CHFT Social Media Guidance

CHFT Social Media Guidance

Summary

Many trusts, services and individuals within the NHS now use social media (especially Facebook and Twitter) to promote their services and offer advice and support to their patients and their families.

Increasingly at CHFT, different healthcare groups within the Trust are asking the Communications Team for their own access to Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Due to this increasing demand for social media use, and to protect you and the Trust’s reputation, the Communications Team has drawn up this guidance for using social media at work.

There are three important steps which must be followed:

• If you are thinking of setting up your own social mediaaccount youmust have a chat in advance with the Communications Team so they can understand your aims. It may be that they can help support a short term campaign or piece of work through the corporate accounts.
• Once approval in principle has been given you must then sign-up to the guidelines in Appendix 1. This means we can set up a database of all the sites operating in the name of CHFT and who is responsible for their content.
• It is also important your line manager is also signed-up to this in Appendix 1. The Communications Team are unable to “police” all content, so there has to be self-regulation.
• Whensending a tweet, include @CHFTNHS with every tweet so Communications can see what is being shared.

This guidance is in six sections:

1. Be safe online
2. Important information to read before using social media
3. Using social media for your service
4. Social media FAQs
5. Professional bodies – guidelines for use of social media
6. Contact information
7. Appendix 1 – Authorisation for work related social media account

1 Be safe online

Social media acts like a noticeboard to the world, and it is protected by law.

Lawssurrounding harassment, discrimination, defamation and confidentiality still apply online and are taken very seriously. They apply to an individual account or a group account which represents the Trust.

You can't post something that:

• Brings the Trust into disrepute
• Breaches patient or service user confidentiality
• May be considered as harassment or bullying
• Promotes illegal acts
• Involves threats or violence
• Promotes racial or religious hatred or unfair discrimination

In a nutshell - and before you post anything… THINK!

• T- is it true?
• H- is it hurtful?
• I – is it illegal?
• N – is it necessary?
• K – is it kind?

This is in line with the Trust’s existing policies on:

• Confidentiality Policy
• Email Policy
• Information Governance Policy
• Internet Use Policy
• Personal Harassment and Bullying in the Workplace

All our policies can be read at Home > Publications > Policies

Important - read me

Failure to adhere to our Trust policies may result in disciplinary action and even dismissal. There have been rare cases of this happening at CHFT.

If illegal acts are discovered,theTrust may inform the police and criminal prosecution may follow.

If you'reunsure aboutany of the issues raised here, speak to your manager - who needs to be the co-signatory of this document aware orHR.

3 Using social media for your service

If you're interested in using social media to communicate on behalf of your service or team –first let your line manager know. They will hold responsibility for all content and conversations and must be co-signatory in Appendix 1.

There should also be at least two named people to manage your account/s from your service. These need to be listed in Appendix 1 so Communications know who to approach with questions.

Also, let the Communications Team know so we are aware you are issuing information on behalf of the Trust and so we can support you to communicate effectively and safely.

If you are only going to post and monitor the sites during certain hours this must be advertised to all followers in your profile/on your page.

Using Facebook groups

Facebook is a great way of connecting with patients and our communities - especially our younger service users - to keep them up-to-date with the services we provide and issue up to date health advice and information about services.

Setting up a closed group allows really specific communications about a certain topic or service. Remember that even if you set up a closed group you must follow the guidance and protocols here. Click here to get more help on groups.

We’re currently not approving specific departmental Facebook pages as we can help support messages through our CHFT Facebook page. Communications would be happy to discuss this with you.

Using Twitter

Twitter lets you send short updates known as Tweets to let your followers know what your team is up to. It’s great for staying up-to-date withcurrent events, breaking news and the latest trends.

CHFT already has a Trust twitter account @CHFTNHS. We use it to connect with our colleagues, local communities, other NHS Trusts, experts in healthcare, experts in technology and of course, our friends.We have more than2300 followers so it reaches a large number of people.

