OCCG Constitution Schedule 1 Communications and Engagement Strategy
Communications and Engagement Strategy
2013 to 2014
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OCCG Constitution Schedule 1 Communications and Engagement Strategy
Index
Executive Summary…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……..4
1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…….…5
2. Principles…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……...5
3. Key objectives……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…….6
4. Progress to date………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….6
5. Key messages……………………………………………………………………………………….……………………….…….7
6. Responsibilities……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…..7
7. Stakeholder analysis……………………………………………………………………………………………………………8
8. Strategic priorities and key actions…………………………………………………………………………………..…9
9. Monitoring implementation………………………………………………………………………………….…………..11
Appendix 1: Duty to involve……………………………………………………………………………………………….......12
Appendix 2: Stakeholder analysis……………………………………………………………………………………….……13
Appendix 3: Potential model for organisational structure for engagement…………………….……….14
Appendix 4: Draft stakeholder relationship protocol………………………………………………………….……15
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OCCG Constitution Schedule 1 Communications and Engagement Strategy
Executive Summary
Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (OCCG) first developed a Communications and
Engagement Strategy in 2011. This was subject to public engagement and an update agreed in June
2012. This new Strategy does not start from scratch but seeks to build on that early work and
subsequent developments.
The Strategy is based on a set of core principles, including the importance of open and two way
dialogue with patients, the public and key stakeholders. It also acknowledges OCCG’s statutory
responsibilities and the NHS commitment to involve patients in the way in which health services are
planned and managed.
There are three overarching objectives within the Strategy:
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To continue to build meaningful engagement with the public, patients and carers to influence
the shaping of health services and improve the health of people in Oxfordshire.
To increase confidence in OCCG as a responsive commissioning organisation.
To further develop a culture within OCCG that promotes open communication and engagement
within and outside the clinical commissioning group.
The high level approach to achieve the objectives includes:
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using a range of activities and approaches to ensure that the public voice visibly influences and is
directly involved in the decisions made by OCCG
continuing to develop the external reputation of OCCG as a leading commissioning organisation
continuing to develop internal two way communications with staff and members
continuing to develop the Governing Body as a Board which operates in an open and transparent
Key communications and engagement work streams set out in the Strategy include:
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a pro-active campaign to publicise the ways in which the public can be involved in the work of
OCCG
continued development of patient engagement at Locality level.
development of and agreement for an organisational framework for engagement activities
within OCCG
building of OCCG’s profile through the media through proactive press releases, interviews and
articles
developing a pool of spokespeople and the process by which messages and responses are
agreed.
further development of OCCG’s new media presence. Completion of the new OCCG website and
its Locality sub sites
development of the OCCG staff newsletter and staff events.
development of agreed -processes for communicating with and between Localities, GPs and
member practices
communications and engagement support for key areas of work including Outcomes Based
Commissioning, engagement and consultation on a future vision for the Horton General Hospital
and the Older People’s Programme.
The Board will receive an update on the Strategy in December 2013, and a revision in May 2014.
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OCCG Constitution Schedule 1 Communications and Engagement Strategy
Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group
Communications and Engagement Strategy
Vision
“We will work with the people of Oxfordshire to develop quality health services, fit for the future.
Through clinical leadership we will
- Achieve good health outcomes for us all within the money available
- Balance the needs of you as individuals with the needs of the whole county”
1. Introduction
Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (OCCG) became a statutory body authorised to
commission health services on behalf of the people of Oxfordshire on 1 April 2013. Oxfordshire
Clinical Commissioning Group is committed to ensuring that it informs, engages with and involves
patients, the public, partners, stakeholders and its members in the way in which it develops and
delivers its commissioning plans and this is explicitly articulated in the Operational Plan for 2013 –
2014 (http://www.oxfordshireccg.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Paper-071-Ops-plan-March2013.pdf). This means ensuring that OCCG is open and honest in the way in which it conducts
business, that it listens to the views of stakeholders and that it demonstrates that it has taken into
account what it has heard. OCCG is also a membership organisation, committed to enabling
Localities and their communities to discuss and develop plans at a local level, and also to feed issues
to the Governing Body.
OCCG already has a track record of developing patient and public engagement and using many
channels to communicate with a wide range of stakeholders, including the media. A
Communications and Engagement Strategy was initially developed for OCCG in 2011. This was tested
through informal public consultation and adjustments made to reflect the responses of patients, the
public and other stakeholders. An update was agreed by the Shadow Governing Body in June 2012.
