Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust
About
Established in April 2006, Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust is an integrated health and social care Trust specialising in the provision of mental health services throughout Kent. The Trust serves a population of approximately 1.8 million people across a mix of urban and rural areas and socio-economic groups.
We aim to provide effective, efficient and high quality care to all clients and the services provided include assessment of need, support, individual or group programmes of care, education and the promotion of mental health issues. These services are provided in a variety of locations including inpatient units, community homes, mental health centres, day treatment units and in clients' own homes. Our Care Programme Approach has encouraged clients to become fully involved in their own programme of care. This ensures that their views and wishes and those of their families and carers are reflected in their treatment of care.
Our Vision
The Trust aims to deliver quality through partnership. Creating a dynamic system of care, so people receive the right help, at the right time, in the right setting with the right outcome.
Our Values
Respect
We value people as individuals, we treat others as we would like to be treated.
Open
Work in a collaborative, transparent way.
Accountable
We are professional and responsible for our actions.
Working Together
We work together to make a difference for our service users.
Innovative
We find creative ways to run efficient, high quality services.
Excellence
We listen and learn to continually improve our knowledge and ways of working.
Vacancy Status
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Key details
Location
SitePriority HouseAddressHermitage LaneTownMaidstonePostcodeME16 9PHMajor / Minor RegionKent
Contract type & working pattern
ContractPermanentHours37.5 hours per week
* Full time
* Flexible working
* Compressed hours
Salary
Salary£88,168 - £101,677 per annumSalary periodYearlyGrade(Band 8D)
Specialty
Main areacommunications, engagement and involvementInterview date22/04/2025
The CQC rates us as an Outstanding organisation for Caring with an overall rating of Good
Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT) offer a range of ongoing benefits to our valued workforce across the Trust. From an active health and wellbeing programme to regular recognition events, we work hard to provide varied benefits that make a difference to your work-life balance.
Would you like to work flexibly? In the NHS, we are reminded every day of how important life is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us, for our patients and for you.
Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement.
Working at KMPT (youtube.com)
Job Overview
Deputy Director of Communications, Engagement and Involvement
1 in 4 of us living in the UK will experience mental ill health each year. And when that happens in Kent and Medway, KMPT is there to offer specialist support to the most seriously unwell.
Each year we look after over 2,000 people in our hospitals and 54,000 people in the community. And we are able to do that because of our 3,700+ staff, who are dedicated to providing the best possible care at what can be one of the most difficult points of a persons, and their loved ones, lives.
The communications and marketing team, and involvement and engagement teams, are responsible for ensuring its people, patients, partners and communities are informed, engaged and involved in the development and delivery of services.
This role will lead both those teams and play a pivotal leadership role across the trust to support our wider strategic objectives.
Advert
Interested? These are the key results areas:
* Shape and drive strategic communications initiatives, enhancing the trusts reputation, fostering community involvement and ensuring patient and public voices are heard in everything we do.
* Set the organisations brand presence and reputation, communications and engagement strategies, co-creation and involvement activities, and build strong relationships with key stakeholders, patients, partners and the public.
* Plan and align communications, engagement and involvement strategies with the trusts overall mission, goals and values, ensuring all efforts are patient-centred, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of diverse stakeholders.
* Build and maintain relationships with stakeholders across a complex system, including partners, community leaders, media outlets and industry influencers.
* Accountable for leading and managing the communications and marketing team, and involvement and engagement team and driving top performance and service delivery.
Working for our organisation
Come and work with us in the Garden of England where we combine exceptional professional development opportunities with a tremendous quality of life.
We are Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT), providing mental health, learning disability and specialist services, serving 1.8 million people in Kent and Medway, as well as specialist services for adults in Sussex and Surrey. We are rated Good overall by the CQC.
Each year we care for over 2,000 people in our hospitals and 54,000 people in the community.
We are proud to employ over 3,800 people from 66 nationalities, and to serve an increasingly diverse range of communities across rural and urban areas.
