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CYFARFOD BWRDD IECHYD HEALTH BOARD MEETING
Dyddiad y Cyfarfod:
Date of Meeting: July 13th 2011
Eitem ar yr Agenda: Agenda Item:
Pwnc:
Subject: Communication and Engagement Strategies
Swyddog Adrodd:
Reporting Officer: Christopher Wright, Director of Corporate
Services
Pwrpas y Papur i’r Bwrdd Iechyd Purpose of the Health Board
Paper To present the draft Engagement and Communication Strategies
designed to support the Health Board’s objectives within its three
year corporate business plan.
Llywodraethu:
Governance: Cyswllt ag Amcanion Strategol y BI: Link to HB
Strategic Objectives:
Health Board Strategic Objectives 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 3 Year Business
Plan Ten Pledges and Initiatives 1e, 2.3a, 2.5a
Penderfyniad y Bwrdd Iechyd: Health Board Resolution: I
gymeradwyo
To approve √ I gefnogi
To Support
Argymhelliad Recommendation
The board is asked to approve the Communication and the
Engagement strategy
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Prif oblygiadau ar y canlynol Key Implications for the Following
Ariannol
Financial Cost implications for campaigns, dependent upon
partnership input
Gwerth am Arian
Value For Money Best Value for Money will be sought through
partnership working
Risg Risk
Failure to implement effective communication and engagement
strategies will compromise ability to meet key organisational
objectives and may affect the reputation of the organisation and
its relationship with key stakeholders.
Cyfreithiol Legal
Poor engagement and communication with staff around service
change could lead to a legal challenge on proposals made.
Gweithlu
Workforce The staff of Hywel Dda Health Board are a key
stakeholder and good communication and engagement is essential in
ensuring that staff feel involved and remain committed to achieving
the Boards key objectives.
Asesiad Effaith Cydraddoldeb
Equality Impact Assessment Wedi’i gynnwys yn y Papur i’r
Bwrdd
Included in Health Board Paper
Dim yn berthnasol
n/a
NA
Sylwadau Comments
Robust communication and engagement strategies will hep to
support the organisation in Equality Impact Assessment
Ymchwil/ Ar sail tystiolaeth Research/Evidence Base
NA
Cynnwys Cleifion a’r Cyhoedd
Patient and Public Involvement
NA
Effaith ar ganlyniadau i’r Claf
Impact on Patient Outcomes
NA
Ymgysylltu Clinigol Clinical Engagement
Full staff engagement according to standard Strategy and Policy
consultation procedures.
Partïon/ Pwyllgorau â ymgynhorwyd ymlaen llaw i’r Bwrdd
Parties/Committees consulted prior to Health Board
Public & Patient Engagement Group Integrated Governance
Committee Staff intranet – consultation page for comment Community
Health Council
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Rhestr Termau Glossary of Terms
Incorporated into the main body of the report.
Prif Deitl
Main Title
1. Pwrpas yr Adroddiad Purpose of the Report
1.1 To present the draft Engagement and Communication Strategies
designed to support the Health Board’s objectives within its three
year corporate business plan.
2. Crynodeb Gweithredol Executive Summary
2.1 Hywel Dda Health Board has undergone a period of significant
change which has brought six legacy organisations together under
the umbrella of the current Health Board. Each of the former
organisations had different cultures and different resources for
internal and external corporate communication and engagement
work.
2.2 Over the course of organisational reconfiguration,
significant restructuring has also taken place within the
communications and engagement functions of Corporate Services to
ensure an appropriate service is in place to serve the much larger
Health Board.
2.3 The organisation also has a new vision, mission and
objectives contained within its three corporate business plan. This
has created the need to develop new communications and engagement
strategies to deal with the new environment and challenges facing
the Health Board over the next three, five and ten years.
2.4 To achieve the Health Board’s vision, mission and objectives
within its three year corporate plan, draft communications and
engagement strategies have been developed to ensure a strategic,
integrated and two-way approach. (Appendix 1 and 2).
3. Argymhellion/ Penderfyniad sydd ei angen
Recommendations/Resolution required
3.1 The Board is asked to approve the current internal and
external communications mechanisms and the Health Board’s draft
Engagement and Communication Strategies.
4. Camau Nesaf Next Steps
4.1 Full implementation of both strategies
Swyddog Adrodd Reporting Officer
Christopher Wright, Director of Corporate Services
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Appendix 1
Communications Strategy 2011 - 2014
Policy Number: Supercedes: n/a Standards For
Healthcare Services No/s
18
Version No:
Date Of Review:
Reviewer Name:
Completed Action:
Approved by: Date
Approved:
New Review Date:
0.1 June 2011 Beverley Gardener
Write Policy
Brief Summary of Document:
The draft Communication Strategy outlines the Health Board’s
commitment to two-way communication with all its internal and
external stakeholders
To be read in conjunction with: Engagement Strategy
Classification: Corporate Category: Strategy Freedom Of
Information Status
Open
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Authorised by: Trevor Purt Job Title Chief Executive
Signature:
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Responsible Officer/Author:
Beverley Gardener Job
Title: Assistant Director Of Communications
Dept Corporate Services
Base Winch Lane, Haverfordwest Contact Details:
Tel No 01437 771223 E-mail: [email protected]
Scope ORGANISATION
WIDE DIRECTORATE
DEPARTMENT ONLY
COUNTY ONLY
Administrative/
Estates Allied Health Professionals Ancillary Maintenance
Staff Group Medical & Dental Nursing
Scientific & Professional Other
Please indicate the name of the individual(s)/group(s) or
committee(s) involved in the consultation process and state date
agreement obtained.
Individual(s) Staff intranet site Date(s) June 2011
Group(s) PPP/Comms sub-group Date(s) 20/05/2011 CONSULTATION
Committee(s) Integrated Governance Committee Strategy and
Planning Group
Date(s) June 2011 July 4
th 2011
RATIFYING AUTHORITY (in accordance with the Schedule of
Delegation)
KEY
A = Approval Required
NAME OF COMMITTEE FR = Final Ratification
Date Approval Obtained
COMMENTS/ POINTS TO NOTE
Integrated Governance Committee FR
Date Equality Impact Assessment Undertaken
Group completing
Equality impact assessment
Please enter any keywords to be used in the policy search system
to
enable staff to locate this policy Communication
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Document Implementation Plan
How Will This Policy Be Implemented?
Who Should Use The Document?
What (if any) Training/Financial Implications are Associated
with this document?
Action By Whom By When
What are the Action Plan/Timescales for implementing this
policy?
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CONTENTS
1. Purpose of the
Strategy....................................................................................................9
2. Introduction and
Context..................................................................................................9
3. Policy Context
.................................................................................................................11
4. Communications Framework to Support Organisational
Objectives.........................11 5. Communication Strategy:
Situational and Stakeholder
Analysis...............................12
5.1. The External
Environment..........................................................................................12
5.2. The Internal
Environment...........................................................................................14
5.3. The Communication
Environment..............................................................................15
5.4. Stakeholder Analysis: Publics and Audiences
...........................................................16 5.5.
External Audiences
....................................................................................................16
5.6. Internal Audiences
.....................................................................................................17
5.7. County Communications:
...........................................................................................18
6. Key Communication Challenges
...................................................................................18
6.1. Generic Communications
Challenges:.......................................................................18
6.2. External Communication Challenges:
........................................................................18
6.3. Internal Communication Challenges:
.........................................................................18
7. Communication Strategy: Aims and Objectives
..........................................................19 7.1.
Strategic Positioning
..................................................................................................19
7.2. Communication Strategy Aims and Objectives
..........................................................19
8. Communication Strategy: Key Messages and Campaigns
.........................................21 8.1. Communication
Strategy: Channels and Tools
..........................................................22 8.2.