This current Strategy refreshes that approach. It reflects the new statutory responsibilities of the
organisation and supports the delivery of the 2013 – 2014 Operational Plan and its key work
streams. It covers the period June 2013 to May 2014.
2. Principles
“The CCG will conduct its business in an open and transparent manner. Transparency means that
decisions within the organisation are explained and that where there are pressures leading the
organisation to have to make difficult decisions there is clarity about what those pressures are and
what impact we expect the decision will have.” OCCG Constitution, 2013
The following are the principles which underpin the Strategy:
 Proactive and planned internal and external communications help organisations to operate
effectively and win the support of staff and stakeholders.
 Communications and engagement should be open and transparent. It is a two way process –
informing and sharing, listening and responding.
 A wide range of channels will be used to reach a wide range of audiences. Continuous efforts
will be made to actively seek to reach and receive feedback from groups and individuals whose
voices are not always heard.
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OCCG Constitution Schedule 1 Communications and Engagement Strategy
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Communications and engagement with key stakeholders and partners will take account of the
fact that OCCG is a membership organisation. They will also reflect the importance of managing
conflicts of interest.
OCCG is cognisant of its statutory responsibility to engage and consult (see Appendix 1) but is
committed to going further in seeking out and listening to the patient voice.
3. Key objectives
The overarching aim of this strategy is to ensure that communications and engagement support
OCCG’s mission, vision, values, objectives and Operational Plan. Key objectives are to:
 continue to build meaningful engagement with the public, patients and carers to influence the
shaping of health services and improve the health of people in Oxfordshire.
 increase confidence in OCCG as a responsive commissioning organisation.
 further develop a culture within OCCG that promotes open communication and engagement
within and outside the clinical commissioning group.
4. Overview of progress to date
As stated above, the first OCCG Communications and Engagement Strategy was developed 2011.
Over the past 18 months the organisation has progressed significantly in this area.
The following are some of the key achievements:
 Most practices in Oxfordshire have Patient Participation Groups (PPGs), a development
supported by OCCG.
 Each Locality is developing an approach to patient and public involvement, to ensure that it can
reach out to local people and communities. The aim is that each Locality should have its own
patient and public involvement group or network in time. While each Locality is taking a
different approach, all are working to ensure that the views and concerns of their patients,
stakeholders and communities can be fed into the way in which plans are delivered at both a
Locality and County wide level.
 The Governing Body now has independent lay representatives including someone with
responsibility for patient and public engagement, and an independent lay chair.
 OCCG has worked co-operatively with Oxfordshire County Council to establish the Patient
Involvement Network, to support the work of the joint Health and Well Being Board and the
Partnership Boards.
 OCCG is using a range of engagement approaches to ensure that the programme of work to
develop commissioning based on patient-centred outcomes is underpinned by the views of
patients, service users and carers.
 OCCG has successfully run on its own behalf and worked in partnership with Oxfordshire County
Council on several public consultations including on:
- the proposed Governing Body structure
- the approach to equality, diversity and human rights
- the autism strategy
- the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy
- the Joint Mental Health Strategy.
 OCCG is developing a new public facing website, which includes sections for each Locality.
 OCCG has a profile with local and national specialist media. The organisation is frequently asked
for views and comments. Coverage of the organisation and its plans has so far been accurate
and not negative.
 OCCG has established a good working relationship with key local stakeholders including
voluntary sector organisations and the Oxfordshire Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
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OCCG Constitution Schedule 1 Communications and Engagement Strategy
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A corporate video has been produced, to explain the work of OCCG to a wide range of audiences
OCCG has adopted the required national branding but has also developed some of its own
tailored presentational materials.
OCCG Connect is now established as the external facing newsletter for stakeholders.
An internal newsletter has also been developed, and briefing meetings for staff have been
established.
OCCG uses twitter and Facebook and is committed to exploring new and innovative as well as
more traditional ways to communicate with its various stakeholders.
There is, however, far more to do, as this Strategy sets out.
5. Developing key messages
OCCG has already agreed and set out its corporate vision and objectives and its core values. These
will develop into key messages which will underpin all of its communications and engagement
activities. This will help ensure that
 there is a consistent approach to the way in which the organisation is described by its members
and staff
 a common understanding of the organisation and what it stands for can be shared with patients,
the public and stakeholders.
The high level key messages we use on our new website and in our film are as follows:
We are Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group. We buy health services on behalf of everyone
living in Oxfordshire. To do this successfully we need to work with local people, Oxfordshire GPs,
hospital clinicians and other partners (including local government and the voluntary sector).
We are committed to:
putting patients’ needs first
working with the people of Oxfordshire to develop quality health services fit for the future
working with GPs, hospital clinicians and other partners to tackle health inequalities
giving you a chance to have your say on the health priorities which matter to you.
