SOUTH WEST YORKSHIRE MENTAL HEALTH TRUST
COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY
Introduction
South West Yorkshire Mental Health NHS Trust is committed to the following
as expressed in its mission, vision, values and goals:
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To put in place processes to support good communication throughout
the organisation.
To publicise the many positive achievements and images of people
with mental health problems and learning disabilities
To celebrate the things we do well and learn from others
To champion the need to combat discrimination against people with
mental health problems or learning disabilities by acting as a focus for
their issues.
To ensure clear information is available to service users and carers,
members and the wider public, in order to help them understand what
the Trust offers.
To promote the benefits of membership of our organisation and
encourage people in local communities to join us and influence how
services develop in the future.
The aim of the communications strategy is to provide a framework to
ensure the organisation manages communications in a planned, coordinated way and maintains the commitment to effective, timely
communication with service users, carers, staff, members and the wider
public. This will support:
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The Trust’s culture of openness and devolved decision making
Service users and carers being better informed and able to make
informed choices.
Staff at all levels being informed and involved and able to influence the
development of the organisation and its services.
Members having an opportunity to influence how local services develop
Stakeholders being informed and consulted and synergy with partners
in addressing health inequalities.
Members of the public having a better understanding of mental health
issues and the services provided by the Trust.
Context
There is an expectation that all NHS organisations will have systems in place
to ensure effective communication with all those who have an interest, for
example service users, carers, staff, members, partners and the public.
Organisations must manage both a proactive and reactive communications
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agenda, to provide information to the public about services, and to
communicate in an honest and open manner when things go wrong.
NHS Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health authority has a range of
performance measures for communications against which all Trusts are
monitored. These measures cover the areas of internal and external
communications, media handling, corporate publications, partnership working
and crisis communications.
Other national initiatives, for example service user surveys, staff opinion
surveys, Improving Working Lives and Healthcare Commission reviews, all
demand that appropriate systems are in place for effective two-way
communications.
This agenda presents an enormous challenge for the organisation, given the
size and complexity of the Trust and the size and range of audiences the
Trust need to communicate with. The nature of the services provided by the
organisation means that stakeholders include:
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Service users
Carers
Staff employed by the Trust and working in partnership
Staff Representatives
Members
Primary Care Trusts
Local Authorities
Other local health partners and the Strategic Health Authority
MPs and local councillors
Community Health Councils / Patient Forums
Voluntary and advocacy groups
The media
The public
The Trust has consulted with stakeholders on a number of occasions, inviting
expressions of expectations of the Trust in terms of communications. Whilst
this strategy takes account of the feedback already obtained, the Trust needs
to routinely check that the structures and systems designed to support
communications continue to meet the need.
Objectives
The objectives of this strategy are to:
 To promote sound communication skills in our staff to enable the Trust
to have an open and progressive culture.
 Enable the Trust to demonstrate the benefits of being a specialist
mental health and learning disability organisation.
 Support staff by keeping them informed, involved and celebrating their
successes.
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Facilitate devolved responsibility and accountability for
communications, ensuring staff are working to common goals.
Support staff in their communications activity.
Support staff recruitment by ensuring potential recruits are aware of the
Trust’s services and achievements.
Facilitate joint working with health and social care partners.
Promote positive images of mental health and the positive
achievements of service users.
Raise the profile of mental health and learning disability services in the
communities served by the Trust.
Promote the benefits of membership of the trust and support
recruitment activity.
Tackle the stigma associated with Trust services by mainstreaming
mental health and learning disability alongside other health issues in
the public’s perception.
Facilitate effective communications with service users and carers.
Provide information to members and the public, to raise awareness of
the Trust’s services and performance.
Provide information to users and carers to help them feel safe and
confident in using trust services, and to help them make informed
choices about their care.
Support the Trust in continuing to communicate its mission, vision,
values and goals and demonstrating its commitment to them.
Create a culture in which the mission, vision, values and goals can be
regularly reviewed.
Responsibility for delivery
The Trust Board is accountable for ensuring the Trust’s work accords with its
mission, visions, values and goals and has overall accountability for ensuring
the communications strategy is delivered. The Board must demonstrate its
commitment to communications by ensuring it engages with staff, services
users and carers, partners, members and the wider public in a timely, effective
and open and honest way.