Internal Communications
...........................................................................................22
Surveys will give valuable quantitative feedback on questions
relating to staff satisfaction, motivation, priorities, views,
perceptions...........................................................................23
Focus groups will add qualitative feedback and give a fuller
picture. ................................23 Staff survey/focus
groups completed. Staff feedback and action
Plan..............................23 Use of Reach In
................................................................................................................23
Reach-In Scheme established
..........................................................................................26
Working Group in place to manage questionnaires and feedback
....................................26 To encourage ideas ,
innovation and value for money with token prize incentives and/or
praise in the staff newsletter or at an awards event.
.........................................................26 Staff
Suggestion Scheme in use
.......................................................................................26
Working Group in place to manage questionnaires and feedback
....................................26
9. External
Communications..............................................................................................27
10. Monitoring and
Evaluation..........................................................................................29
10.1. Outputs (Exposure and Audience Reach):
.............................................................30
10.2. Outcomes (Awareness and response to Campaign):
.............................................30 10.3. Outcomes
(Degree of changed awareness, behaviour or
opinion):........................30
11. Embedding Communications and Engagement - Roles and
Responsibilities.......31 12. Communications Training - The
Learning Organisation..........................................32
13. Appendix A: Hywel Dda Health Board’s Strategic
Framework................................33 14. Appendix B.
Stakeholder Analysis
............................................................................34
15. Appendix C: Communication Resource SWOT
Analysis.........................................35
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1. PURPOSE OF THE STRATEGY To support the achievement of the
Health Board’s vision, mission and objectives contained within its
three year organisational business plan 2. INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT
Hywel Dda Health Board has the responsibility for improving the
health and wellbeing of its population of more than 375,000 people
across Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion. The Health
Board’s vision is ‘to ensure that the NHS delivers a world-class
healthcare system of the highest quality with improved outcomes for
the people of Hywel Dda.’ This vision assumes that all public
services have a responsibility to work in partnership with others
to prevent ill health and when health or social care is needed,
services should be high quality, convenient, seamless, effective
and as close to home as possible. Effective communication is a key
element of becoming a world class organisation. Underpinning this
vision are five key principles. These are to:
• Deliver care closer to home
• Focus on quality, safety and improving outcomes
• Invest in prevention of ill-health
• Ensure we have a flexible, skilled and motivated workforce
• Eliminate waste, duplication and ensuring value for money. In
order to deliver its vision, the Health Board has committed to ten
key objectives contained in the following table. A growing wealth
of evidence demonstrates the crucial role good communication plays
in helping organisations to achieve objectives. Vision Ensure the
NHS delivers a world class health care system of
the highest quality with improved outcomes for the people of
Hywel Dda
Aims Improve the health and wellbeing for all of the Hywel Dda
population
Optimise the delivery of quality health and social care in the
most appropriate setting
Be recognised as Wales’ leading health system
1. Ensure people live longer
4. Delivering quality health and health services efficiently
within a sustainable system
7. Improve the efficiency of the health service through improved
productivity and value for money
Objectives
2. Reduce the impact of illness on people’s
5. Identify health and social care needs better and respond
8. Secure the necessary skills and lead by example
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quality of life creatively 3. Reduce
lifestyle related illness
6. Work closely with partners to ensure delivery of integrated
and innovative health, social and community services
9. Involve and engage our citizens and effectively communicate
what we are doing
10. Manage our
reputation
The Health Board’s vision will be delivered through a number of
priority areas set out in its three year business plan. These
priorities aim to support people who want to lead healthier lives
to tackle the main cause of ill health and to ensure those who
already suffer ill health have the best possible treatment and care
as close to home as possible, wherever practicable. The focus is on
a ‘wellness service’, rather than a sickness service, and making
sure that people get the right care, in the right place, at the
right time – every time. This will require more communication and
engagement with the public to ensure they better understand the
causes of ill health, how to prevent it and how to manage it
effectively. Providing the focus for these priorities are the
Health Board’s ten pledges to the public:-
In 3 years time we will:
• Help 12,000 people to lose weight
• Help 5,000 people to stop smoking or prevent from starting
• Help prevent or stop 7,500 people drinking to excess
• Increase by 20,000 a year the number of people treated in a
community setting that would have previously been treated in
hospital
In 5 years time we will:
• Help prevent 200 people a year from developing heart
disease
• Ensure, wherever possible, that no one with a known Long Term
Condition is admitted unexpectedly to hospital with that
condition
• Reduce the number of people dying from cancer by 100 a
year
• Help prevent 125 people a year from suffering a stroke
• Double the number of mothers breastfeeding their babies from
birth up to 6 months of age
In 10 years time we will:
• Increase life expectancy by 3 years in the areas with the
lowest life expectancy and improve quality of life for all
To achieve the above, Hywel Dda Health Board will need to
undertake a wide range of communication, engagement, public health
promotion and social marketing activities designed to support the
pledges and priorities within the plan. It will also require
additions to current systems and resources to support any changes
that will deliver this vision. However, we recognise that we have
to work within our allocated resource and work efficiently to
achieve best value for money.
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This Communication Strategy is designed to support the strategic
and operational work which will all contribute to the achievement
of Health Board’s vision, mission, pledges and the key aims and
objectives contained within its three year business plan. 3. POLICY
CONTEXT The Welsh Government and the Minister for Health and Social
Services has set a clear responsibility on Health Boards in Wales
to meaningfully communicate and engage with patients, carers, the
public, provider organisations, its staff, clinicians, partners and
other stakeholders on an ongoing basis to build a shared view of
the current problems facing the NHS in Wales and to find local
solutions to these challenges. In addition, Healthcare Standards
for Wales has a number of key performance indicators that will
audit and compare the success of Health Boards across Wales in
terms of communication and engagement. There are a number of key
policies, strategies and statutory requirements that underpin this
Communication Strategy, including (but not exhaustive):-
• One Wales 2007-2011: A progressive Agenda For Wales, Welsh
Assembly Government
• Making The Connections, Welsh Assembly Government
• Designed for Life – Creating World Class Health and Social
Care Services for Wales in the 21st Century
• Doing Well, Doing Better - Standards for Health Services in
Wales: Standards 5, 18 and 19 include a specific requirement in
relation to communications and engagement
• Rural Health Plan for Wales
• ML/EH/016/11 Guidance for Changes and Consultation on Changes
to Health Services
• Community Health Councils (Constitution, Membership and
Procedures) (Wales) Regulations 2010
• Strategic Workforce and Financial Framework (SWaFF)
• Iaith Pawb - A National Action Plan for a Bilingual Wales
• Welsh Language Act (1993) – The Welsh Language Act provides
the framework for the Health Board to comply with the statutory
requirement to provide health services bilingually in the language
of first choice
• Equality Act 2010
• Our Healthy Future, Setting the Direction
• Health, Social Care and Well-being Strategies
• Better Outcomes for Tougher Times Better Outcomes for Tougher
Times: The Next Phase in Public Service Improvement
• 1000 Lives Plus Hywel Dda Health Board’s own strategic
framework (Appendix A), business plan and objectives also set a
clear vision and aims that will require robust communication
systems to support organisational objectives. 4. COMMUNICATIONS
FRAMEWORK TO SUPPORT ORGANISATIONAL OBJECTIVES To provide a robust
communication framework to support organisational objectives, and
bring communications and engagement work closer together, the
Communications Team will adopt the following communications
model.
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Figure 1: How our communications model supports engagement and
organisational objectives
This provides an integrated framework for continuous, two-way
communication and information flow, patient and public engagement
and the involvement of local people, staff, partners, media and
other stakeholders in the business of the Health Board. It will
ensure communications activities are evaluated and fed back in to
support strategic objectives. This strategy is a working document
which will be updated regularly as the Health Board refines its
strategic framework and as we further segment our population and
learn more about the needs of particular groups and how we can best
engage and communicate with them 5. COMMUNICATION STRATEGY:
SITUATIONAL AND STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS Understanding the internal and
external issues affecting the Health Board provides the foundation
for this Communications Strategy. To this end, a full stakeholder
analysis (Appendix B) was conducted, as well as internal, external
and communications situational analyses (Appendix C). 5.1. The
External Environment Within the NHS, there are a number of key
challenges for the future in terms of improving healthcare at a
time of more limited resources, many of which build the case for
better education, information and communication within our
population. These include:-
• An increasing older population. By 2031, the number of people
over 75 will have increased by 75% since 2001. Already, one third
of adults in Wales have at least one long-term, chronic illness.
