Job Title:Communications & Liaison Officer

Job Description

Job title:Communications & Liaison Officer

Location:Brixton, London with some local travel

Reports to:Engagement Manager

Salary:£32,000

Hours:37.5 per week

Benefits:26days annual leave plus bank holidays, pension contribution

Healthwatch Lambeth is the independent health and social care champion for local people. We address inequalities in health and care to help ensure everyone gets the services they need. We have a growing supporter list of more than 1000people using and working in Lambeth’s health and social care services, and we have robust partnerships with local providers and commissioners.

Overview of the role:

As an experienced communications and marketing professional, this role leads on successfully engaging residents and other stakeholders in Lambeth (and further afield) in the work of Healthwatch Lambeth. You will need to understand how to communicate successfully to specific segments of our potential audience. You will be responsible for raising the profile of the charitythough posts and campaigns across a wide variety of platforms, developing informative and effective newsletter content as well as drawing on strategic knowledge of various media platforms and branding principles.

This position is a key part of the Engagement Team alongside the Engagement Manager and two Engagement Leads, helping to raise awareness of our work programmes and engage effectively with stakeholders in these areas. This position also requires excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to:

Network efficiently and develop relationships with a diverse range of partners,
Manage relationships with volunteers and undertake signposting duties
Facilitate consultation events with the local community ensuring that their voices are heard and can be utilised to effect service change.

Purpose of the job:

To maintain and develop the external profile of Healthwatch Lambeth among Lambeth residents and develop the internal communications links and processes with and between our members.

Internal Communications

To support the staff team by developing an effective internal communications strategy to ensure that all in-house stakeholders have timely and accurate information on Healthwatch Lambeth’s strategic and operational priorities.
To produce publicity and promotion materials for Healthwatch Lambeth events and engagement activities and other external publications and events.
To liaise with Healthwatch England and support national communications and promotional activities as part of the Healthwatch network.
To develop local brand principles, using Healthwatch England guidance and ensure all communications material produced adhere to the same standards.
To ensure staff are familiar with branding guidelines and principles, training new staff and volunteers as appropriate.
To design induction packs for employees and create visuals for the team around Healthwatch Lambeth’s vision, mission, values and behaviours.
To edit and design the format of all published reports.
To provide a point of contact for general enquiries from Lambeth residents, organisations and the public.

External Communications

To lead on the development of a dynamic external communications strategy and to manage communications with our wider supporters and key stakeholders.
To develop and maintain a network of strong relationships with journalists and other stakeholders of relevance to Healthwatch Lambeth including Communications and Engagement Officers within the NHS and Council and other partner agencies
To produce and disseminate two quarterly newsletters and monthly e-bulletins for Healthwatch Lambeth supporters and key partners
To design and deliver public engagement and consultation events.
To identify external media opportunities to promote Healthwatch Lambeth and work with the Chief Executive to secure external coverage of the organisation’s key activities, projects and messages.
To work closely with the Chief Executive to respond appropriately to media enquiries, sometimes out of hours as arranged with the Chief Executive.

Volunteer facilitated communication

To manage Volunteer recruitment, including preparing and placing advertising and co-ordinating induction and other training programmes as necessary. To be the initial contact point for all volunteers working with the Engagement Team.
To manage a team of outreach volunteers delivering a programme of weekly outreach events designed to raise awareness of Healthwatch with key audiences across the borough.

To support the Engagement Manager and CEO by developing a suite of volunteer policies with a view to achieving Investing in Volunteers Quality Standard.

Monitoring impact and recording insight

With the Engagement Manager, to collate and analyse the findings of our outreach work and to maximise local insight to support Healthwatch Lambeth’s influencing agenda with commissioners, policy planners and providers.

Lead on digital communications and social media

To develop Healthwatch Lambeth’s social media strategy and manage the organisation’s Facebook, Twitter and blog activity.
To edit content and lead in the organisation’s efforts to ensure the quality of content posted online is accurate and professional.
To monitor web analytics and lead in developing strategies for increasing traffic to various parts of the site as well as professional SEO
To ensure the website is up to date and providing useful and accurate information for Lambeth stakeholders and others as appropriate.

Support Healthwatch Lambeth’s wider aims and objectives

Lead in the production of external communications materials as appropriate, in particular for conferences, workshops and other public events.
Work as part of the wider Healthwatch Lambeth team, attending meetings and events as required.
Work in support of other colleagues in the organisation, as particular needs arise, as directed by the Chief Executive.
Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and all employees are required to act in such a way that at all times safeguards the health and wellbeing of children and vulnerable adults. Familiarisation with, and adherence to, our organisational Safeguarding Policy and Procedures, and any associated guidance is an essential requirement of all Healthwatch representatives.
Undertake additional duties as requested by the Chief Executive which furthers the aims and objectives of Healthwatch Lambeth.

The above is not an exhaustive list of duties and you will be expected to perform different tasks as necessitated by your changing role within the organisation and the overall business objectives of the organisation.

Employee Signed: ………………………………. Date: ……………….

Employer Signed: ….……………………………. Date: ……………….

Communications and Liaison Officer Person Specification

Experience / Essential / Desirable
Experience in a communications role / X
Experience of managing volunteers / X
Experience of organising public consultation events / X
Experience of creating engaging posts and campaigns across a variety of social media platforms / X
Experience writing newsletters and using tools such as Mailchimp / X
Experience of contributing to company brand guidelines / X
Ability, Skills and Knowledge / Essential / Desirable
Ability to communicate in an engaging and effective way with a variety of different audiences / X
Ability to plan strategically and identify opportunities to reach new audiences / X
Ability to network effectively and build positive relationships with a range of stakeholders / X
In depth and up to date insight into social media platforms and how to use them strategically / X
Ability to work on own initiative, to prioritise and meet required deadlines and manage competing influences whilst prioritising the needs of the initiative / X
Knowledge of health and care services, particularly mental health, older people and learning disabilities. / X
Experience and knowledge of effective signposting systems and their requirements / X
Excellent verbal and written communication skills / X
Excellent working knowledge of all standard Microsoft Office software and of social media / X
Ability to use web analytics and identify new audiences / X
Personal Qualities / Essential / Desirable
Understanding of and commitment to equality and diversity / X
Enthusiasm and a positive attitude / X
Can demonstrate a commitment to a person centred approach and involvement of people who use services in all aspects of work / X
A positive approach to IT and a commitment to using its applications / X
General
Occasional evening or weekend work may be required
An enhanced DBS check will be required