Guy’s and St Thomas’ is among the UK’s busiest and most successful NHS foundation trusts. We provide a full range of hospital and community services for people in south London and as well as specialist care for patients from further afield including cancer, renal, orthopaedic, respiratory and cardiovascular services. Guy’s is home to the largest dental school in Europe and a £160 million Cancer Centre opened in 2016. As part of our commitment to provide care closer to home, in 2017 we also opened a cancer centre and a kidney treatment centre at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup. St Thomas’ has one of the largest critical care units in the UK and one of the busiest emergency departments in London. It is also home to Evelina London Children’s Hospital. Evelina London cares for local children in Lambeth and Southwark and provides specialist services across south east England including cardiac, renal and critical care services. We lead a number of specialist service networks aiming to ensure children are treated locally where possible, but have access to specialist expertise when they need it. Our community services include health visiting, school nursing and support for families of children with long-term conditions. Our adult community services teams deliver care at the heart of the local communities we serve, working in partnership with GPs, local authorities and other healthcare and voluntary sector organisations. Working with our partners in Lambeth and Southwark, we are focusing on new ways of working to improve care for local patients. In February 2021 the Royal Brompton and Harefield joined Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, bringing together world-leading expertise in the care and research of heart and lung disease. Our merger provides a once in a generation opportunity to build a lasting, world-renowned heart and lung centre, providing the highest quality care for patients and conducting world-leading research. We have a reputation for clinical excellence and high quality teaching and research. We are part of King’s Health Partners, one of eight accredited UK academic health sciences centres. In partnership with King’s College London we have dedicated clinical research facilities including an MHRA accredited Phase I clinical trials unit. Patients are at the heart of everything we do and we pride ourselves on ensuring the best possible patient experience as well as safe, high quality care. We are proud to have one of the lowest mortality rates in the NHS. Following a comprehensive Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection in 2019 we maintained our overall rating of ‘good’. Our adult community services achieved a rating of ‘outstanding’. The commitment of our 23,500 staff is key to our success. We are one of the largest local employers and we aim to develop and support all our staff so they are able to deliver high quality, safe and efficient care. The 2019 NHS staff survey results show that we have one of the most engaged and motivated workforces in the NHS. We know this has a positive impact on the care provided to our patients. We have one of the most ambitious capital investment programmes anywhere in the NHS. Job overview Do you want to work in one of the busiest press offices in the NHS and lead on its fundraising stories? We're looking for an experienced Senior Media Officer who will form a key part of our media team in the heart of London. This is an exciting post that will involve working closely with Guy’s & St Thomas' Foundation, which is responsible for fundraising for the Trust. These vital funds support improvements that go beyond what the NHS can provide, and we have ambitious plans to build our charitable fundraising in the coming years. You'll have specific responsibility for leading media work in support of our three charity brands, Guy’s & St Thomas’ Charity, Evelina London Children’s Charity and Guy’s Cancer Charity. As well as proactive media projects, you will also manage a wide range of media enquiries, working with senior and clinical colleagues, and oversee filming across our sites. Our press office is one of the busiest in the NHS as our hospitals and staff are often in the news. The press office team works in a fast-paced environment with responsibility for not only proactive and reactive media work but also running the Trust’s X feed, which has more than 40,000 followers, and ensuring that senior management and clinical staff are briefed on media interest in the Trust. In this exciting role, you will also write for our publications and support high-profile visits and events at the Trust. Main duties of the job The person Experience working in a busy press office, with a good understanding of current affairs and ideally with a good knowledge of the NHS; Demonstrable experience of developing story and campaign ideas to achieve positive media coverage; Excellent written and oral communication skills; Effective use of all media channels – print, broadcast and digital, including social media; Adept at working with and commanding the confidence of senior colleagues, clinicians and external stakeholders; Ability to prioritise a busy workload and work efficiently to manage proactive and reactive media work promptly. Working for our organisation We are one of the UK's largest trusts and have one of the