This will increase as the number of older people increases and
means more people will need information to know how to manage their
conditions
• to live longer, more independent lives.
• Advances in medicine mean that once untreatable conditions are
now treatable, putting greater pressure on the health service at a
time of more limited resources. People need more information about
how to treat these conditions.
• The NHS needs to become a ‘wellness service’, rather than a
sickness service, increasing the need for better health promotion
and awareness raising.
• There is a traditional perception that hospitals are the best
place to receive care. This is no longer always the case and often,
primary and community care closer to home result
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in improved outcomes for patients. People need to learn how to
choose well when accessing healthcare.
• Drugs and treatment for many conditions are expensive and are
a cost challenge to the NHS. In this context, prevention and health
promotion are increasingly important.
• Expectations have risen and many patients want a more active
role in understanding, planning and delivering their own care,
creating a need for better communication.
• Increasing use of telemedicine means more care can be
delivered closer to home. People need to understand the advantages
of this.
• The drive for more partnership working, both inside the public
sector and with outside agencies, increases the need for better
cross organisational communications.
• The Welsh Government mandate to involve our local people in
continuous dialogue creates a further driver for good communication
and engagement.
Within the Hywel Dda healthcare area, there are a number of
factors which drive the need for better information, communication
and engagement, as follows:-
• The number of people who are overweight (59%) and obese (22%)
is increasing with Hywel Dda numbers exceeding national average
levels
• The number of people smoking (22%), while static and lower
than the national average, still feature as the top causes of
illness and death within Hywel Dda
• Alcohol consumption is rising with 39% of the population
drinking above guidelines and 23% reported as binge drinking
• Higher than average death rates from circulatory disease
• Higher than average death rates from heart disease in
Carmarthenshire
• Higher than average death rates from respiratory disease in
Carmarthenshire
• Higher than average excess winter deaths across the three
counties with Ceredigion significantly exceeding the national
average
• A forecast rise in the older population (35,000 (10%) in 2006
to 70,000 (16%) in 2031) which is likely to lead to an increase in
the number of people who will develop a long term condition
• Areas within our localities have significant deprivation and
health inequalities. The Health Board’s Business Plan aims to
address the causes of ill health and death in Hywel Dda through the
delivery of a set of targeted initiatives to increase life
expectancy, reduce health inequalities and improve the health of
the population. However, achieving these targets will require the
support of robust educational, health promotion, engagement and
communication mechanisms. The Business Plan also seeks to realign
services to achieve sustainable, improved, safer patient care as
close to people’s homes as possible. Hywel Dda will be a community
led provider with 80% of NHS services available locally in Primary,
Community and Social Care teams operating from Community Resource
Centres. Patients can expect to only attend an acute hospital only
when it is appropriate to do so. People need to learn how to choose
the best way to access this healthcare. Achieving a change to
‘Locality Care’ will require co-operation with the Hywel Dda
resident population and with all our stakeholders. It will mean the
greater involvement of the Third Sector, charitable organisations,
the public, patients and carers and staff in co-designing the
future of our health community and in breaking down cultural or
communication barriers. The role of robust communications and
engagement within this is very evident.
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5.2. The Internal Environment Achieving change externally will
inevitably mean achieving change internally, within the Health
Board’s workforce. The Health Board’s Organisational Development
Framework and Cultural Change Programme supports the delivery of
the Business Plan by taking a proactive approach to ensuring that
individuals, teams and Hywel Dda as a whole maximises its potential
to deliver sustainable services. In an environment of change, good
communication is more important than ever. The ‘Hywel Dda Way’
cultural programme, identifies the ‘way we do things around here’
and will drive cultural change through integrated teams, ensuring
Hywel Dda develops a culture which will ensure that strategic
objectives can be delivered through the alignment of people,
structures and processes. To do this, staff will need to understand
the reasons for change. The Health Board’s Workforce Plan defines
the current configuration of services and workforce and how the
Health Board will modernise, re-develop and rebalance front line
hospital and community services. In order to deliver this, the
workforce priorities will centre upon:
• The three year Business Plan which identifies the prioritised
health needs of our local population
• Workforce re-design, modernisation and realignment,
particularly supporting the requirement to enhance community
services
• Investment in staff to ensure competency and continuous
development
• Engagement of the workforce, clinical leadership and
empowerment of frontline staff to deliver patient expectation and
clinical outcomes that are nationally driven, locally owned;
• The development of workforce intelligence and information to
inform effective workforce management decisions
• Continued delivery of sickness and absence and back to work
initiatives. All of the above factors will require effective
communication to our workforce. Internally, there is also a need to
acknowledge county identities for Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and
Pembrokeshire, forging strong foundations with Local Authority and
Third Sector partners to jointly harvest the benefits of
co-terminosity and more collaborative service models. There will be
a key role for effective communication in achieving this. Clinical
engagement is crucial to the development of the correct service
models in the future. Using our service strategy ‘Right Care, Right
Place, Right Time, Every Time’, we have already undertaken a
comprehensive programme bringing together current clinical
expertise in Acute, Community and Primary Care and it is important
to build on this in the future. We need to develop tools and
channels to support effective clinical engagement.
Like most organisations in Wales, the succession of former Trust
mergers and the latest NHS reorganisation have left many staff
unsure as to their contribution to current and future service
transformation. To address this, we have proactively engaged all
staff on ‘Right Care, Right Place, Right Time, Every Time’, and
this engagement and communication will need to continue in the
future. In addition current recruitment challenges across the UK
make it important that staff in current posts feel valued and
informed. It is clear that in these times of considerable challenge
and change, robust external and internal communications, at all
levels and across all boundaries, will be paramount.
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5.3. The Communication Environment In considering the above
challenges, Hywel Dda Health Board has undertaken an SWOT analysis
of its current communications capabilities to help inform this
strategy. There is already a high level of communication and
engagement activity internally and externally across the Health
Board. However, to achieve the Health Board’s vision, further work
is needed in order to strengthen a strategic, integrated and
two-way approach to communication and engagement within our local
populations. We need to create a culture where local people,
stakeholders, partners and staff are able to be informed, get
involved and influence Health Board work on an ongoing basis. It
will also become increasingly important for people to be able to
meaningfully contribute to debates about how we prioritise
investment. Moreover, people need to have the skills and knowledge
to make informed choices about their health, how they access health
services and how they manage their own health. There are high
levels of deprivation within the Hywel Dda healthcare area, some of
which are identified as the most deprived. People living in more
deprived areas are more at risk of developing almost all the major
causes of ill health, their life expectancy is less and the health
service needs will therefore be greater. National research shows
that people living in deprived areas often have poor health
literacy and can find it difficult to access both services and
information. In order to harvest the potential benefits of
improving health in these areas, the Health Board will need to
focus on those areas to improve health literacy. Health information
needs to start early, with families and in schools, and be
connected into the daily interactions of people and communities.
Improving access to useful information through a range of
communications and media will therefore support the reduction of
health inequalities. Hywel Dda Health Board is obliged under
Section 14 of the Welsh Language Act to prepare and implement a
Welsh Language Scheme. Within the scheme, the Health Board has
adopted the principle that in the conduct of public business in
Wales it will treat the Welsh and English languages on the basis of
equality and that patients or service users as a matter of good
practice should be provided with language choice. When
communicating with the public the Health Board will ensure that
members of the public who wish or are required to have dealings
with the Health Board will be able to do so through the medium of
Welsh or English. Publications produced by the Health Board to
advise the public of existing or proposed developments or policies
will be bilingual. The Welsh Language Board will monitor the Health
Board’s implementation of the Scheme and its subsequent action plan
on an annual basis. We also recognise that members of the public
may express their views and needs better in their first language,
and that enabling them to use their preferred language is a matter
of good practice rather than a concession – a denial of that right
or an ability to provide this efficiently and effectively could
place patients, service users and families at a real disadvantage.