Also, for example, our Assisted Conception Team hastheir own twitter account at @CHFTFertility

How to Tweet – see @CHFTNHS to look at style and tone

Tweets are short comments you post on your profile for your followers and the world to see.

You only get 140 characters to say what you want, so cut back unnecessary words and get straight to the point.

The Communications Team often give short updates and use links back to our website or stories, so anyone interested can read on.

Copy @CHFTNHS into all your tweets so the Communications Team can see them all.We can help share your information on.

Who sees Twitter posts?

Your tweets can be seen by anyone who follows your account. If you've used a hash tag to promote your comment, you've just broadened your potential audience to the whole world.Hashtags get combined in the ‘big wide world of Twitter’, so if you decide to use one – keep it very specific unless it’s linked to a nationwide campaign.

You can keep your posts private, which means you'll get to approve who will see your posts. If you want to do this,update your Twitter settings.

Your account needs to have more than one person with access to it. Everyone with access to it should be recorded and it should be clear on the account how and when posts will be done and responded to.

Using Instagram - CHFTNHS

Instagram is a photo based platform, it’s a great way to communicate short, quick good news about the Trust and teams. It is a mobile phone platform so can only be updated from a smart phone; however it is accessible via the internet.

Members of the public can tag themselves at our sites independently of our account, whilst they can also interact with our account by liking, tagging us, commenting and following our account.

How to use Instagram

Once you have clicked the centre button on the banner at the bottom of the screen, you can add the photo you would like to use. Click next and click past the photo editing, you will be at a page to add the text to your image (Instagram does NOT allow websites to be linked), add location and finally share your post.

Please take a look at suggested hashtags below to be added to your post.

Who sees Instagram posts?

Your posts can be seen by anyone who follows your account. If you've used a hash tag to promote your comment, you've just broadened your potential audience to the whole world.

Using WhatsApp

OK, so it’s not strictly social media, but setting up a WhatsApp group is an informal way to communicate with your staff groups. Groups are set up from your telephone contact list. It’s worth bearing in mind that colleagues may decide not to share their contact information with you, so this should not be used as the only channel for policy or instructional messages.

Remember: all messages sent to the group (by anyone in the group) are seen by the whole group.

Suggested Hash tags

#TeamCHFT #CHFT #Kirklees #Calderdale #NHS #NHSjobs

4 Social media FAQs

Q Why is social media good to use?

Social media helps you create an online social network of friends, colleagues and like-minded peers. You can share ideas, send messages, upload photos, post comments, arrange events and make new connections.

Because social media is instant, you can quickly share your news and updates with your followers, giving them first hand access to news about healthcare they care about and are interested in.

Social media can also plays a key role in managing relationships and gaining trust with stakeholders.Arecent studyshows thatmore than 40 percent of patients say social media affects their hospital choice.

More and more people are sharing their experiences online, so whether positive or negative, if you're able to respond quickly with the right information, you can show that you're responsive and care about your stakeholders.

It's also a great way of increasing staff engagement. Staff will be able to see what the public are saying about the team or the Trust and also are able to comment on what the Trust is posting for quick and direct communication.See NHS Employers guide to increasing staff engagement with social media

Q How do I handle personal or confidential information?

When you post a comment on a blog or social media, you are creating a permanent record. Even if you delete the post, someone else may have kept a record, so treat your own and others’ personal information with care.

As a rule, never share personal information about a patient or service user. Remember: Information Governance rules apply to online posts.

Information Governance Policy

Q Can I seek feedback from service users?

Social media provides a great opportunity to gather feedback about a service or event, but it's important to consider the level of feedback you're likely to receive and be prepared to handle any responses appropriately.

It may be that you set timescales about when it is monitored and that responses can only be at a certain time (this should be shared so they know).

Remember to respect patient confidentiality at all times.

Don’t forget that our NHS Friends & Family Test (FFT) is our official way of gathering information about how well we’re doing – so as well as using social media, please remember to encourage people to complete FFT for your service area.