You will be joining friendly, passionate colleagues, rich in their diversity, who are committed to providing excellent care to our service users and their loved ones.
The nature of our work attracts kindness and compassion as standard and everyone from our cleaners and porters to the chief executive and chairman are recognised as playing a vital role in providing an exemplary service.
Our strategy
Our mission is what we set out to do every day
Our vision is where we want to be in the future
Check out our recruitment videosRecruitment - YouTube
Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities
* Collaborate with the director of communications, engagement and involvement to set and implement comprehensive strategies that support the trusts objectives and priorities.
* Design and lead the communications and marketing, and involvement and engagement teams to deliver high-quality outcomes across media relations, stakeholder engagement, marketing campaigns, digital engagement, co-creation and involvement.
* Provide strategic leadership and professional expertise in communication, marketing, engagement and involvement to support the trust to deliver its vision and strategy.
Please refer to the attached job description for full details and main responsibilities of the role.
At KMPT, we are serious about diversity and inclusion, and we are working hard to build this into our DNA. We warmly welcome applications for any of our roles from people from diverse backgrounds, and we are proactively encouraging applications from under-represented communities for our more senior roles, like this one.
KMPT Staff Benefits
NHS pension scheme
Your employer pays 23.7% towards your pension and life assurance benefits.
Please see http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/Pensions.aspx for more details.
Annual leave for Agenda for Change
On appointment to NHS
27 days for full time or pro rata if part time
After 5 years NHS service
29 days full time or pro rata if part time
After 10 years NHS service
33 days full time or pro rata if part time
Plus bank holidays, thats up to 41 days - more than 8 weeks paid time off!
Medical staffs have national Terms and Conditions. Buying and selling of annual leave is also available as part of our flexible approach to staff benefits.
Recommend a friend campaign
If you already work for us you could refer a friend from outside of the Trust to any of the roles below and you can receive £1000 if they are successfully recruited; Nursing staff - RMN RGN RNLD - Band 5 and 6, Medical Doctors, Clinical Psychologist and Allied Health Professionals,
Flexible working
Covers job share, term time working, flexible shifts etc. Just ask and we will try to help.
Statutory and occupational maternity, paternity or adoption leave
Dependant on length of NHS service
Other Paid/unpaid Leave
This can be for Jury Service, Reserved Armed Forces, etc. This is paid outside of annual leave.
Non paid leave for career breaks
Staff Support
KMPT offers a face to face counselling service for any issues not just work related problems.
NHS discounts and shopping vouchers
Staff can sign up for Red Guava, PS discounts and Health Service Discounts to receive a variety of discounts in travel, fashion, technology, mobile phone contracts, food and drink, days out etc.
Learning and Development opportunities
In addition to the mandatory subjects there are a number of leadership, management and staff topic areas, including coaching and mentoring.
Induction
The Induction programme will provide an excellent opportunity for new staff to meet and engage with KMPTs subject specialists and include the required training.
The programme may involve some travel to the various training venues across Kent and Medway, the main ones being Canterbury, Maidstone and Dartford.
New starter bonus
At the Trust we really value our nurses and the skills they bring. To recognise this we offer a New Hire Bonus of £1200 pro rata for band 5 and 6 nursing staff.
Staff Network Forums
A variety of staff network forums which empower, support and encourage network members and allies, to reflect KMPT values and promote equality and diversity.
Lease car scheme, Cycle to work scheme, the list goes on!
Probation Period. New employees external to Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust are subject to a six-month probationary period.
To deliver an effective service it is essential in some of our roles that you are able to travel between work bases in a timely manner.