We will therefore be proactive in offering the public the right to
choose which language to use in their dealings with our
organisation. Our aim is to enable everyone who receives or uses
our services to do so through the medium of Welsh or English, or
any other language, according to personal choice. We need to become
much more targeted in our approach by using social marketing
techniques, particularly to reach those who are ‘seldom seen or
heard’. Evidence indicates that social marketing can be extremely
effective. The Communications Department is currently developing a
campaign calendar matrix to focus on the areas which will have the
biggest
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impact on achieving Health Board objectives and we need to look
closely at the audiences we target within those campaigns. There is
a new emphasis on more integrated partnership working across
public, Third Sector and community organisations in delivering the
health and social care agenda. Good communication and engagement
are crucial in developing effective, mutually beneficial
partnerships without which we cannot realise the vision. Internal
communications and staff engagement is just as important as
external relations, both to improve the likelihood of success and
its ability to manage change. Internal communication is also an
important part of our external communication approach because it
ensures that staff are able to communicate with the public
effectively. National data suggests that 20% of people get their
health information from friends or relatives who work for the NHS,
and a further 15% through medical professionals working in the NHS.
These findings reiterate the importance of friends, family and
health professionals in opinion-forming. The Health Board also
needs to remember that everyone communicates, at all levels, and
every contact gives us an opportunity to engage. We will therefore
pay attention to all of the ‘touch points’ our stakeholders come
into contact with, remembering that the most intimate ones can have
the greatest impact. It is vital that communication and engagement
activities are carried out in a strategic, planned and consistent
way, based on client knowledge, understanding and insight. It must
be an integral part of everything we do and all the decisions we
make. 5.4. Stakeholder Analysis: Publics and Audiences Hywel Dda
Health Board has a variety of target audiences, publics and
stakeholder groups, internally and externally. A full stakeholder
analysis is included at Appendix B. It is important to have an
understanding of the communication needs and interests of our
stakeholders. More work needs to be undertaken here, particularly
if we are to adopt a much more systematic approach. Better audience
segmentation is being looked at on an all-Wales level, as well as
locally, and Hywel Dda Health Board is fully involved with this
work. This strategy outlines how we will develop a consistent and
unified approach to our external and internal stakeholder
relations. Broadly, the main stakeholders that we need to
communicate and engage with are described below. 5.5. External
Audiences Since reorganisation, there has been little work
undertaken to ascertain what our patients, the public and external
stakeholder perceptions are of the new Local Health Board. Public
perception surveys and focus groups will be a crucial strand of
work within this strategy. Equally, there is a major drive for
better communication and engagement with partners, including
statutory, public, private and third sector, community and
voluntary groups, across all of our stakeholder groups, as well as
an interest for more involvement in decision making. This need is
being addressed through the establishment of a Stakeholder
Reference Group and the appointment of a Director for Strategic
Partnerships to drive forward this agenda and this Communication
Strategy will support those objectives. There are a number of
external audiences that we need to communicate with,
including:-
• Local Authorities, including Social Services, Housing, etc
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• Local and Regional Members of Parliament and Assembly
Members
• Hywel Dda Community Health Council
• Local, regional and national press and media
• Town and Community Councils
• County Voluntary Councils (CVS) – CAVS, CAVO, PAVS
• Members of the public, including ‘seldom heard’ groups
• Patient, user and special interest groups
• Patients and carers
• People with disabilities, including those with learning
disabilities
• Schools, colleges of higher education, universities
• The Third Sector
• Community Groups – Social and Business
• Partnership Groups with Health Board representation
• Trade Unions and Professional Associations 5.6. Internal
Audiences There are currently more than more than 9,800 people
employed by the Health Board in different professional groups. NHS
staff are the best advocates and what they say to their friends,
family and partnership agencies about their workplace is key to
public perception. Moreover, there is a close relationship between
staff satisfaction and patient experience. Through the
Organisational Development Framework and Cultural Change Programme,
work is being undertaken to ascertain what staff perceptions are
within the Local Health Board. This Communications Strategy will
support that work via staff surveys, focus groups plus the new
Staff Reach-In Scheme which will be crucial strands in
communication work to support culture change. Research undertaken
in the legacy organisations gives historic insights into staff
perception of internal communications. This supports research found
in communications literature which indicates that, during times of
change, staff prefer verbal communication sources underpinned by
written communication:
• Verbal communication is the most preferred channel, with team
meetings and one-to-ones most popular (i.e. direct verbal
communication with their manager). The Team Brief process is
therefore crucial to good internal communications
• Staff workshops / briefing sessions were also deemed
useful
• Written communication underpinning verbal communication is
also popular
• The staff intranet was seen as useful but there are
difficulties of access for a number of staff
• Formal communications training was an issue raised, suggesting
that a communications training programme may be helpful for those
who have not had any before.
There are a number of internal communications audiences
including:-
• Hywel Dda Staff and professional groups
• Local GP Practices, Dentists, Ophthalmologists and
Pharmacists
• Local Medical, Pharmaceutical, Dental and Optical
Committees
• Partnership Forum and Trade Union representatives
• The Welsh Government
• Other Local Health Boards and Social Care providers
• Other NHS Trusts, including Welsh Ambulance Service Trust
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5.7. County Communications: There is a need to forge strong
foundations with and between each of the three counties and their
partners to jointly harvest the benefits of coterminosity, more
collaborative service models and the sharing of best practice
across the three counties. There is currently disparity between the
county communications and engagement mechanisms, based on the
legacy organisations and this needs to be addressed through this
Communications Strategy. Communication leads will be identified, as
well as communications champions within each county as a core link
to aid this process 6. KEY COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES Whilst a wealth
of communication work is already being undertaken, the above
analysis highlights a number of key communication challenges for
Hywel Dda Health Board since restructuring. 6.1. Generic
Communications Challenges:
• There is a need to build further capacity and capability
within communications This will involve working in a more
integrated way across counties and with external partners
• There is a need to establish adequate resource to carry out
effective social communications campaigns that bring about
behaviour change. Again, this will involve working much more
closely with partners to provide maximum impact.
• There is a need to build regular and consistent messages for
all our stakeholders
• There is a need to build greater understanding of the
challenges facing the Health Board with all audiences
• There is a need to more fully engage with all stakeholders and
ensure all communication and engagement work is better integrated
to maximise the impact of current resource
6.2. External Communication Challenges:
• There is a need to move from a reactive position to a more
proactive position to offset negative publicity
• There is a long history of negative perceptions of health
management within the NHS as a whole that needs to be offset
• There is a need to manage stakeholder communications in a more
consistent way so that all external audiences are receiving the
same message at the same time. This is a particular challenge given
the geographic and rural area covered
• There is a need to create greater and ongoing engagement with
the public
• Media relations: There is a need to build greater trust and
transparency with key media and opinion formers
6.3. Internal Communication Challenges:
• There is a need to build strong relationships with staff and
create a better understanding of the reasons for change and their
role within it
• There is a need to create more internal information channels
and updates that address the rural geography and communication
needs of a diverse range of staff. In an age of increasing
electronic media, this creates a particular challenge in Hywel Dda
Health Board
• There is a need to eradicate potential ‘bottlenecks’ within
the management structure so that information flows freely in all
directions throughout the organisation
• There is a need to create greater transparency with staff and
involve more of them in a more interactive and proactive way in the
work of organisation in creating necessary changes
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7. COMMUNICATION STRATEGY: AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 7.1. Strategic
Positioning Our brand ambition is for Hywel Dda Health Board to be
seen as the local NHS leader and a world-class healthcare system of
the highest quality with improved outcomes for the people of Hywel
Dda. Raising awareness of the Health Board is not a means to an
end. Our approach will be to develop systematic ways to communicate
with our stakeholders with the aim of supporting the Health Board’s
strategic objectives. By doing that, we will also improve awareness
of what we do. 7.2. Communication Strategy Aims and Objectives The
overarching aim and objective of this strategy are to increase
awareness of, understanding and interest in the work of the Health
Board with all internal and external publics and stakeholders. The
following table illustrates how the communications objectives fit
strategically with the Health Board’s aims and objectives and the
Standards for Healthcare Services in Wales. Health Board Strategic
Aim
Health Board Objective
Communication Objective Driver
Ensuring people live longer
To raise public awareness and interest in the dangers of
unhealthy lifestyles and how to look after themselves better to
ensure they live longer, developing targeted communication
campaigns in line with our priorities and pledges
SfH 18 SfH 3 SfH 9
Reducing the impact of illness on people’s quality of life
To educate people with ill-health about how to manage their
condition and reduce its impact on their lives, developing targeted
communications campaigns in line with our priorities and
pledges
SfH18 SfH 3 SfH 9
Improving health and wellbeing for all of the Hywel Dda
population
Reducing lifestyle related illness
To raise awareness of the key high risk areas of ill health and
interest in how to prevent lifestyle-related illness, developing
targeted communication campaigns in line with our priorities and
pledges
SfH18 SfH 3 SfH 9
Delivering quality health and health services efficiently within
a sustainable system
To raise awareness of the work of Hywel Dda Health Board and the
Five Year Framework Right Care, Right Place, Right Time…Every Time
with all publics to ensure they understand the vision for
delivering quality, sustainable health services across Hywel Dda
Community.