busiest press offices in the NHS. The Trust delivers hospital and community services in the heart of London and our reputation for service quality, teaching and research is second to none. We are also part of King’s Health Partners, one of England's 8 accredited Academic Health Sciences Centres. Working closely with our partner organisations means we are at the forefront of service innovation and medical breakthroughs. The press office is part of our award-winning communications team. The team works closely together, providing plenty of opportunities to develop new skills. Detailed job description and main responsibilities Job Summary The Senior Media Officer will form a key part of the media team in providing a proactive, professional, 24/7 media relations and issues management service, which includes proactive and reactive media work and updating of the Trust’s X feed, and providing both counsel and operational support to staff at all levels across the Trust. This post will have specific responsibility for leading media work in support of our 3 charity brands, Guy’s & St Thomas’ Charity, Evelina London Children’s Charity and Guy’s Cancer Charity, demonstrating the impact of charitable support, and contributing to the overall success of our charity’s fundraising activity. The post holder will: Develop key relationships within the organisation to source proactive opportunities to promote and enhance the Trust’s reputation with all media audiences. Ensure media activity supports the Trust’s corporate objectives, clinical and fundraising priority areas, organisational values and promotes its position as one of the world’s leading providers of health care, professional education and academic research Deliver media coverage to support major fundraising and awareness campaigns at the Trust, initiatives and events to maximise impact Play a key role in generating coverage and raising the profile of the three charity brands Identify opportunities to demonstrate the impact that philanthropic support, individual donors, and the support of Guy’s & St Thomas’ Charity, Evelina London Children’s Charity and Guy’s Cancer Charity makes to the work of the Trust Support the launch of fundraising campaigns by identifying patient and staff case studies, delivering timely Trust sign-off on required collateral, supporting photography and videography requirements and proof-reading marketing materials Maintain an understanding of the national news agenda and use this to identify opportunities to promote and enhance the Trust’s reputation Maintain the Trust’s X account on a day to day basis and work with the wider communications team to forward plan social content and activity in line with the Trust’s corporate objectives and key clinical and fundraising priority areas Inspire trust and confidence internally and externally in the expertise and professionalism of the communications department Play a vital role within the team, providing a first point of contact for journalists, writing for Trust publications, prioritising a busy workload and acting on their own initiative. Promote key messages and ensure their application across all channels, including social media Supporting and chaperoning filming and photography on Trust sites, including for fundraising campaigns. Key relationships Developing key relationships and networks within the department, across the Trust, the three charities and King’s Health Partners and with external stakeholders, are essential to the successful delivery of duties and responsibilities. Internal Director of Communications Colleagues in the central communications department, as well as Evelina London and Heart, lung and critical care communications colleagues Guy’s & St Thomas’ Charity, Evelina London Children’s Charity and Guy’s Cancer Charity communications colleagues and fundraising team Trust Executives and Directors Trust Chairman and Non-Executive Directors Clinical Directors, Heads of Nursing and General Managers Site Nurse Practitioners Trust charity engagement team Security team Corporate departments leads and staff Information Governance lead King’s Health Partners External Local and London media contacts Charity trade media National media health specialists Specialist media, including medical, nursing, scientific and management publications Fundraisers, including patients and former patients and their families NHS England (national and London) Department of Health and Social Care Local Integrated Care Boards MPs, local authorities and the GLA Duties and responsibilities Professional Work closely with our three charities to raise the profile of the Trust and the three charity fundraising brands, benefiting fundraising efforts by helping to raise awareness of the work of our hospitals and community services, how they can be supported and the impact this philanthropic support has. Manage a wide range of media enquiries, liaise with colleagues to produce media statements, set up interviews with and brief appropriate Trust staff, and oversee filming on site. Establish good working relationships with journalists to enhance the Trust’s reputation, ensuring media enquiries are managed promptly and professionally, developing stories and promoting case studies to support this. Contribute news items to corporate publications and multimedia channels working closely with colleagues in