Production of false or forged documents/qualifications in order to obtain employment is a criminal offence and will be reported to the Police.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check. Certain roles are subject to criminal record checks called Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. Therefore, you will be required to submit a completed Disclosure form to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
KMPT are signed up to NHS England's Sexual Safety in Health Care Organisational Charter
KMPT takes a systematic zero-tolerance approach to tackle any unwanted, inappropriate and/or harmful sexual behaviours within the workplace and in our care provision. We are committed to sexual safety which encompasses prevention, support and decisive action against perpetrators. We are committed to keeping you and our patients safe.
KMPT is creating an environment for equal opportunities for all, where we can be ourselves.ALL
In cases where we receive a high volume of applications for a post, it may be necessary to bring the closing date forward. Please submit your completed application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
Due to the high volume of applications received, it is not possible to respond individually to your application. Should you not hear from us within six weeks of the vacancy closing, please assume that your application has not been successful.
Use of AI when writing job applications
While AI tools can be helpful in generating ideas and drafting initial versions, they should never be the sole source for writing your job application.
AI cannot truly understand the specific job you're applying for or what makes you a good fit. Therefore, it's crucial to personalise any AI-generated content to accurately reflect your skills, experiences, and aspirations.
Relying solely on AI to write your application may result in generic, impersonal, and potentially inaccurate content. Always review and refine any AI-generated text to ensure it effectively communicates your experience, skills, accomplishments, and aspirations, and demonstrates your suitability for the position.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
* Leadership or management qualification, or equivalent experience.
* Postgraduate qualification or professional development in healthcare communications, engagement or involvement.
* Evidence of continuous professional and personal development in the sector.
Desirable criteria
* Membership of relevant professional body (e.g. CIPR, CIM) Professional qualification in leadership.
Experience
Essential criteria
* A strong background in healthcare or the public sector.
* Proven leadership and management experience in communications, engagement and involvement strategies, services and teams in complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
* Experience leading crisis communications, high-pressure situations with diplomacy and tact.
* Proven experience in brand management or strategic branding for a public facing organisation.
* Extensive experience managing relationships with a broad range of stakeholders at all levels.
* Experience handling highly sensitive and complex information and making recommendations on communications handling both internally and externally.
Desirable criteria
* Experience of / or knowledge of behavioural science techniques and how to apply these in communications.
Skills
Essential criteria
* Proven ability to lead, inspire and influence teams and partners, fostering a collaborative, results-driven and continuous improvement environment
* Excellent leadership and people skills, with the ability to build relationships at all levels to influence, negotiate and reconcile conflicting views. Ability to manage complex issues and competing priorities in a fast-paced, high pressured environment
* Deep commitment to involving patients, the public and our people in the design and delivery of healthcare services.
* Exceptional strategic thinker with the ability to think creatively and proactively problem-solve.
* Ability to lead and drive change within an organisation, with a hands-on approach to execution.
* A demonstrated ability to lead public engagement initiatives and drive patient and public involvement in service design and decision-making.
* Resilient and adaptable, with the ability to respond quickly and calmly to changing circumstances, navigate ambiguity and work on often difficult and emotionally challenging subjects
* Ability to identify opportunities for improvement and put plans in place to deliver alongside business as usual priorities.
Knowledge
Essential criteria
* Advanced theoretical and practical experience in senior communications, engagement and involvement.
* In depth knowledge of the NHS, its priorities and the challenges it faces, with an understanding of the political, social, policy and regulatory landscape.
* In-depth knowledge across communications, marketing, and co-creation to anticipate emerging issues and opportunities to improve.
* Strong understanding of brand strategy, positioning, storytelling, and market and audience analysis.
Desirable criteria
* Knowledge of the Freedom of Information Act and how it is applies to an NHS trust.
* Knowledge of NHS governance processes relevant to communications, such as patient confidentiality.
Documents
* Deputy director of communications and engagement (, 556.3)PDFKB
* NHS People Promise (, 267.8)PDFKB
Further details / informal visits contact
NameKindra HyttnerJob titleDirector of Communication and engagementEmail address [email protected]Telephone number07501 269101 #J-18808-Ljbffr