Rural Health Plan SfH18
Optimising the delivery of quality health and social care in the
most appropriate setting Identifying
health and social care needs better and responding
creatively
To promote best practice and case studies of creative health and
social care solutions across Hywel Dda To raise awareness of how to
access health services better and how to Choose Well
SfH18 SfH 8c SfH 9
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Working with partners to ensure delivery of integrated and
innovative health, social and community services
To build and maintain strong two-way communications channels
with our partners to raise awareness of and promote best practice
in joint working and delivery of integrated health, social and
community services
SfH18 SfH 8c
Improving the efficiency of the health service through improved
productivity and value for money
To improve staff communication channels and raise awareness of
and promote service projects and initiatives that improve
efficiency, productivity and value for money, working closely with
the Business Improvement Group To establish methods for evaluating
communication work to inform best use of resource and value for
money
SfH18
Securing the necessary skills and leading by example
To build communication capacity, capability and skills to ensure
our communications objectives are delivered
SfH 24
Involving and engaging our citizens and effectively
communicating what we are doing
To develop systems that enable continuous communication with our
citizens, stakeholders and staff to create understanding of their
health needs and future health services To improve feedback
mechanisms to staff, patients and service users to provide
assurance the organisation is listening and acting upon the views
received To provide patient information in a format that is
appropriate to the individual patient’s needs To ensure staff are
well informed, using a wide range of methods, appropriately trained
and equipped to communicate. To deliver responsive and responsible
two-way communications, and develop staff to become excellent
communicators
SfH 5 SfH 18
Being recognised as Wales’ leading health system
Managing our reputation
To promote the good work of the Health Board, raising awareness
of positive initiatives and protecting the NHS brand locally. To
facilitate a culture of good communication within the organisation,
positioning consistent communications at the heart of everything
and, working with the Culture Change programme, supporting a
culture of strong, communication at all levels To build and
maintain strong relationships with the media and key opinion
formers to ensure the Health Board’s work is presented in a fair
and accurate way
SfH18
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8. COMMUNICATION STRATEGY: KEY MESSAGES AND CAMPAIGNS There are
a number of key messages which lie at the heart of everything Hywel
Dda Health Board does. These reflect key themes within our
strategic framework, and are as follows:
• We will provide care closer to home
• We will focus on quality, safety and improving outcomes
• We will ensure we have a flexible, skilled and motivated
workforce
• We will invest in prevention
• We will eliminate waste, duplication and ensure value for
money It is important that we prioritise communications resources
to have the greatest impact on the adoption of healthy lifestyles
and the appropriate use of services. Key campaigns and messages
will therefore be devised for target audiences to reflect our
priorities and ten pledges. We will develop a communications plan
and campaign strategy in support of the Health Board’s pledges,
which underpins this strategy, and sets out the key campaigns which
support the three year business plan:-
• Smoking
• Obesity
• Alcohol and Drugs
• Sexual Health
• Cancer
• Heart Disease
• Stroke
• Long Term Conditions including Diabetes, Respiratory Disease,
Kidney Disease, Epilepsy and Dementia
• No unexpected long term condition admissions
• More Care in the Community
• Increasing Life Expectancy
• Right Care, Right Place, Right Time, Every Time
• Mental Health and Learning Disabilities
• Children and Young People
• Primary and Community care
• End of Life Care In addition to this campaign strategy to help
people lead healthier lives, there are a number of other topics and
areas that we will need to focus on in order to underpin the
delivery of the strategic plan, including (but not exhaustive):
• Choose Well: Information about how to access local services
and ensuring this information is accessible and useful including
winter pressures and flu vaccinations
• Service Modernisation: Changes people can expect to see in the
coming years, including improvements and prioritisation
decisions
• Capital Programmes: investment into new facilities and
services within the Hywel Dda area
• County Developments: communication plans and campaigns to
support county delivery objectives
• Business Improvement Group programme and War on Waste
• 1000 Lives Plus programme
• Organisational Development and Culture Change programme
• Sustainable Travel Group
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• Health At Work Steering Group (including Corporate Health
Standard) which provides leadership and support to the Health Board
in facilitating the health and wellbeing of staff
8.1. Communication Strategy: Channels and Tools Hywel Dda Health
Board already has a number of communication channels and tools.
Effective communication is achieved through careful selection of
communication channels as appropriate to the target audience. These
include:-
INTERNAL CHANNELS EXTERNAL CHANNELS Hywel’s Voice Staff
Newsletter Press Releases and Media Grid Hywel’s E-Voice
E-Newsletter and various departmental newsletters
Media Campaigns (newspaper, radio, television and online)
Hywel Dda Today (Daily Bulletin) Media Briefings Health Board
Staff Bulletins (As Required)
Media Statements
Health Board Staff Intranet and Bulletin Board
Health Board Internet
What’s New On the Intranet (Global Email)
Community Newsletter
Staff Intranet Discussion and Feedback Forums
Public and Partner newsletters
Team Brief Meeting System Public and Partner websites Chairman’s
and Medical Director Blogs Public Information Leaflets, Packs
and
Posters Staff Open Forum Meetings (Q&A Sessions)
Social Media sites including Facebook and Twitter
Executive Walkabouts Annual Report
Monthly Payslip Messaging Public Focus Groups Staff Notice
Boards (managed) Public Notice Boards Best of Health Staff Awards
and Chairman’s Commendation
Public Surveys and Online Polls
Staff Induction Pack Health Board meetings Staff Focus
Groups/Roadshows Stakeholder Reference Group meetings
and newsletter Staff Surveys and Online Polls Public Roadshows,
Events, Exhibitions Partnership Forum meetings Involvement and
Engagement Scheme
(in development)
In addition to the existing communication tools already being
deployed, this Communications Strategy seeks to build upon and
strengthen its channels and tools in the following ways:- 8.2.
Internal Communications The people who make Hywel Dda Health Board
a success are its staff who are both service users/customers and
ambassadors of the organisation. This is crucial to promoting key
messages and managing the reputation of the organisation. Good
communications should start with our staff, as every message that
is sent out internally immediately becomes an external message.
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The overarching internal communications objective is to improve
staff communication channels so that employees can access timely,
accurate and clear information that enables them to better
understand Health Board challenges and support the organisation to
deliver high quality, safe and sustainable services. Every member
of staff is also responsible for good communication on a day to day
basis. Communication should be at the core of what the Health Board
does - it is part of everyone’s job and fundamental to all
management roles. The Health Board will develop an Internal
Communications strategy to support this. The structure of the
organisation and its business must include the facilitation of
effective communications throughout all levels of the organisation.
