External Communications Strategy Summary 2014-2017
Aims of the External Communications Strategy This is a summary of the key points and principles outlined within our full External Communications Strategy 2014-17 which guides our stakeholder communications approach. The strategy describes the overarching aims and ambitions of communicating well with our audiences. It also intends to reflect and support other vital initiatives, which encourage key stakeholder engagement in our Trust and its services. These include the Patient Experience and Involvement Strategy, the Internal Communications Strategy, the Organisational Development Strategy, and the Transformation Programme. The External Communications Strategy is led by our Vision, Strategic Objectives, and our Values, all interlocking under the umbrella of our commitment to Looking after you locally Our Vision To improve the quality of people s lives, in their homes and community, by providing the best in integrated health and social care More information on our Strategic Objectives and Values can be found at: www.norfolkcommunityhealthandcare.nhs.uk/about-us/ To fully support our Vision, Objectives and Values, the aims of our External Communications Strategy are to: Further raise awareness of NCH&C s reputation as a successful NHS Trust, offering real value for money Build our reputation for quality, expertise and innovation, and as a Trust which offers joined up care, tailored to the individual patient s needs, where they most need it Strengthen our communications with GPs / Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) Establish our essential role within the local health economy as a provider with the will, focus and expertise to meet the NHS care closer to home agenda Support our FT application and strengthen stakeholder support for our application External communications will therefore: Promote the excellent health and care we offer, outlining our commitment to providing personalised and joined up services for the benefit of local people Promote our committed and expert workforce Use the patient / public voice when describing services and staff Emphasise our Trust as an integral part of the local community a key point of difference Our aims will be delivered via our key messages, which can be grouped under the themes: Who we are, what we do and where we do it Our values, vision, goals and priorities Our future direction
Key principles of effective external communications Communications will be upheld as a responsibility of all within NCH&C and we will continue to empower, enable and encourage patients, staff and stakeholders to communicate positively and effectively on behalf of NCH&C We recognise that effective communications are essential to our development and achievement of our Values, Vision, Goals and Objectives We recognise our responsibility and duty of care to communicate with all stakeholders, including staff, patients and public, in a timely and accessible manner We will encourage open two-way communication between NCH&C and our stakeholders, including staff, patients / public, FT Members and commissioners We will deliver communications which are consistent with and true to our values and cultural ethos and commit to making the cultural transformation required to ensure this is achieved We will identify our core audiences, and develop the tools and channels to communicate better with our stakeholders / core audiences To achieve and maintain a reputation for excellence and innovation we will continue to recognise and invest in the value of effective and consistent communication with all stakeholders We will promote our recognisable and accessible brand to further enhance patient / public and stakeholder confidence in our ability to deliver high quality, innovative and cost effective health and care services We will audit and evaluate the effectiveness of our communications messages and methods and continue to improve and develop these PR projects will require development in partnership with departments/directorates involved, identifying budget, key targets and messages Communications will be delivered in line with NHS Branding guidelines and principles Communications will adhere to principles of equality and diversity. As a public duty we should make information on services accessible to everybody. This requires us to ensure that our published material is accessible, clear and easy to read and meets the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and the Equality Act 2010 Audience Our key communication audiences are identified in the diagram opposite, layered outwards to demonstrate the levels of influence each can have upon our reputation, with the most significant at the centre. Staff are at the heart of the successful delivery of our External Communications Strategy as they have the most frequent opportunities to engage with our key audiences, and the way the staff feel about our Trust will impact on how their reflect us externally. They are followed by GPs and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), our primary commissioners, as they can have a real influence upon other key audiences, in particular patients. Partners business partners / integrated organisations also sit within the inner circles, as they must be regarded almost as an extension of our own Trust. In our communications, we must always identify which of our key messages are most relevant to which audience group and the appropriate tools to deliver them, eg, communicating high quality and efficient services to GPs through day to day interactions with NCH&C staff. We have assessed the approaches, including method and frequency of communications which are appropriate to our audiences and will continue to reflect on and adapt these as appropriate.