the department and ensuring they are briefed as necessary on media activities and initiatives. Produce press releases and promote new developments and fundraising initiatives to relevant media. Play an active role in discussions with charity colleagues where appropriate including attending team meetings, regular catch-ups with key contacts, hot-desking and participating in forward planning exercises. Contribute to the day to day management of the Trust X account and develop a forward planner of social media content and events. Support events and VIP and ministerial visits, often at short notice, liaising with staff and managing any media on site. Provide regular feedback to Trust and Charity colleagues on coverage achieved for fundraising priorities. Participate, with colleagues, in a rota to manage day to day media enquiries and X posts – ensuring this activity enhances the reputation of the Trust. Participate in the out-of-hours on-call rota for media calls outside normal working hours, briefing colleagues as appropriate. This may involve attending one of our hospital sites at short notice to co-ordinate media work relating to a fundraising event, major incident or any other incidents that require handling on site. Build contacts with staff to contribute to the successful delivery of the Trust’s media strategy and support fundraising priorities. Support the media and wider communications approach to the management of any celebrity supporters of Trust charities. Ensure that patient confidentiality is protected at all times. Provide advice and support to patients, their relatives and representatives involved in media enquiries or seeking media contact. Collect and catalogue Trust appearances in the media, in particular those linked to fundraising and philanthropy. Work with the Charity fundraising team, to ensure compliance with the fundraising regulators code of practice. Person specification Qualifications / Education Essential criteria Educated to degree level (or equivalent experience) Evidence of continued learning/development Excellent IT skills Desirable criteria Post graduate communications qualification Experience Essential criteria Demonstrable experience of developing story and campaign ideas Experience of implementation of media relations policy Experience of media relations Proven experience of creating opportunities and working collaboratively with internal and external partners Influencing and persuasion skills Desirable criteria Experience of working in the NHS Experience working in a complex organisation Experience of crisis management Fundraising or charity communications experience Skills Essential criteria Ability to command the confidence of colleagues and staff Ability to think and plan and to prioritise work programmes in the face of competing demands Ability to manage and deliver to deadlines within resources Excellent written and oral communication skills A good understanding of the NHS and the changing environment Demonstrable utilisation of all media channels - print, broadcast and digital Evidence of ability to deliver against targets Excellent numerical, verbal and critical reasoning Effective negotiation and influencing skills Able to provide and receive highly complex, sensitive or contentious information Knowledge of Contensis or similar content management system Desirable criteria Understanding of the current health policy developments Guy’s and St Thomas’ celebrates, respects and values the diversity of its staff and patients. We review our policies, procedures and practices to ensure that all employees, patients and carers are treated equitable according to their needs. We are actively committed to ensuring that no one who applies for a job, works or study’s at the Trust, or accesses our services is discriminated against on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion or belief, age, gender identity , gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity/paternity, or marital/civil partnership. Applications are welcomed from applicants with a disability. We can make reasonable adjustments and offer support and advice in a variety of ways throughout the application process. Equality of opportunity is our policy. As an organisation we are committed to developing our services in ways that best suit the needs of our patients. This means that some staff groups will increasingly be asked to work a more flexible shift pattern so that we can offer services in the evenings or at weekends. Flexible working We are committed to supporting all employees to achieve a healthy work life balance and to work in a way that is best for them and our patients. We will consider all requests to work flexibly, taking in to account the individual’s personal circumstances as well the needs of the service. We encourage all prospective applicants to discuss their individual circumstances with the recruiting manager as part of the on-boarding process. Your e-mail address is important to us - We communicate to all job applicants via the e-mail address which has been provided on the application form. Please ensure that you check your e-mail on a regular basis. Please apply for this post by clicking "Apply Online Now." Further details / informal visits contact Name Matt Barker Job title Senior Media Manager Email address [email protected] Telephone number 020 7188 5577