Various communication methods, electronic, written and verbal, will
be used to impart information to staff. The value of face-to-face
communication, however, is well evidenced and will be a key strand
of the internal communications strategy in order to ensure that
staff without access to electronic media can access information.
The organisation will encourage early and timely communication,
wherever possible, with adequate level of detail for the audience
about developments and changes which have an impact on staff.
Wherever possible, staff should have access to such information
ahead of the media. Internal communication needs to be inclusive to
ensure accessibility of information for a widely dispersed and
diverse workforce. The Health Board needs to use accessible and
widely distributed written information for staff, as well as
web-based and verbal communication opportunities. No one should be
disadvantaged by geography or by their role or status in the
organisation. Communication should be enabling, accessible and use
varied and appropriate media to reach all members of staff. In
return, the organisation should promote opportunities to hear staff
views and respond to them. Ultimately the aim is to build trust
amongst staff by achieving acceptance, understanding and ownership
of the issues and challenges facing that Health Board. The
following table broadly details what the Health Board will do to
strengthen and improve internal communications across the
organisation.
What are we going to do?
What will this achieve? How will we know?
Initiative 1a – Internal Communication Audit: Audit of existing
internal channels of communication
A gap analysis and action plan to ensure all staff can access
internal communications in a variety of ways. Continuous
improvement year on year
Audit completed Gaps identified Action plan in place to monitor
Use of Reach In
Initiative 1b – Staff Survey/ Focus Groups: confidential to
encourage participation. Promotion via internal channels and
incentives. Staff feedback/action plan.
Surveys will give valuable quantitative feedback on questions
relating to staff satisfaction, motivation, priorities, views,
perceptions. Focus groups will add qualitative feedback and give a
fuller picture.
Staff survey/focus groups completed. Staff feedback and action
Plan Use of Reach In
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Initiative 1c – Team Brief: Strengthen and embed Team Brief
cascade system. Each part of the organisation must have this
framework in place to ensure the best possible communication.
Line managers are made responsible for ensuring that all staff
have regular Team Brief face to face meetings. Regular Team Brief
Audits to test systems
Team brief audits and feedback
Initiative 1d – Review of Meeting Agendas: All meeting agendas
and supporting papers, from the Board of Directors to committees
and sub-groups will have communication plans/issues as a standing
agenda item.
To consider the communications implications, both internally and
externally who do we need to tell, what, how and when? To identify
and advise on key messages for forthcoming issues and ensure the
development of a formal communication plan. This information will
then go to the communication team.
All high level committees have communication on their agenda
Initiative 1e - CDG and ODG Lead
Communication and Engagement Representation or weekly feedback
form from ODG and CDG to aid forward planning
Feedback form for CDG/ODG representative
Initiative 1f – Communication Leads/Champions A communications
lead for each county and representatives from within each
committee/group to feed back to communications team
Identification of Communication Lead and Champion for each
county Identification of Communication Champion for key projects
and initiatives Attendance of Communication Leads at key meetings
to be identified
County Communication Leads in place Key Project Champions in
place Key Meeting Champions in place
Initiative 1g – Communications Champions Group (Corporate and
County) An identified member of each part of the organisation who
acts as a key contact for collating local information and
intelligence for PR, staff news, etc. Communication Champions Group
to meet monthly
Establish Meeting of Communication Leads and Communication
Champions to capture all key issues (corporate, county, project) To
monitor, develop and assess the internal communications methods and
strategy. The group should meet quarterly and will include
representation from across the organisation The group will feed in
to PPE/Comms Sub-Group (or relevant committee/forum) and will be
responsible for supporting the internal communications strategy for
the Health Board.
Establish Communication Champion group TOR Meeting Schedule
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Initiative 1h – Communication Plan Template developed to achieve
best practice in communications and ensure consideration of every
aspect of what needs to be communicated, to whom how and when.
To ensure communication plans and issues are integral to every
development and service change from the outset. A communication
plan should form an integral part of project management for every
service review or project, current or future for both internal and
external audiences, seeking professional advice from the
communication team.
Communication Plan Template produced and promoted widely
Evidence of usage
Initiative 1i: Weekly E-Newsletter: Staff News (Celebrating
Success) -Development of a weekly e-newsletter distributed to staff
email addresses and posted on intranet which focuses not only on
corporate news but also more engaging news for wider staff
audiences such as nurses, admin staff and cleaners. Line managers
to ensure copies are printed and distributed and made readily
available to their staff.
Lead on staff news. Promoting key messages and information.
Celebrating staff and HDHB achievements. Profiling individual staff
or teams. Providing ‘softer’ information, for example about
starters and leavers. Dedicated section to discuss and debate the
changes, issues and challenges the Board faces. Communicate
corporate messages and update staff of where, how and when the
reviews are progressing. Regular evaluation
Weekly E-Bulletin developed and in use
Initiative 1j: Internal Distribution System: centrally held and
maintained label databases
Ability to undertake internal distributions to all staff or
specific staff groups.
Stakeholder Management System
Initiative 1k: Information Share Point: a hub for all key
documents relating to communications such as Q&As, key messages
etc for all relevant audiences.
Consistency of messaging across the organisation.
Information Share Point established
Initiative 1l: Open Forum Staff Briefings/Drop-In Sessions
(Executive and County): a formal programme of themed drop in
sessions each year in each county, hosted by County Directors/
Leads or Executive Directors, as appropriate and publicised well in
advance
To give information, publicise key messages, listen to the views
and concerns of staff and to give feedback to staff groups
Schedules of Open Forums established in all counties and
corporately.
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Initiative 1m: SMS Texts for staff with no access to computer on
site (up to 150 characters to mobile telephones to registered
staff)
Message pointers to latest news, core brief, intranet and notice
boards updates on key issues. Ability to be more inclusive and
target harder-to-reach groups, many of whom have mobile phones.
SMS system in use for registered users.
Initiative 1n: Reach-In Scheme: Virtual panel made up of a
representative pool of staff who take part in a number of surveys
on a regular basis
To identify staff views on Health Board matters. Advantages
include demonstrating a long-term commitment to consultation with
staff ; cost-effective regular consultation; higher response rates
than one-off surveys; a representative sample for consultation; it
helps to identify specific groups of staff for separate surveys and
focus groups
Reach-In Scheme established Working Group in place to manage
questionnaires and feedback
Initiative 1o: Staff Suggestion Scheme: publicised in posters,
online and in staff newsletters with evidence that staff
contributions are implemented.
To encourage ideas , innovation and value for money with token
prize incentives and/or praise in the staff newsletter or at an
awards event.
Staff Suggestion Scheme in use Working Group in place to manage
questionnaires and feedback
Initiative 1p: Staff Online Forum/Interactive Blog: interactive
discussion forums inviting staff views. Discussion forums should be
identified and monitored as they provide peer to peer information.
Well placed and attributed messages within these can be very
valuable. Moreover, monitoring them can provide valuable
insight.
An online forum /interactive blog and email address on the
Intranet for staff to record views, questions or comments. An email
address for enquires and comments is also included in each addition
of the Staff News.
Online Forum/Interactive Blog established Feedback mechanism in
place
Initiative 1q: Home Subscription Email Database (Opt-In): to
reaching staff without work email/intranet access
Staff newsletters and corporate information sent to home
computer Reaches ‘hard-to-reach’ staff groups Requires staff opt-in
via subscription
Home subscription email system (opt-in) established Staff users
signed up as members
Initiative 12: Internal Communication Training and Guidance –
Online
Communication Training audit to identify needs and appropriate
schemes
Training Audit undertaken
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Resources developed in the areas of: general communications,
media spokespeople, public speaking and presenting, effective
meetings etc, as required. Training needs for communication
champions Guidance on good practice and expected standards in
communications will be made available for all.