Tools We utilise a range of tools in communicating with our audience, including face-to-face interactions, digital and printed communication materials, events, media and PR. Some of the key approaches are outlined below. Staff the ambassadors of our reputation Staff are the greatest advocates for the Trust and the frontline point of contact for many of our external audiences. To improve the organisation s external reputation staff will: Be engaged and empowered to become positive ambassadors of reputation Recognise that good external communication is an integral part of their job Be aware that their views can be interpreted as being the views of NCH&C and their actions affect the reputation of the Trust Media and PR NCH&C is committed to a policy of openness with the public and therefore has a responsibility to inform the media about health and care services, changes to services, the policies of NCH&C and the way the organisation works. For proactive Public Relations activities, including events and campaigns, we will endeavour to deliver engaging activities, but we will always consider these in light of value for money and ensure that any spend in this area is justifiable and offers real benefits to our patients or public. Patient Experience and Involvement The most important factor in communicating well with our patients is that by doing so we improve their overall experience of our services and ultimately help to improve their health outcomes. Because of this focus, our primary engagement activities with patients and the public are driven by NCH&C s Patient Experience and Involvement Team, with ongoing liaison with the Communications Team and the Quality and Risk (Governance) teams. The effectiveness of our communications is surveyed as part of wider feedback into patient experience, such as the Family and Friends Test. The Communications functions within the Trust will continue to deliver and support wider public, facing activity. Website Extensively redeveloped, our website enables us to provide more accessible information about our services, showcasing the breadth and depth of expertise, while fulfilling statutory requirements to publish corporate documents such as Trust policies and Board papers. While providing easy-to-access, up-to-date information to all, the website is also a key tool for GPs regarding referral to our services, and delivers augmented information to healthcare professionals via recognised log in, such as key clinical Trust contacts, links to Knowledge Anglia, referral criteria, etc. The website is continually monitored and developed in response to Trust priorities and audience need, such as, regularly updating service information in The Care We Offer one of the most heavily-used sections, and expanding the Research section to showcase our innovation and invite the public to take part in research studies Social Media Recognising the importance of social media, the Trust is developing a Digital Media Strategy to address: Aims and objectives of using digital media to communicate How best to target appropriate patient groups / stakeholders who will be most receptive to this form of communication Managing the risks of using social media Developing and governing the use of social media within services and between services and patients groups
Key Account Management Strategy The Key Account Management Strategy outlines how we communicate with commissioning stakeholders including CCGs, GPs and the wider local health economy. The strategy identifies the most appropriate communication leads within our Trust, the frequency and the nature of contact, for example, face-to-face or contract meetings. In addition, stakeholders receive relevant newsletters and updates from the Communications Team. Guardians of the brand The Communications Team acts as the guardians of the Trust s visual brand identity, ensuring that externally facing communications and messages comply with, and promote our Vision, Objectives and Values. This includes the team delivering or supporting the delivery of: service brands; compliant materials, advising and educating staff in clear messaging, and developing easy-to-use templates for information resources. Measuring success We will measure the success of our external communications by: Ensuring specific questions about communication are included within Patient Experience Surveys, and by reviewing comments and responses on online feedback channels, such as Patient Opinion Monitoring media coverage and its tone Actively surveying patients, FT Members and Governors, CCGs, GPs and other stakeholders about our services and key messages, using our website and newsletter Face to face key account management process and feeding back via the Trust Management Team (TMT) we will measure any shift in perceptions about our Trust Continually asking stakeholders how they prefer to be communicated with so we can adjust our chosen methodologies to suit Looking to the future A high level communications plan is developed annually and sits within the Communications Team. This plan will continue to be implemented and refreshed, and new activities planned through each quarter. The range of activities can be extensive and, among other initiatives, would typically include: events, public facing campaigns, political briefings, ongoing development of the website, support for strategic thinking and tenders, ongoing media management and engagement with other healthcare communicators.