JOB SUMMARY The Communications Officer role is a fast-paced and challenging role that will suit a great communicator with energy and passion for community collaboration and networking with internal and external stakeholders. Working both at the hospice, and out in the community, the focus of the role will be to engage with people in all our communities at events and in the places they visit to raise our hospice profile locally, regionally and nationally. This will require regular travel across our catchment area, with a focus on our underserved communities in Barking and Dagenham and Redbridge. This role sits at the heart of a creative and collaborative Communications & Community Engagement team creating and sharing compelling content with our diverse internal and external target audience groups, supporting our vision at Saint Francis Hospice of the best care for all at the end of life. Generating awareness of Saint Francis Hospice and raising its profile in all our places: Barking & Dagenham, Brentwood, Havering, Redbridge and West Essex. Our underserved communities are a priority, to address inequity of access to our services, raising awareness and driving timely referrals. You’ll develop strong relationships both internally and externally that enable us to improve stakeholder engagement, create great communications and raise our profile, supporting the key priorities of the strategy. MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES The Communications Officer will support a range of internal and external communications from: · liaising with our external healthcare partners including all GPs in our catchment areas, hospitals and care homes, supplying them with the materials they need for hospice awareness and timely referrals, · organisation of SFH presence and participation at external community events, · support in profile raising activities such as photo opportunities, · content for our internal and external communication channels, · local, regional and national awards submissions for healthcare, palliative and end-of-life care and charity categories, · and content creation for internal campaigns to support workforce wellbeing and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), culture and transformation · planning and delivery of communications campaigns, and in analysis and evaluation to ensure that our work remains focused and of high value. Key external stakeholders: GPs, Care Homes, Hospitals, local NHS trusts, Healthwatch, Hospice UK, relevant community groups, other local hospices and charities and local media. Key internal stakeholders: People & Culture team, Care and Community Services, Income Generation. Key responsibilities include · Good News - work with internal stakeholders to source and develop good news stories and ensure that achievements, investment and excellence receive suitable recognition internally and external publicity. · Campaigns – support and work with the PR & Digital Communications Manager and the Communications and Community Engagement team on internal communications campaigns ensuring our messaging reaches everyone across our multiple sites (hospice and retail), and to keep colleagues (staff and volunteers) informed and engaged, and aligned with the organisational goals. · External communications campaigns – supporting our external campaigns to raise our hospice profile and ensure that everyone in our catchment area knows about the care and support we can provide them and their loved ones. · Partnerships & Community Engagement – responsible for engagement with key community groups including faith, in our catchment area, managing stock and delivery of all printed materials including service information leaflets for people and their loved ones who need support. · Professional Communications – responsible for management and distribution of hospice leaflets and materials to all GPs, care homes, community health centres and all referrers in our catchment areas of Barking & Dagenham, Brentwood, Redbridge, Havering and parts of West Essex, keeping an up to date spreadsheet of which leaflets have been delivered, key contacts, numbers of leaflets and dates of delivery, ensuring that all healthcare partners and referrers have up to date information for people who need palliative and end of life care. Working internally with the volunteer services team to manage volunteer drivers and delivery of materials to GP practice managers, engaging either on the phone or face to face at the larger practices, to nurture meaningful relationships and to encourage early referrals, especially from underserved communities. Support written communications for our referrals via a monthly Referrals Update eNewsletter and direct mail twice a year to inform them of hospice referrals updates, upcoming service developments and achievements. · Event Management – support with the management of internal and external profile-raising events, working collaboratively with relevant stakeholders and teams across the hospice to ensure consistent communication and messaging, seamless planning and logistics, engaging event programmes and impactful agendas. Use of the CRM system is essential to ensure smooth planning and stakeholder management. · Evaluation – support the marketing and communications team with measurement, reach, impact and return-on-investment of communications and marketing to inform future campaigns and support with internal reporting of project outcomes. · Internal Communication - you will work closely with the People & Culture team to ensure of calendar of events, EDI campaigns, awareness days and reward and recognition programmes are planned and communicated effectively. Working with the Digital Marketing Manager and the Communications & Community Engagement team on joint ownership of SFH internal communications channels (including but not limited to the bi-weekly newsletter the Scoop, the bi-weekly CEO Update, relevant team meetings, Team Voice, the SFH Hub (Intranet), the Engage Feel Good Feed, All User Emails, our Internal TV screens, internal noticeboards and signage at all hospice sites and via line managers and the Senior Leadership Team). · Content – you will support the wider internal and external communications function in maintaining and producing content for our primary internal communications channels. This will include both written and visual content (photos and videos). · Awards – support the coordination and submission process for award nominations and complete the entry process for categories in the national and local awards (e.g. Barking and Dagenham Awards, Mayor of Redbridge Awards, Palliative Care Awards, Dementia Awards) to help raise the profile of Saint Francis Hospice. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF POSTHOLDER SENSITIVITY AND PROFESSIONALISM: As an employee of Saint Francis Hospice you should expect that it is likely that you will come into contact with patients, their families and members of the public who are at the end of life or recently bereaved. All employees are expected to respond to people recounting and expressing their emotions about such events with sensitivity and understanding, and to know enough about the services that the Hospice provides to be able to signpost people who may benefit from our services to the relevant contacts. CONFIDENTIALITY : The post holder must maintain confidentiality, security and integrity of information relating to patients, staff and other hospice matter during the course of duty. Any breach of Confidentiality may become a disciplinary issue. DATA PROTECTION : It is the responsibility of all staff to be aware of their obligations in respect of the Data Protection Act 2018. EQUAL OPPORTUNITES: The hospice is committed to the development of positive policies to promote equal opportunity in employment and has a clear commitment to equal opportunities. All employees have a responsibility to ensure that they understand the standards expected and that they promote and adhere to the equal opportunity measures adopted by the hospice. HEALTH AND SAFETY : All staff must be familiar with section 2 of the Health & Safety Policy, Organisation of Health and Safety. This document sets out the responsibilities of all staff for health and safety, whether in a supervisory capacity or not. Policy section 3 (arrangements for Health and Safety) provides an overview of training for competence in Health and Safety matters. HOSPICE IDENTITY BADGES : Hospice ID badges must be worn at all times whilst on duty. SMOKING: The hospice acknowledges its responsibility to provide a safe, smoke free environment, for its employees, service users and visitors. Smoking is therefore not permitted at any point whilst on duty, in accordance with the guidelines set down within the Hospice No Smoking Policy. REGISTRATION COMPLIANCE/CODE OF CONDUCT: All employees who are required to register with a professional body to enable them to practice within their profession are required to comply with their code of conduct and requirements of their professional registration. WORKING TIME REGULATIONS: The ‘Working Time Regulations 1998’ require that you should not work more than an average of 48 hours in each week. For example, in a 26 week period you should work no more than 1248 hours. Please note that this job description is not definitive or restrictive in any way. It is a guide to the responsibilities of the role. It may be reviewed, in consultation with the post holder, in light of changing circumstances and the changing needs of the Hospice. The post holder will be expected to perform any other such duties as might reasonably be required by the Director and will work in accordance with all Hospice Policies and Procedures. In an emergency, all staff may be required to work different hours or carry out different tasks to those set out in their contracts of employment. This will be done in consultation with individuals and taking into account any special circumstances that may exist.