Communication Training incorporated into Health Board’s training
schedule Good communication practice guidance
Initiative 1s: Intranet Resources: The staff intranet is already
widely used. We will strengthen e-communications through improved
intranet resources and tools
Improved intranet resources and tools including such things as
pop-up messaging, Celebrating Success, e-messaging, podcasts, video
walls online polls etc.
A range of new e-communications intranet resources in use
9. EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS Ensuring that information flow
internally is accessible, clear and relevant is the foundation of
good external communications. The overarching external
communications aim is to improve communication with all external
stakeholders so that they better understand Health Board
challenges. Various communication methods, electronic, written and
verbal, will be used to impart information to external
stakeholders. Key external stakeholders will also have
representation on the Stakeholder Reference Group and other
meetings, as appropriate. There is real value in positively
engaging fully with media and key opinion formers and this will be
acknowledged in the external/ media communications policies and
strategies. The organisation will encourage early and timely
communication, wherever possible. The Health Board will use a wide
range of accessible information for different audiences to take
into consideration equality and diversity of our external
stakeholders. No one should be disadvantaged by geography or
ability. Communication should be enabling, accessible and use
varied and appropriate media to reach all external stakeholders,
including the ‘seldom –heard’, bilingual and other language formats
as required (e.g. Braille) In return, the organisation should
promote opportunities to hear external stakeholder views and
respond to them. Ultimately the aim is to build trust by achieving
acceptance, understanding and ownership of the issues and
challenges facing that Health Board. Siarad Iechyd/Talking Health
Involvement and Engagement Scheme will create opportunities to do
this The following table details broadly what the Health Board will
do to strengthen and improve external communications across the
organisation.
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What are we going to do?
What will we achieve? How will we know?
Initiative 1a – External Communication Audit: Audit of existing
external channels of communication
A gap analysis and action plan to ensure all stakeholders can
access external communications in a variety of ways Continuous
improvement year on year
Audit completed Gaps identified Action plan in place to
monitor
Initiative 1b – Siarad Iechyd/Talking Health Scheme
Continuous engagement with publics and stakeholders
Siarad Iechyd/talking Health launched and widely promoted.
membership of scheme
Initiative 1c – Health Board Stakeholder Briefing/Newsletter –
monthly briefing/feedback to all external stakeholders on latest
Health Board business after every Health Board meeting.
To ensure the public and media are aware of latest Health Board
news. To include main briefing, next steps, timings and final
recommendations to demonstrate transparency.
Stakeholder Briefing template Regular stakeholder briefings
being issued
Initiative 1d – Ask The Board online forum
To ensure members of the public and stakeholders can ask
questions directly of Board members
Internet forum set up and feedback mechanism in place Number of
enquiries
Initiative 1e – Social Networking Tools: including Facebook
Twitter and YouTube
To maximise exposure to audiences through popular networking
sites
Facebook, Twitter and YouTube sites set up and widely promoted
Number of members/hits
Initiative 1f – Community Newsletter (County)
To promote county developments and good news stories in
county
County Newsletter template set up Regular updates
Initiative 1g: Information Screens: Development and use of
patient information screens in waiting rooms and A&E to inform
public of developments.
To maximise use of patient information screens to disseminate
news to patients in high footfall areas such as A&E
departments
Screens identified and in use. Better use and management of
screens across Health Boards
County Fact Packs: celebrating success in each county
To ensure all the good news developments within each county are
widely known and understood
County Fact Packs developed and widely promoted
Media Relations Initiative 1g – Media Policy and Media Handling
Guidelines
Hywel Dda Health Board will develop a new media relations policy
and guidelines for staff in dealing with the media
Media Policy Media Guidelines – widely promoted
Initiative 1h – Media Relations/Key Opinion Formers: Regular
To improve positive relations with media/key opinion formers and
explain the challenges facing the
A schedule of media face to face media briefings/meetings
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Briefings /News Columns – monthly face to face meetings with
senior Health Board/County Executives/Chairman to update media/key
opinion former on Health Board developments
Health Board Health news columns in main local newspapers
Initiative 1i – Forward Look Media Grid for Press Releases and
Announcements
A proactive media grid plan for positive press releases
Forward Look in place and actively used in counties
Initiative 1j – Media Champions: Executive and Clinical
Identify key spokespeople, including clinicians, providing
trusted and expert comment, building on the culture of
transparency
Key champions/ spokespersons identified
Initiative 1k – Out of Hours media enquiries and Crisis
Communications
Working with emergency planning teams, 24/7 communications
on-call plans are in place to address issues and crisis
communications which arise out of office hours
24/7 communication and crisis communication plans in place and
widely promoted
Initiative 1l – Media Monitoring and Evaluation
Proactive monitoring of all media to track issues and respond
when appropriate. Feedback is fed back into key parts of the Health
Board to inform future decisions and communication plans
Media monitoring and evaluation system in place
Initiative 1m: Media Training – Face To Face and Online
Resources
Media Training audit to identify needs and appropriate schemes
developed. Training needs for media communication champions
Guidance on good practice and expected standards in communications
will be made available for all.
Training Audit undertaken Communication Training incorporated
into Health Board’s training schedule Good communication practice
guidance
Stakeholder Relations Initiative 1p – Stakeholder Management
System
To ensure consistent and more integrated stakeholder
communications.
Stakeholder management System developed Databases
established
10. MONITORING AND EVALUATION Evaluation of all communications
work is essential to ensure the plans are working and do not need
to be changed. Evaluation mechanisms should be built into every
communications strategy and action plan at the start so that
activity is regularly monitored to measure its success. There is no
way of assessing success without developing metrics to allow
evaluation.
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Key stakeholders should be surveyed regularly to give feedback
on the methods and impact of the communications methods. Individual
communication methods should also be monitored and evaluated
regularly. It is important that feedback is acted on to improve
staff confidence. This Communications Strategy will monitor and
evaluate its effectiveness on a campaign basis, according to most
appropriate metrics, in the following ways:- 10.1. Outputs
(Exposure and Audience Reach):
• Communication audits
• Press releases issued
• Media monitoring metrics
• Leaflets distributed – No of households
• Target audience reach by media
• Website, intranet or social networking media hits
• Participants in Health Board public and patient events
• Uptake of literature or audience attending event
• Participants in the Expert Patients’ Panel
• Staff Bulletins/newsletters issued
• Team Briefs/Hywel Dda Today issued 10.2. Outcomes (Awareness
and response to Campaign):
• Stakeholder perception audits
• Analysis of media coverage
• Pattern of website hits
• Enquiries received
• Membership of Involvement and Engagement Scheme
• Staff satisfaction, via Staff Survey
• Online Polls, questionnaires, stakeholder surveys
• Quantitative Survey of target audience
• Qualitative focus group interviews
10.3. Outcomes (Degree of changed awareness, behaviour or
opinion):
• Results versus Objectives
• Hard Evidence (Quantitative): Focus groups, Surveys, Ten
Pledge objectives reached
• Soft Evidence (Qualitative): Focus groups, Surveys,
observation, anecdotal
• Return on investment
• Lessons for next time
• Just as important, we will benchmark ourselves against other
organisations and learn from what others are doing. In order to
provide the Health Board with ongoing assurance that this
Communications Strategy is robust, we will develop regular updates
as key performance indicators. We will also make available the
outcomes of evaluation in relation to communications and social
marketing campaign.
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11. EMBEDDING COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT - ROLES AND
RESPONSIBILITIES Effective communications cannot be left to the
Communications Team alone. Communication is part of everyone’s job
and fundamental to all staff and management roles. Each part of the
organisation must have a communication framework in place to ensure
the best possible face to face communications systems are in place
and that actions can be taken to improve these where possible.
Revitalising and embedding the Corporate Team Brief will provide
that framework. Equally, consideration of communication issues must
be integral to every plan, development and service change, from the
outset. A communication plan should form a part of each major
review or project, seeking professional, expert advice. This means
considering every aspect of what needs to be communicated, to whom
it should be communicated and how it should be communicated. A
Communications Plan template will be developed to achieve best
practice in communications. All service reviews, current and future
should have a Communications Plan as an integral part of the
project management for both internal and external audiences.