We believe you can make a difference to the way in which our health services are delivered.
6. Responsibilities for communications and engagement
Developing good communications and engagement is an organisational responsibility in which
everyone has a role to play. The following will be key players:
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The Governing Body, which is responsible for ensuring that it develops an open and transparent
approach to how it makes decisions.
Senior leaders within the organisations, who are responsible for ensuring that staff are kept
informed, that they have an opportunity for feedback and that their voices are heard.
Locality leaders, who are responsible for developing approaches within their local communities
which will ensure that patients and the public have opportunities to engage at a local level.
Central Southern CSU Communications and Engagement Team based in Oxfordshire, which is
responsible for providing for OCCG strategic advice and guidance and operational support on
communications and engagement activities, as set out in the Service Level Agreement.
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OCCG Constitution Schedule 1 Communications and Engagement Strategy
7. Stakeholder analysis
Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group has a wide range of stakeholders it needs to involve and
communicate with in order to deliver its commissioning vision, objectives and operational plan. In
order to ensure communications and engagement activities are tailored to individual stakeholder
needs, it is very important to analyse the various audiences and plot their level of interest and
influence in the success of OCCG.
While the analysis in this strategy reflects the stakeholders with whom the organisation should
engage with at a corporate level, it is also important that similar analyses underpin the work of the
localities. It is also important that specific stakeholder analysis is carried out to underpin any specific
programmes of work. This will include:
 Stakeholder analysis
 Identification of key messages for each identified audience
 Identification of communication opportunities and challenges
 Consideration of who is best place to communicate the message and act on feedback.
Below are our stakeholders (please see Appendix 2 for a stakeholder matrix). The environment is
complex and some stakeholders could appear under more than one heading depending on the role
they plan at any particular point. It is recommended that an OCCG lead person is allocated to key
stakeholders, such as HealthWatch, Members of Parliament and the HOSC.
Public
 Patients
 Carers
 Public
 HealthWatch
 Patient Participation Groups
 Locality patient groups and networks (including the Community Partnership Network)
 Patient Involvement Network (see engagement section below)
 Talking Health membership (see engagement section below)
 Community organisations which represent local people/service users
 Special interest groups
 Local press
 National press
 Radio
 TV
 Websites/social networking sites
 Trade press
 Newsletters
 Academic journals
Commissioners
 Oxfordshire GPs
 OCCG staff
 Oxfordshire County Council staff
Providers
 Practice staff
 Oxford Health
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OCCG Constitution Schedule 1 Communications and Engagement Strategy
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Oxford University Hospitals
Ridgeway Partnership (now part of Southern Health)
South Central Ambulance Trust
Ramsey Healthcare
Other specialist Trusts
Voluntary sector providers
Public Partners
 County Council
 District Council
 Parish Council
 Voluntary sector representatives
 Regulatory bodies
 Health and Wellbeing Board
Professional
 NHS England (and NHS England South and Thames Valley)
 Royal Colleges
 Unions
 Academic Health Science Network
 Public Health England
 University of Oxford, Oxford Brookes University and other academic institutions
Political partners
 Department of Health
 Members of Parliament
 Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee
 Council leaders
 Councillors from parish to County level
 MPs and MEPs
 Local Medical Committee
8. Strategic priorities and key actions
The following are general priority areas for development over the coming year and the actions which
will support them
a.
Engagement
There are a number of ways in which patients carers and the public can become engaged and
involved in the work of OCCG:
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Board meetings are held in public and attendance welcomed. Public questions can be
submitted (preferably in advance) and questions relevant to the agenda are answered
during the meetings. Written answers to questions are posted on the website within twenty
working days.
Talking Health, OCCG’s online engagement and consultation tool, now has 2,000 members
and has been used successfully for a number of consultations
As described above, each Locality is developing its own approach to working with PPGs,
communities and the public.
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OCCG Constitution Schedule 1 Communications and Engagement Strategy
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The Patient Involvement Network run jointly with OCC has a strong voluntary sector
membership and elects representatives onto the Partnership Boards.
HealthWatch is currently being established in Oxfordshire and recruiting members. It will
play an important role in acting as the ‘people’s champion’ to influence the Joint Health and
Wellbeing Strategy and the delivery of local services in Oxfordshire.
During the coming year, work will focus on promoting the different ways in which people can get
involved in OCCG and in strengthening the corporate arrangements, so that there is a line of
communication from patients and the public at practice level through to the Board. It will also
include ensuring that key work programmes have appropriate public/patient engagement running
throughout.