Q Can I give advice to followers?

Social media users will often look to professionals for advice or help with certain issues online. Remember: any views you share also reflect on CHFT as a whole.

Remember social media posts may eventually be visible to anyone, so respect privacy and confidentiality. Ask yourself is it appropriate to discuss in the public domain? Do not identify anyone through your comments/advice – remembering our confidentiality policy.

• Recommend they contact the service concerned or their GP for advice in the first instance.
• Make sure your information is accurate, up-to-date and is according to NICE guidelines.

Contact Communications if you need to seek advice or guidance.

Q Can I speak on behalf of CHFT?

No. Don't speak on behalf of CHFT. Remember the media follow all information outlets so any message has the potential to become front page news.

If anything you post on Facebook or Twitter attracts a media response then advise them to contact the Communications team on 01484 35 5252, 5253 or 5256. Or email

If using personal accounts for expressing professional opinion, its common practice to include a disclaimer in your profile saying your opinions are your own and do not necessarily reflect the view of the company you work for.

In any case, avoid stating that your opinions are facts.

Your professional bodies will also have guidelines.

Q Do I need to clear my posts with Communications before making them?

As a rule, we don't review, edit or censor individual posts. We trust employees to exercise good judgement andbe safe when using social media. As an employee of CHFT, you should think about how the comments you make online, not only reflect you as an individual, but also how they affect CHFT as a whole.

Q How do I know which social media is best for me?

Social media platforms are all useful in different ways. To find out which type is suitable for you, check the following guides:

Facebook

Twitter

At the end of this is a full list of professional healthcare bodies who issue social media guidance.

Q What do I do if someone writes about a colleague or my service?

Clearly we’re all passionate about delivering a great service, so some comments may feel personal. This handy picture gives good advice about what to do if someone writes about your service or a colleague online

Q Can I use social media for recruitment?

Yes!As trends in searching for jobs change and move beyond the job section in the local newspaper, it's important we make sure we are seen and heard to ensure we are targeting the best candidates.

Social media provides a great opportunity to engage with candidates to give an insight into what it's like to work for the organisation.

Sites such as LinkedIn are increasingly being used by professionals to network, share best practice and personal achievements in their career. This creates a great opportunity to find high quality candidates and sharenew job openings to users who share similar interests and are looking for a change in career.

NHS Employershave created a fantastic guide to help introduce you tousing social media for recruitmentinthe NHS.

5 Finally, for extra reassurance, your professional bodies all issue their own guidelines for social media use. Check these for further information.

Regulators

Nursing & Midwifery Council

General Medical Council

Health and Care Professions Council

Professional bodies

Royal College of General Practitioners

British Medical Association

Royal College of Nursing

Royal College of Midwives

Royal Pharmaceutical Society

British Association of Occupational Therapists & College of Occupational Therapists

British Dietetic Association

The British Psychological Society

Chartered Society of Physiotherapy

British Association of Social Workers

Contact Communications on:

Mail to: , or call 01484 35 ext 5252, ext 5253 or ext 5256.

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Appendix 1 - AUTHORISATION FOR A WORK-RELATED SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT

Information about the social media account
Which social media platform do you want to use?
Proposed account name (check not already in use or similar) – short and to the point
What is itto be used for?
Who is your intended audience?
Information about you:
Your name
Your job title
Your department
Your contact details (phone and/or email)
Please tell us who else will be monitoring your account (there must be at least two colleagues per service)
Information about your line manager:
Your line manager’s name
Your signature: Please sign (electronically by mail is ok) below if you agree with the statements:

• I have read and understand the social media guidance, including having an awareness of our policies
• I have agreed this with my line manager
• I have talked to the Communications Team
• I agree to include @CHFTNHS in any tweets I/we send

Line manager signature to authorise the account:
I have authorised the use of this social media account and understand the guidance.
Date:

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