Communications Specialist

Job overview

The Communications Specialist will support the delivery of communications and engagement activity for the Delegated Commissioning Programme within Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (SPFT).

he role will focus on developing and delivering targeted communications to a wide range of internal and external stakeholders across the Sussex Integrated Care System (ICS), supporting the transition and ongoing management of delegated commissioning responsibilities.

The post holder will play a key role in communicating complex commissioning arrangements, service changes, and system priorities in a clear and accessible way. This includes engaging with staff, providers, partners, and service users to ensure transparency, understanding, and effective stakeholder involvement.

The role requires strong organisational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to work independently while advising and influencing senior stakeholders across commissioning and provider organisations.

Main duties of the job

The Communications Specialist will lead the delivery of communications and engagement activity to support the Delegated Commissioning programme, ensuring complex commissioning arrangements, service changes, and system priorities are clearly understood across the Trust and wider Integrated Care System. Key duties include developing and implementing communications strategies and plans, producing high-quality content across multiple channels, managing stakeholder engagement with providers, staff, partners and service users, and supporting media activity and reputation management. The role also involves advising senior stakeholders, ensuring communications are embedded within programme delivery, monitoring engagement and impact, and maintaining effective communication systems and governance processes.

The role requires excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex information into clear and accessible messages. Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills are essential, alongside the ability to manage multiple priorities and work independently in a fast-paced environment. The postholder must demonstrate strong organisational skills, attention to detail, and a proactive, collaborative approach, with the confidence to advise senior colleagues and contribute to system-wide working.

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 ICB partners.  •    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 ICB 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.