Specific activities:
 A pro-active media campaign to publicise the ways in which the public can be involved in the
work of OCCG.
 Continued development of ‘Talking Health’ as an innovative online engagement and
consultation tool.
 Continued development of patient engagement at Locality level, with an organisational review
towards the end of the year.
 Development of and agreement for an organisational framework for engagement activities
within OCCG.
 In conjunction with Oxfordshire County Council, continued support for this year for the Patient
Involvement Network (pending the external review next year).
b.
external communications
While OCCG has developed an external profile which is stronger than many other CCGs, more work
is needed to develop this profile and to communicate it externally. This will include working to
develop the proactive approach to the media to promote OCCG and its key work streams and
defining an organisational approach to stakeholder relations.
Specific activities:
 Further development of key messages.
 Organising media training and developing a pool of spokespeople and agreeing the process by
which messages and responses are agreed.
 Building of OCCG’s profile through the media through proactive press releases, invitations to
interview etc.
 Further development of OCCG’s new media presence.
 Completion of the new OCCG website and its Locality sub sites.
 A refreshed stakeholder analysis and an agreed process for managing stakeholder relations
(draft protocol set out in Appendix 4).
c.
internal communications
Internal communications within the NHS is far more complex in the new structures. For example,
primary care teams within PCTs would previously manage communication to GPs and practices on a
wide range of issues. These responsibilities are now shared across a number of organisations. In
addition, as a new organisation, OCCG needs to further develop its internal culture and its
engagement with staff. Over the coming year priority areas include strengthening internal
communications and engagement with staff and developing communications with GPs and Practice
members.
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OCCG Constitution Schedule 1 Communications and Engagement Strategy
Key activities:
 Development of the OCCG staff newsletter, staff events and staff communications
 Development of agreed processes for communicating with and between Localities and
members
 Development of robust and succinct communications channels for GPs and for practices
d.
Programme/Project support
In addition to the specific work detailed above, communications and engagement support will
underpin some specific work streams. The following are priorities for communications and
engagement support (each will have its own communications and engagement plan):
 The OCCG Commissioning Strategy
 Outcomes based commissioning
 Engagement and consultation on a future vision for the Horton General
 Hospital
 The Older People’s Programme
9. Monitoring implementation
The OCCG Lead Director for Communications and Engagement will have overall responsibility for the
Strategy. A number of elements will be delivered through the Central Southern CSU
Communications and Engagement Service, as specified in the SLA and monitored regularly through
SLA and customer meetings. The Board will receive an update on the Strategy in December 2013,
and a revision in May 2014.
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OCCG Constitution Schedule 1 Communications and Engagement Strategy
Appendix 1: Duty to involve
The NHS Plan (July 2000) set out the Government’s intention that patients should be ‘at the heart’ of
the NHS. Patient and public involvement should be central to service planning and provision and a
major driver for service improvement. Section 11 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001 further
strengthened this commitment by placing a duty on NHS organisations to involve and consult
patients and the public. In section 242 of the 2006 NHS Act this duty was strengthened to require
patient engagement and involvement in:
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planning and provision of services
the development and consideration of proposals for changes in the way these services are
provided
and decisions to be made by the NHS organisation affecting the operation of services.
Further policy has reinforced the duty and need to involve patients and the public in changes in
services. The Secretary of State set out four tests for service change within the revised Operating
Framework for 2010 – 11. Any service redesign proposals must demonstrate that there is:
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support from GP commissioners
strengthened patient and public engagement
clarity on the clinical evidence base
consistency with current and prospective patient choice.
The Government White Paper ‘Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS’ underlined this with ‘no
decisions about me without me’. This has further been strengthened in the NHS Constitution,
republished in March 2013:
‘You have the right to be involved, directly or through representatives, in the planning of healthcare
services commissioned by NHS bodies, the development and consideration of proposals for changes
in the way those services are provided, and in decisions to be made affecting the operation of those
services.’
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OCCG Constitution Schedule 1 Communications and Engagement Strategy
Appendix 2: Draft corporate stakeholder matric
High
Satisfy
• NHS England:
Regional team &
Area team
• Patients • Health &
and the
Wellbeing
public.
