending our sites, we encourage our workforce to get fully vaccinated against COVID

Main duties of the job

The role requires 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).

The main duties include:

• 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.

Working for our organisation

Sussex Partnership Trust is an exciting place to work. It's an organisation that supports its staff to be the best they can be with our values central to everything we do.

At Sussex Partnership, we know our people are our biggest asset. We are committed to providing a working environment where you can progress your career, build your knowledge base and develop your skillset.

We know that a culture focussed on personal and professional development has a direct impact on the care we provide to our service users.

We provide care for a diverse population and we are committed to building a workforce and culture that reflects this.

The Communications Department is based at Trust HQ (Swandean, near Worthing), with opportunities for working remotely. We are also a team which embraces and encourages flexible working opportunities.

This role is hosted by Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust on behalf of the Sussex Health and Care Partnership, the ICS for Sussex.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• 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;
• 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;
• Ensure systems are in place to maintain an effective stakeholder management database.

Person specification

Knowledge/Training/Experience
Essential criteria

• Highly specialist knowledge with at least 4 years-experience in communications.
• Knowledge of communications, public relations, journalism and marketing communications.
• Experience of developing communication and engagement plans involving internal and external stakeholders

Desirable criteria

• Experience of or training in public sector communications and understanding of local Sussex political, NHS and third sector organisations.

Skills
Essential criteria

• Able to assimilate complex information and translate this into effective, engaging communications approaches. This includes developing effective engagement plans targeting a range of stakeholders.
• Designing and delivering communications campaigns and engaging with local and national media where appropriate.
• Employing creativity in delivering communications content to maximise engagement and ensure the community mental health transformation project is understood by and accessible to a wide audience
• Ability to analyse very complex issues where material is conflicting and drawn from multiple sources.
• Ability to plan campaigns and organise engagement events to support the transformation programme.
• An ability to work under pressure to deadlines often managing conflicting priorities.
• Demontrate a proactive approach to support the team achieve the programme's milestones.
• IT literate and able to use a range of computer packages and the Internet.
• Provides and receives highly complex information where cooperation across the local health care system is required.
• Influences and persuades transformation programme teams and stakeholders on appropriate communications approach.
• Media management of high profile, sensitive issues regarding the transformation programme.
• Experience of managing multiple partners involved in the project, balancing need and priority.

Responsibility for Patient / Client Care
Essential criteria

• Demonstrates a strong desire to improve performance and make a difference to the population of Sussex.
• Confident in dealing with people of all levels both internally and externally to build engagement for the project

Responsibility for Policy/ Service Development
Essential criteria

• Ability to lead on communications on a major transformation project that extends across the Sussex health and care system.
• Experience of setting up and implementing internal processes and procedures.

Responsibility for Financial & Physical Resources
Essential criteria

• Understanding of purchasing and budget sign off requirements for major projects.

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge of Financial Systems e.g. monitoring budget management, processing invoices and procurement.

Responsibility for Human Resources
Essential criteria

• Demonstrates an ability to lead and delegate tasks to team members
• Briefing members of the project team on approach to communications and engagement.
• Provide coaching and guidance for media engagement to programme spokespeople.

Responsibility for Information Resources
Essential criteria

• Requires ability to produce content for newsletters, blogs to keep all stakeholders up to date on the programme's progress against its goals and objectives.
• Ability to write briefings for senior leaders and external stakeholders on complex issues.
• Develop media releases, publications, presentations and record relevant media coverage using the Trust media management systems.
• Build a database of people across the integrated care system - including service users and third sector partners, to participate in engagement initiatives.

Physical/Mental/Emotional effort
Essential criteria

• Frequent restriction position for working with IT equipment for content production and attending virtual calls.
• High levels of concentration required for drafting press releases, publications, providing communications advice to leaders and colleagues in the transformation project.
• Ability to analyse very complex issues where material is conflicting and drawn from multiple sources.
• Demonstrated capability to act upon incomplete information, using experience to make inferences and decision making.
• Occasional management of difficult situations where there are competing and sometimes urgent demands.
• Demonstrates tact, diplomacy, sensitivity and maturity in dealing with people with differing perspectives and priorities.

Sussex Partnership NHS FT is committed to supporting a diverse workforce that reflects our communities. Our workforce is currently under-represented from Black and Minority, Ethnic and disabled communities and we would welcome applications from these communities.

We regret that we are unable to advise candidates if they have not been shortlisted. If you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date please assume that you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.

In the event of an excessive number of applicants the Trust reserves the right to close this vacancy earlier than indicated.

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust takes its responsibilities for the safeguarding and protection of children and young people and vulnerable adults very seriously and expects this of all its employees and bank workers. The Trust works with adult and children's social care to ensure that the integrated service has systems in place to equip staff and bank workers with the knowledge and skills to recognize abuse, and take action to safeguard and protect vulnerable adults and children and young people. It is expected that all staff and bank workers familiarise themselves with the appropriate structures and policies and with the Sussex child protection and safeguarding procedures and the Sussex multi-agency policy and procedures for safeguarding vulnerable adults and undertake the relevant essential training and further training appropriate to their role.

Successful candidates are normally offered salaries at the bottom of the relevant salary range. However, where previous or equivalent NHS experience in a similar role can be demonstrated and evidenced, this may be taken into consideration when setting the starting salary.