Communications & Engagement - team development

Consultation has concluded

In order to understand the current status of skills within the team, particularly in light of the changes that have happened since the beginning of the pandemic and with the new people that have since joined the team, we would like to do a skills and strengths review.

This will help us to identify those individuals with specific communications and engagement skills that others in the team could also benefit from. These people will then be encouraged to lead on that topic for the team, and to share learning and upskill others.

We would like all members of the team to answer the survey below which will inform the first steps of our team development.

In order to understand the current status of skills within the team, particularly in light of the changes that have happened since the beginning of the pandemic and with the new people that have since joined the team, we would like to do a skills and strengths review.

This will help us to identify those individuals with specific communications and engagement skills that others in the team could also benefit from. These people will then be encouraged to lead on that topic for the team, and to share learning and upskill others.

We would like all members of the team to answer the survey below which will inform the first steps of our team development.

Your work

Please share a summary of the communications and engagement work you have done below. For each example, please include:

  1. The customer
  2. The challenge
  3. The approach
  4. Specialist communications and engagement skills used
  5. Benefits/difference made



Thank you for sharing your work example.

CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.
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  • NHSX - Long Term Plan for Tech

    by emma.mcewan, almost 6 years ago

    1. NHSX

    2. NHSX wanted to launch a nationwide consultation for the NHS Long Term Plan For Tech.
    The LTPFT needed to set out an ambitious future for tech-enabled health and care, and NHSX set out five transformative missions, designed to support these broader aims for health and care. NHSX also hopedg to shape other plans (eg the People Plan and the Health Infrastructure Plan) and cross-government strategies where health and care have a major role (eg data curation; artificial intelligence and life sciences).
    NHSX wanted to consolidate existing strategies, plans and policies into a single strategic narrative and plan... Continue reading

    1. NHSX

    2. NHSX wanted to launch a nationwide consultation for the NHS Long Term Plan For Tech.
    The LTPFT needed to set out an ambitious future for tech-enabled health and care, and NHSX set out five transformative missions, designed to support these broader aims for health and care. NHSX also hopedg to shape other plans (eg the People Plan and the Health Infrastructure Plan) and cross-government strategies where health and care have a major role (eg data curation; artificial intelligence and life sciences).
    NHSX wanted to consolidate existing strategies, plans and policies into a single strategic narrative and plan that was clear about:
    •the scale of the transformation ambition and the case for change;
    •the expectations for ‘what good looks like’ nationally and locally (for systems and in organisations) and how to support and incentivise progress; and
    •the delivery plan to redesign technology and data architecture in health and care in line with the Technology Vision and the needs of the Long Term Plan.

    3. NHSX needed to have an online platform to be able to host their online consultation and engagement for the LTPFT. Bang The Table/Join the conversation - had recently been procured by SCW communications team as an engagement tool, and provided the right functionality for NHSX to run their engagement.

    SCW created an engagement platform using ‘join the conversation’ to involve as many people as possible to help NHSX understand how they can best support the health and care system to deliver the ambition set out in the NHS Long Term Plan and the Department of Health’s Tech Vision, as well as the forthcoming NHS People Plan.

    Through the platform, people were able to register to participate and share their views in the following ways: Comment on a vision for the LTPFT - a working document intended to be iteratively be developed throughout the consultation,

    People were able to register or sign in to share a case study of how they have used tech to help transform services. It allowed the user to view the contributions others have made without signing into the platform .

    SCW, working with NHSX are using the platform to promote new ways for people to get involved in the Tech Plan. By registering for the platform, people are able to be kept updated as the tech plan is developed.

    Alongside the development of the platform, SCW developed the narrative and key messages for the Tech Plan. which included writing content for; print media – leaflets, letters, emails; presentation slides and briefings and Q&As.

    4. Online Engagement, public consultation, writing for different audiences, communications planning and strategy, stakeholder analysis, stakeholder management, project management,

    5. SCW were able to provide NHSX with access to an Engagement platform immediately, avoiding months of them having to go through a procurement process to host their own platform.

    SCW have existing relationships with regional teams, allowing for in depth knowledge of how communications are cascaded and best way of reaching stakeholders.

