Digital Communications Manager

Job overview

The UHL-UHN Group is moving through a programme of significant transformation involving the implementation of transformative clinical models of service and organisational integration, including the introduction of AI-based systems. A key element of this change will be the constant evolution of our digital systems to ensure our clinical services and management process are modern, safe, effective and well governed.

The Digital Communications Manager (DCM) will develop and implement impactful communications and engagement plans for the One Digital programme and its associated projects — in particular, the Electronic Patient Record (EPR) programme. The role will ensure all communications align with and support wider organisational strategies and objectives.

Main duties of the job

The DCM will use insight to segment and tailor our approaches, generating compelling and relevant communications campaigns for staff, stakeholders and the public.

The One Digital programme spans the group formed by University Hospitals of Leicester (UHL) and University Hospitals of Northamptonshire (UHN). While this post is hosted within the UHL communications team, the postholder will work in close partnership with colleagues across UHN and the Digital and Data department delivering One Digital across the UHL–UHN Group.

We are looking for an enthusiastic, experienced and highly motivated communicator who thrives on new challenges and brings creativity, resilience and strategic thinking to their work.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Communications planning and delivery

Acting as lead communications specialist, scope, research, plan and refine a communications strategy for the Electronic Patient Record programme and associated projects.

Develop and coordinate creative, accurate and effective communications materials for a range of audiences to support the delivery of the programme and associated projects, e.g. web pages, presentations, newsletters, media releases.

Coordinate and facilitate events, including engagement sessions and workshops, using persuasion to facilitate collaborative working and agreeing outcomes.

Liaise with third party suppliers to ensure a co-ordinated approach to communication around the programme.

Collect and analyse data to ensure ongoing evaluation of all communications activities; adapt plans and activities based on the findings: e.g. undertaking audits or surveys and analysing findings.

Create and deliver reports on the communications activities and outcomes.

Work with the External Affairs team to respond to media enquiries about the programme and difficult organisational situations in a professional and timely manner, ensuring governance and policies for sensitive or complex queries and situations are followed.

Receive, interpret and communicate highly complex, sensitive information in ways that are easily accessible, carefully targeted and appropriate to the audience. This will include staff at all levels of the Trust, clinicians, patients and the public.

Engage our staff about the potential of our evolving digital programme and ensure we provide timely information to different audiences through a range of Trust and partner communications channels.

Work closely with Trust senior managers, the programme team and members of the project implementation teams to ensure stakeholders are effectively engaged and communicated with.

Ensure all Trust information meets NHS corporate identity guidelines and the Trust’s own style and brand guidelines.

Sourcing and commissioning work / resources to support communication for the programme, ensuring budgets and timescales are met.

Horizon scan national and regional publications and social media and feed back into the organisation on anything relevant to the programme.

Liaise with Communications teams in other Trusts which have implemented / are implementing comparable digital programmes to share best practice and lessons learned; amend plans in accordance with the findings

Support an effective communications and engagement programme with all stakeholders

Act as an ambassador for the Trust’s EPR programme, and develop and maintain effective networks and relationships with internal and external contacts

Governance

Provide reports to relevant governance bodies in relation to the progress and ongoing monitoring of communication processes.

Contribution to the Communications and Engagement team

Participating in and contributing to effective departmental and project meetings in a style consistent with the Trust’s organisational values.

Following departmental policies and procedures as they apply to the duties undertaken by this role.

You will be part of the team’s on-call rota.

Leadership

• Promoting the wider public good in all actions, acting in a morally, legally and socially appropriate manner in dealings with stakeholders and members of the portfolio teams and the organisation
• Identifying, addressing and resolving differences between individuals and / or interest groups
• Empowering and inspiring others to deliver successful projects; providing specialist communications training, sharing knowledge and skills with communications and project staff
• Developing and managing teams
• Establishing and maintaining close working partnerships with key managers within both the Digital Programmes Department and Digital Healthcare Departments.
• Ensuring that the project involves the communications team in relevant aspects and that their roles are clearly defined and understood
• Constantly seeks to drive up the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of the service the team provides, including supporting policy reviews and proposing changes to ways of working
• Ensuring the team is effective, supported and achieves a level of team wellbeing based on the Trust’s respective values and behaviours framework.
• Ensuring all policy and service developments are impact assessed in respect of equality and clinical safety requirements.
• Supervision of Communications Officers assigned to work on projects.