Capability to communicate and engage well must be developed across
all directorates. With this caveat, there are some individuals and
groups with specific roles:
Health Board Role Communication Responsibility Executive
Directors, Health Board Members and Independent Members
The Health Board’s role is one of leadership and support. Board
members have a role to play both as individuals representing the
organisation, and as a full board in the way it presents itself to
the public. This includes how it conducts itself at meetings, how
welcoming it is to the public, and how accessible its meetings and
associated documents are. Moreover, members are representatives of
our communities, and as such are important communication links with
local people. Independent Members have a role in holding the Health
Board to account for the delivery of this strategy. Executive
Directors have ongoing, day to day responsibility for delivery of
the organisation’s strategic objectives, which includes this
strategy. However, they also have a key role in communicating and
engaging with the public, our patients and staff through external
and internal mediums.
Communication Team
The Communications Team provides leadership, technical
expertise, advice and guidance. It has a lead role in building
capacity and capability, brand management, channel development and
management, ensuring the accessibility of information, coordinating
media relations. The Communications Team should add value and
support the efforts of others.
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Senior Management Team
The senior management team has a responsibility to directly
support the delivery of this strategy, and to encourage their teams
to do so.
Line Management Line managers are responsible for ensuring that
their staff have access to information and feel enabled to seek
information and express their views. All staff should expect to
have periodical face to face communication opportunities with their
managers.
All Staff Every member of staff has a part to play in supporting
good communications and engagement, through effecting good
communication internally, delivering key messages externally,
engaging with partners and the public, or helping to gather good
news.
12. COMMUNICATIONS TRAINING - THE LEARNING ORGANISATION As part
of this strategy, communication and engagement training needs will
be identified and appropriate schemes developed in the areas of:
general communications, media spokespeople, public speaking and
presenting, effective meetings etc. Training needs should be made
available to communication and engagement champions so that they
feel supported and able to develop improved skills. Guidance on
good practice and expected standards in communications will be made
available for all. The Health Board can also learn from and build
on good practice. In order to improve communication and engagement
mechanisms, the Health Board needs to acknowledge and learn lessons
from mistakes. The Health Board will share examples of good
practice, both within organisations and elsewhere and maximise the
benefits of modern technology and available resources
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13. APPENDIX A: HYWEL DDA HEALTH BOARD’S STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK
Strategic FrameworkTO FOSTER THE BEST POSSIBLE HEALTH FOR EVERY
PERSON IN OUR COMMUNITY
PRIORITY
HEALTH OUTCOMES
PURPOSE
BY (AIMS)
CLOSING THE GAP
Raising and exceeding the public expectations of health in our
community.
To invest in a balanced health economy to focus
on wellness and high quality care .
Innovating and implementing best
practice to achieve world class performance.
Stretching our ambition and performance to achieve world
class
delivery.
VALUES
How we will behave
BELIEFS
As a Board we believe that:
If we help the public to take responsibility for
their own health, we will achieve significant health
improvement.
If we target our resources correctly
we can make a difference.
If we work in partnership with all stakeholders to improve
health, then we
will be stronger and more effective together.
If we want success, we will need to change the
shape, scope, style, skills and function of local
provision.
COLLECTIVE OWNERSHIP
1. Reduce deaths from cancer2. Reduce deaths from heart disease
and stroke3. Reduce smoking and deaths from COPD4. Improve mental
health
5. Reduce alcohol misuse and alcohol related deaths6. Reduce
under 18 conceptions 7. Reduce the prevalence of obesity8. Reduce
health inequalities
OR
GA
NIS
AT
ION
AL
DE
VE
LO
PM
EN
T P
RIO
RIT
IES
Develo
pin
g the
com
pete
nci
es,
skill
s and
know
ledge o
f th
e w
ork
forc
e
Develo
pin
g the
str
uctu
res
and
pro
cesse
s
acro
ss
the
Health B
oard
Develo
pin
g a
str
onger
perf
orm
ance
culture
acro
ss
the H
ealth
Board
Harn
essin
g t
he
pow
er
of
health
inte
lligence
INTEGRITY & RESPECT
OPENNESS & TRANSPARENCY
INNOVATION & QUALITY
PRIORITY
BUSINESS OUTCOMES
Maximising the potential of being an integrated
care organisation
Rebalancing the care pathways across acute, community and
primary
care system
Rebalancing the system finances to support care
redesign
Using strategic intelligence to inform decision making and
care delivery
LEADERSHIP & INNOVATION
EVIDENCE, KNOWLEDGE &
SKILLS
PRODUCTIVITY &
EVALUATION
EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE
Harn
essi
ng t
he
pow
er
from
real
part
ners
hip
w
ork
ing
Appendix 2
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14. APPENDIX B. STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS HIGHER INFLUENCE LESS
INFLUENCE
HIG
HE
R IN
TE
RE
ST
POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT – High Priority High Capacity Methods,
Working
Relations, 1/1 and Coalition Support 1.Hywel Dda Staff Groups
including Consultants etc 2.GPs & Primary Care Providers
including GPs, Pharmacies, Dentists and Opticians and their staff
3.Partnership Forums/Trade Unions 4.Local Authority Elected Members
(Carmarthen, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire) 5.Local Authority Council
Officers with Special Interest/Influence (Social Services, Housing
etc - Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion) 6.Local AMs/MPs
(County and Regional) 7.Media – Local, Regional and Welsh National
8.Welsh Assembly Government (Department of Health) Welsh Health
Estates 9.Community Health Councils 10. Key Voluntary
Organisations
PRO-ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT & SUPPORT TO BE MORE INVOLVED
Most Affected, Can influence Outcome if Empowered - High
Priority
10.Hywel Dda Residents over 16 11.Hywel Dda Residents under 16
12. Hywel Dda ‘Hard To Reach’ Groups (possibly unregistered) 13.
Existing Patient Representative Groups & Lobby Groups 14.
Existing PPI Forums (Older Persons Forum, Youth Forums, School
Councils etc) 15. Towns and Community Councils 16.Community Social
and Business/Suppliers Groups - County-Based (Women’s Institutes,
Chamber of Commerce) 17.Voluntary Organisations - including
providers of services (CAVO, CAVS, PAVS, Communities First, West
Wales Action for Mental Health, League of Friends) 18.Partnership
Groups where Health Board is represented (Partnership Boards,
Community Safety Partnership, Children & Young People, LSBs,
etc) 19.Other Local Health and Social Care Providers (Other LHBs,
Other NHS Trusts, Ambulance Trust)
LE
SS
IN
TE
RE
ST
KEEP POSITIVELY INFORMED Can Affect Outcome through
Influence,
Keep Positively Informed
20.Local Authority Council Officers (General – Carmarthenshire,
Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion) 21. National Assembly for Wales
ACCESS TO INFORMATION Monitor – Encourage With Targeted
Publicity 22. Other local organisations/groups with little material
interest in Health Board plans (Church Federations, Young Farmers
Clubs/Union) 23. MEPs
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15. APPENDIX C: COMMUNICATION RESOURCE SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
• The organisation has a clear vision and strategy
• There is an emerging sense of organisational drive with
formation of a new executive team and new organisational
structure
• The Board has identified the need for effective communications
and engagement
• The organisation has a good understanding of national,
regional and local issues
• There is a growing understanding of the importance of good
communications/engagement across the Health Board
• There is a wealth of skills and knowledge within the Health
Board, with a number of people who have communications and
engagement expertise
• The Health Board has a number of well defined and well used
communications and engagement channels
• Improving cross-departmental and county team working
• Gaps in communications/engagement capability/skills across the
organisation
• Wide understanding of the added value a communications team
can bring to depts/counties
• Wide geography with different cultures • Balance in use of
electronic communication and
new media • Some duplication and a lack of consistency
across
different teams/counties/depts • Planning within the
organisation in terms of communication and engagement needs
OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
• The ongoing development of a new communications team, closer
links to PPE and new communication, engagement and strategic
partnerships leads