The Executive Management Team will be responsible for delivery of the
strategy by valuing communication as being integral to all Trust activity, and
therefore a vital part of all director portfolios. The Director of Corporate
Development will lead on communications for the organisation.
Consistent with the devolved management processes, operational managers
have responsibility for making sure effective systems are in place for
communication, and that the profile of local services is raised through
promotion of positive achievements and images of mental health.
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ACTION
LEAD
TIMESCALE
To maintain and
enhance the Trust’s
reputation for
innovative, high quality
and responsive
services through a
range of
communications activity
Trust Board
Ongoing
Executive
management
team
SUCCESS
CRITERIA
Positive
feedback about
the organisation
Service user
survey
Assistant
directors
Staff survey
General
managers
Positive media
analysis
Service leads
Maintain and develop
an up to date website
offering a range of
information covering
Trust services
Comms
Team / Web
Dev’ment
Officer
Ongoing
Number of ‘hits’
on website and
feedback from
users
Member surveys
Maintain and develop
an up to date intranet
site offering a range of
information to support
staff in their work
Quarterly Members
newsletter ‘Like Minds’
– promoting the work of
the Trust and its
services, providing
information on the
mental health and
learning disability
agenda, reducing
stigma
Comms
Team / Web
Dev’ment
Officer
Ongoing
Acting on
feedback
Feedback /
satisfaction
surveys
Acting on
feedback
Comms team
Quarterly
ongoing
Content provided
by staff
Member
feedback
members
(including staff)
contributing
content
reader surveys
Act on feedback.
Bi-monthly staff
newsletter – Staff
Focus - mailed to
Comms team
Bi-monthly
Ongoing
staff contributing
content
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teams, not individuals
(in response to staff
feedback).
Newsletter to maintain
a balance of features
across localities and to
include issues pertinent
to the national mental
health and learning
disability agenda.
Monthly Team Brief.
Continue to review
effectiveness
Effective, timely
cascade of information,
with consistency of
messages and
opportunities for
discussion and
feedback.
Facilitate Chief
Executive ‘Information
Exchange’ Sessions on
a regular basis
Ensure corporate
publications (e.g.
Annual Report,
Summary Integrated
Business Plan,
members magazine)
are produced to a
professional standard,
in easy access format,
reader surveys
Act on feedback.
All directors
Ongoing
to ensure
briefing
effective and
timely in their
area of
responsibility
.
ADs to
ensure
appropriate
cascade to
service
areas –
working with
Service
Delivery
groups
Head of
Comms to
monitor with
directors
Comms
Team / CE
PA
Head of
comms
Shared director
responsibility.
Assistant
Directors to
demonstrate
systems in place
Service Delivery
Groups to
evidence as KPI
Monthly/Ongoing Sessions take
place in each
locality.
Attendance
monitored and
feedback acted
upon.
Ongoing
Documents to
include means to
give feedback.
SHA feedback
(performance
management
objective.)
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are cost effective and
relevant to the intended
audience.
Support the planning
and delivery of a range
of member events –
educational, awareness
raising, formal meetings
Work with the
members’ council, once
established, (or a sub
group therefore) to
ascertain
communication
requirements and to set
up processes to
support
communications with
constituents
Work with local
partners to maximise
opportunities to
promote the mental
health and learning
disability agenda
Work in partnership
with communications
staff in health and
social care and
contribute to joint
communications
forums.
Ensure the use of plain
English in all Trust
publications
Comms
team
Ongoing
Feedback on
events
Membership
team
Comms
team
Attendance
When council
established and
ongoing
Membership
team
Improved
member
engagement
Feedback form
council members
Feedback form
constituents
Board
support
Comms
Team
Ongoing
Comms
Team
Ongoing
Comms
Team
Ongoing
Make provision to
provide information in
other formats on
request
Mental health
and learning
disability
information
included in other
publications.
Good practice
and ideas
shared. Impact
of
communications
maximised.
Publications to
include
opportunities for
feedback.