    SCW were able to be responsive to NHSX's requirements and be present in their London office during the week, as well as implement remote ways of working, ensuring timely roll out of innovative new platforms

  • NHSEI - Covid-19 Comms Support

    by emma.mcewan, almost 6 years ago

    1, NHSEI South East Communications team

    2. Struggling with COVID19 response, the Head of Communications in the South East region urgently needed to mobilise additional communications expertise. Our team, having both NHS and major incident experience, initially developed the operating model, outlined the communications roles required, how the team needed to work and devised the rota. Following this upfront support, SCW’s team of 4 also joined the rota to provide additional capacity and resilience in managing media and social media support, systems support for national briefings and regular communication on the deaths figure. To facilitate the social distancing measures in... Continue reading

    1, NHSEI South East Communications team

    2. Struggling with COVID19 response, the Head of Communications in the South East region urgently needed to mobilise additional communications expertise. Our team, having both NHS and major incident experience, initially developed the operating model, outlined the communications roles required, how the team needed to work and devised the rota. Following this upfront support, SCW’s team of 4 also joined the rota to provide additional capacity and resilience in managing media and social media support, systems support for national briefings and regular communication on the deaths figure. To facilitate the social distancing measures in place both teams implemented an innovative and flexible way of remote working to accommodate those with parenting and other commitments.

    3. NHSE/I SE region needed people with communication expertise who could effectively cover the 12 hour weekday and 8 hour weekend communications provision required. SCW provided 4 communications professionals to support the existing 8 NHSE/I colleagues. Fortuitously for this project much of the project work that the SCW team had been involved with had been paused due to the coronavirus crisis.
    The key was to rapidly mobilise in ever changing circumstances. Our team initially developed the operating model, outlined the communications roles required, how the team needed to work and devised the rota. At this point NHSE/I realised that they needed more than the initial upfront support and SCWs team were added to the rota to provide media and social media support, media and systems support for national briefings and also regular communication on the deaths figure.
    Members of both teams had to take a new and highly flexible approach to working hours, processes and team communications to facilitate those with parenting and other commitments and ensure the new remote working scenario could work for all.

    We have continued to flex the operating model and it has now gone through 3 iterations of changes to ensure it is responsive and meeting the team needs as the response changes.

    4. Crisis Communications, Media Management,Stakeholder Engagement and Management, Campaign management,

    5. SCW were able to provide communications colleagues who were experienced both within the NHS and in dealing with major incidents to join the team within a 3 day time period?

    The team provided resilience, particularly important when members of the SE team succumbed to the virus, and to avoid burn out due to the long hours being worked

    A rapid and flexible response ensured timely implementation of an innovative new way of working necessitated by the social distancing measures in response to the pandemic.





  • Examples of strategic advice and guidance

    almost 6 years ago

    Somerset consultation

    Providing advice and guidance to workstream leads on how to involve stakeholders at an early stage in their plans. Met with each work stream lead to discuss their plans and to provide advice on opportunities and cross work stream areas of interest.

    BSW - Mental health reconfiguration

    Supporting the lead CCG to design and deliver a ICS/STP system wide large scale intervention event, to develop priorities to inform their strategic direction.


    Somerset consultation

    Providing advice and guidance to workstream leads on how to involve stakeholders at an early stage in their plans. Met with each work stream lead to discuss their plans and to provide advice on opportunities and cross work stream areas of interest.

    BSW - Mental health reconfiguration

    Supporting the lead CCG to design and deliver a ICS/STP system wide large scale intervention event, to develop priorities to inform their strategic direction.


  • Examples of engagement

    almost 6 years ago

    OCCG Transformation Consultation

    Statutory consultation on county wide service redesign across a number of specialties, went through Judicial review, High Court and IRP and won at all levels.

    Skills: Writing public facing consultation documents, Press/Media, Survey design/analysis/ Report writing/ Event management including managing protests

    OCCG OX14 Project - Healthy communities approach

    Focused on a specific postcode area, working with the community to identify what support/activity and health services are available in the community, to support an alternative model of care for that locality.

    Skills: Survey design and analysis, event management specifically listening event, stakeholder reference groups, design groups, facilitation skills... Continue reading

    OCCG Transformation Consultation

    Statutory consultation on county wide service redesign across a number of specialties, went through Judicial review, High Court and IRP and won at all levels.

    Skills: Writing public facing consultation documents, Press/Media, Survey design/analysis/ Report writing/ Event management including managing protests

    OCCG OX14 Project - Healthy communities approach

    Focused on a specific postcode area, working with the community to identify what support/activity and health services are available in the community, to support an alternative model of care for that locality.

    Skills: Survey design and analysis, event management specifically listening event, stakeholder reference groups, design groups, facilitation skills, Press/Media/PR

    NHSE/I Integrating NHS Pharmacy and Medicines Optimisation (IPMO) programme

    Case studies of 7 pilot areas across the UK. Interviewing and analysis of responses using a research qualitative analysis tool, called the Framework methodology

    Skills: Qualitative data analysis, using the Framework methodology. Ability to analyse and translate the data into a comprehensive report for the customer. Writing skills.