Board
• GPs as
providers
• CCG staff
• Unions
• Practice
Managers
as
providers
• MPs,
councillors
• Locality
Forums/networks
• HealthWatch
• HOSC
• Media
• County Council
• PPGs
Influence
• Commissioned
providers
NHS staff
• Voluntary
organisations
• Campaign groups
• District Councils
• Opticians,
pharmacists,
dentists
Low
Inform
Monitor
Low
Interest
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High
Satisfy: this group are
mainly opinion
formers who need to
be kept satisfied with
what is happening
Manage: key
stakeholders who
should be fully
engaged through
communications and
consultation
Monitor: this group
needs to be
monitored for
communications and
engagement needs
Inform: some of these
groups may gain in
influence, depending
on the issue
concerned
OCCG Constitution Schedule 1 Communications and Engagement Strategy
Appendix 3: Potential model for organisational structure for engagement
Model for Patient and Public Engagement
Talking
Health
(online
engagement
tool)
OCCG Governing Body
Independent Lay Chair and
Independent Lay Members
OCCG GB Lead for PPI
Locality Forum/Network Chairs
PIN
(joint with
OCC)
- mainly
vol sector
orgs
Locality Forums or networks
HealthWatch
PPGs
Local voluntary sector organisations
Community organisations
Agreed accountability at each level
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OCCG Constitution Schedule 1 Communications and Engagement Strategy
Appendix 4: draft Stakeholder Relationship Protocol
OCCG values its relationships with patients, stakeholders, voluntary organisations and the public.
OCCG is committed to operating in an open, transparent, fair and balanced way and to engaging and
involving patients and the public in the way in which the organisation develops and manages the
commissioning of health services on behalf of local people. OCCG will continue to develop and
maintain routes for consultation/engagement and maintain relationships with our stakeholders:
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OCCG will meet regularly with elected representatives of local and national Government,
including Members of Parliament and Local Government Members. OCCG will also meet
regularly with their appointed officers on issues of common concern. Identified key
stakeholders will each have a lead contact within OCCG.
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OCCG will maintain an on-going relationship with the Oxfordshire County Council Health
Overview and Scrutiny Committee, recognising the Committee’s statutory role in scrutinising
the management of health services for local people.
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OCCG will maintain an on-going relationship with Oxfordshire HealthWatch, recognising its role
in gathering feedback on issues related to health and social care and in ensuring that
engagement is at the core of key clinical decision making.
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OCCG will promote the value of involving patients and the public in the development of health
services, at a local, locality and County-wide level. OCCG will reflect this by:
encouraging all practices to develop Patient Participation Groups (PPGs)
developing patient and public participation networks or forums at a locality level so that local
people have an opportunity to influence health services beyond practice level
having lay representation on the Governing Body, to feed in views and concerns of patients and
the public.
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OCCG works in partnership with Oxfordshire County Council on improving health and social care,
through the Health and Wellbeing Board. OCCG will continue to support the Patient
Involvement Network (PIN), which is a method/route for engaging the public, voluntary and
statutory partners in the work and priorities of the Health and Wellbeing Board and Partnership
Boards.
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OCCG is committed to a process of continuous engagement and formal consultation on health
and social care issues, when appropriate, in partnership with Oxfordshire County Council or
other partners. OCCG will continue to promote ‘Talking Health’ as a vehicle for developing an
online public community and for using it proactively to gather ideas, views and concerns. OCCG
will also continue to hold face-to-face events to support engagement/consultation as we
recognise the power and importance of discussing health issues in person
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OCCG is committed to ensuring that those groups and individuals in society which are seldom
heard have an opportunity to contribute their ideas, views and concerns about health services
and will continue to use a range of approaches to reach them.
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OCCG Constitution Schedule 1 Communications and Engagement Strategy
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OCCG is committed to conducting all appropriate business in an open and transparent way and
in the public domain. As part of this process, OCCG welcomes questions submitted in advance
of Governing Body meetings, and to providing written answers on its website within 20 working
days.
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OCCG is a membership organisation with a Governing Body structure. While respecting the views
of single issue and lobby groups, OCCG Board members are mindful of the way in which conflicts
of interest must be managed and of the important of maintaining a fair approach to all
individuals and all points of view. For this reason, Governing Body members of OCCG will take a
consistent approach to all single issue and lobby groups and will not agree to meet them on
behalf of the organisation unless there are exceptional circumstances (and these are agreed by
the Chair and CEO).
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OCCG will continue to work closely with voluntary organisations as representatives of particular
patient and service user groups, to ensure that the needs and best interests of patient, services
users and members are being served. Again, mindful of the importance of managing conflicts of
interest, this is separate from the relationship which OCCG will maintain with those voluntary
organisations from which it commissions services, either directly or indirectly.
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OCCG will continue to include and involve patient representatives on its project groups where
appropriate to ensure the views of patients and Carers are included in key decision making and
the early stages of project development in healthcare.
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