Any requests for
alternative
formats
responded to in a
timely manner
Ensure compliance with Comms
NHS corporate identity Team
Ongoing
Ensure compliance with Comms
Ongoing
Identity
guidelines
followed
Consistent
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Trust branding
approved by Trust
Board (branding
consistent with NHS
guidelines)
Team
identity adopted
for all Trust
literature.
Develop standards in
respect of printed
output, to ensure
consistency and value
for money.
Continue to develop
positive relations with
the media
Comms
Team
Branding policy
standards in
place
Comms
team
Ongoing
All Directors
Brand
recognition
evident
Design team to
ensure all printed
output conforms
to standards
Positive media
features and
negative press
fair and accurate
Monthly Media
analysis
evidences
activity and
relationship
Seek and act on
feedback from
individual
journalists
Develop an information
pack for the media to
ensure they have up to
date, positive
information about the
trust and its services.
Comms
team
Information
available via
website
Conduct media
campaigns to promote
positive images of
people with mental
health problems and
learning disability
Public
Involvement
staff
Ongoing
Positive media
coverage of
mental health
and learning
disability and of
Trust services.
Ongoing
Positive media
coverage of the
Trust outweighs
negative
coverage by 70%
v 30% in any 12
month period
Service
Delivery
Groups
Comms
Team
Directors/Service
Delivery Groups and
Service Leads to
identify positive news
stories to promote the
Trust and its services
Partnership
working
Directors
SDGs
Service
Leads
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Ensure media training
available as required
Head of
comms
Ongoing
Directors
Develop policy in
respect of internal and
external communication
to define levels of
responsibility and
support effective
working relationships
between colleagues
and with other
agencies.
Director of
Corporate
Developm’t/
Comply with regional
policy for managing
crisis communications,
supporting service
users and staff, and
minimising public
anxiety. Ensure fit with
Trust Emergency Plan.
Trust Board and
Director Team to be
accessible to staff and
engage in open,
informal discussions in
all service areas as
opportunities arise
linked to areas of
responsibility
Directors to seek out
opportunities to
champion Trust
services and challenge
the stigma associated
with them.
Ensure
communications skills
Comms
team
Through corp
development
strategy March
2008
Director of
Business
Developm’t
Head of
Comms
Ongoing
(SHA
performance
measure)
A mix of staff
(clinical and non
clinical) are able
to work
confidently with
the media to
promote the trust
and its services
and to respond to
media interest as
appropriate
Internal and
external
messages are
delivered clearly
and consistently
and are timely.
Staff and
partners are
involved and
consulted.
Monitored by Y &
H by SHA.
Appropriate staff
equipped to work
with the media
Trust Board
Ongoing
Staff have an
opportunity for
discussion with
and to feedback
to the senior
team.
Ongoing
Trust services
valued and
understood.
Director
Team
Trust Board
Director
Team
Stigma reduced.
Director of
Human
Identified as part
of KSF
Devolved
responsibility and
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identified as a core
competence for
managers and staff
Resources
processes
Support Service
Delivery Groups in their
communications
activity. (including
achievement of KPIs)
All Directors
Ongoing
Support Service
Delivery Groups in
identifying and
addressing
communication issues,
and the implications
and impact of
decisions.
Ensure links to public
involvement agenda to
facilitate
communications with
service users and
carers
All Directors.
Comms
Team
Ongoing
Comms
Team
Public
Ongoing
Involvement
Managers
Comms
Team
Communication
Comms
strategy to support core Team
business objectives will
be developed as
necessary (for example
the Trust’s Foundation
Trust application,
change management
plans for service
change, untoward
incidents) to ensure
communications are
tailored to support
specific objectives, and
are measurable .
Out of hours
Directors
communications
system (on call system
to deal with media and
communication issues
and liaise with the SHA)
Ongoing
Ongoing
accountability
exists for
communications
activity
Devolved
responsibility and
accountability
exists for
communications
activity
Communications
are planned and
co-ordinated.
Services users
and carers are
informed about
Trust services
and have
opportunities for
dialogue with the
organisation.
Communications
activity supports
the Trust’s core
objectives and its
impact is
measurable.
SHA maintain
contact data
base for
Communications
staff.
Directors to
receive media
training as
appropriate
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Issues dealt with
by Director on
call.
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