Public Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement Manager

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Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Stakeholder Engagement and Public Affairs

• To deliver public affairs, communications and engagement activity which builds relationships, enhances the Trust's reputation and is in line with overall communications and engagement strategy.

• To take responsibility for ensuring stakeholder relationships are maintained and proactively developed.

• To produce regular stakeholder briefings working with other departments in the Trust and partners to co-ordinate content ensuring absolute accuracy.

• Devise and deliver stakeholder engagement plans and strategies for key projects and/or audiences as directed.

• To drive understanding and positive perception of capital projects with external stakeholders, staff and patients through effective engagement work.

• To establish and maintain effective co-operative working relationships with stakeholder groups, including attending meetings and presenting and discussing reports.

• Develop, write and manage new and existing stakeholder engagement products including newsletters and events (digital and face-to-face).

• Devise and deliver proactive campaigns that will improve community engagement and understanding/awareness of the Trust's mental healthcare services for local people.

• To lead on key events and visits, including high profile stakeholders, working alongside partners.

• To manage enquiries from stakeholders including councillors, council executives, MPs, commissioners, public, residents' associations, ensuring timely and accurate responses.

Communications and relations

• To oversee the implementation of the Trust's Stakeholder and Community Engagement plan.

• To produce briefings / papers updating colleagues with the Associate Director of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement.

• To proactively work with partners to ensure communications are consistent and timely.

• To produce and/or assist in the preparation of reports; and briefings including for partners, regulatory and advisory bodies in respect of updating them on complex issues.

• To establish and maintain effective co-operative working relationships with all stakeholder groups, internally and externally, at all levels.

• To ensure that communications are correctly tailored for the appropriate target audiences.

• To manage contracts with external suppliers ensuring value for money and working within the framework of the organisation.

• Advocate on behalf of the department on the importance of good practice in communications.

• To line manage junior staff as appropriate.

• Commission and manage external agencies; ensuring expenditure stays within agreed budget, contracts are delivered in full and represents value for public money.

Information Resources

• Maintain the Trust's Trust and Reputation dashboard, with latest annual data and provide data analysis of key metrics

• Undertake market research projects as necessary to explore, benchmark and measure levels of trust and the Trust's reputation amongst its communities and stakeholders

• Horizon scan the political landscape for opportunities for the Trust to raise its profile externally, including regional and national initiatives and events, within and beyond the sector and produce monthly reports

• To stay up to date with national policy, new health initiatives and partner organisations' strategies and plans and how these impact locally on the Trust.

• To produce and/or assist in the preparation of reports and represent the Trust at meetings with internal and external stakeholders to deliver those reports and advise on public affairs

• To prepare briefings for regulatory, advisory bodies or internal stakeholders in respect of updating them on complex issues on an ad hoc basis as requested by the Associate Director of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement.

• To manage and maintain stakeholder distribution lists.

Training and Development

• To undertake mandatory and statutory training as required by Trust policy.

• To contribute and commit to undertaking an annual Development Review/appraisal.

• To undertake personal development as identified in the Personal Development Plan (PDP).

General

• This is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities, and the postholder may be required to undertake other duties which fall within the grade of the job, in discussion with the manager.

• This job description will be reviewed regularly in the light of changing service requirements and any such changes will be discussed with the postholder.

• The postholder is expected to comply with all relevant Trust policies, procedures and guidelines, including those relating to Equal Opportunities and Confidentiality of Information.

• The postholder is responsible for ensuring that the work that they undertake is conducted in a manner which is safe to themselves and others, and for adhering to the advice and instructions on Health and Safety matters given by Manager(s). If postholders consider that a hazard to Health and Safety exists, it is their responsibility to report this to their manager(s).

• The postholder is expected to comply with the appropriate Code(s) of Conduct associated with this post.

• South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust operates a no smoking policy. We are an equal opportunities employer. It is the policy of the Trust to ensure that no user of the service, past, present or future employee, or job applicant, receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of their age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex, sexual orientation; in line with the Trust's Equality and Diversity Strategy

Other

• The post holder will occasionally be exposed to distressing situations which may include suicides and absconds as well as dealing with sensitive staffing issues and managing communications, particularly with the media, in times of crisis.

Person specification

Training and Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Educated to degree level or appropriate vocational experience
• Evidence of continuing professional and personal development

Desirable criteria

• Membership of CIPR or other appropriate professional body; and/or professional qualification or appropriate professional experience

Experience

Essential criteria

• Demonstrable experience of working in a Public Affairs management role
• Writing copy for a wide range of outlets and target audiences
• Managing stakeholder and public affairs projects including writing and production of communications materials
• Successfully producing strategies and implementing communications and engagement programmes
• Managing stakeholder and partner relationships and engagement, and representing organisations

Desirable criteria

• NHS, public or third sector experience
• Organising and managing events

Knowledge and skills

Essential criteria

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• In-depth knowledge and understanding of current engagement practice and theory
• Ability to grasp complex issues and concepts
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to prioritise workload
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Understanding of brand management
• Excellent presentation skills
• Public affairs and stakeholder relations campaign planning, development and implementation skills
• Ability to build and maintain effective relationships with people at all levels
• Ability to remain calm under pressure
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a small team
• Understanding of working in a partnership environment

Desirable criteria

• Good understanding of national government and NHS (including policy), how it works, the issues it faces and how to communicate within it
• Report writing skills
• Knowledge and understanding of digital communications including public websites and intranets
• Understanding of working in an NHS environment and with the public, partners and external statutory and voluntary organisations
• Experience of communicating with diverse audiences including hard to reach groups

Values and behaviours

Essential criteria

• Ability to act in accordance with our values and behaviours

Other

Essential criteria

• Empathy for individuals who have experienced mental health problems

Desirable criteria

• Personal experience of mental health problems

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Documents to download

• Stakeholder Engagement and Public Affairs Officer (PDF, 320.6KB)
• SLaM Staff Benefits (PDF, 1.1MB)
• Happy to Talk Flexible Working (PDF, 680.1KB)