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Job summary

Main area
Communications
Grade
5
Contract
Fixed term: 1 year (Until September 2027)
Hours
Part time - 22.5 hours per week
Job ref
346-CORP-101-26-A
Employer
Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
West Park Hospital
Town
Darlington
Salary
£32,073 - £39,043 pro rata, per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
15/09/2026 23:59

Employer heading

Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust logo

Communications officer

5

We are the Mental Health & Learning Disability NHS Trust for County Durham and Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby.

From education and prevention, to crisis and specialist care —our talented and compassionate teams work in partnership with our patients, communities and partners to help the people of our region feel safe, understood, believed in and cared for.

We nurture the recovery journey of anyone in need of our help. In Our Trust, everyone has a say in how they are supported and treated because we listen to every person in our care until they feel understood. Our patients, their families and carers work together with us towards better mental health.

We’re committed to new thinking that improves the wellbeing of our region. We connect with our communities and partners to get mental health care right, in areas that really need it.

We won’t rest until everyone in our region has the mental health care they need, to lead their best possible life.

Job overview

We are looking for a skilled, creative and organised communications officer to join our team on fixed term contract until September 2027 to cover maternity leave. The working hours are 22.5 hours per week.

Our team works on a hybrid basis, with a mix of home and office working from our base in West Park Hospital in Darlington. There will also be times when the role requires you to travel to our other sites across the trust patch.

As a team, we are committed to continued professional development. This role includes membership to CIPR and access to their learning resources.

You must have the Right to Work in the UK in order to be successfully appointed to this role. Please note, this role does not meet the required eligibility criteria for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa and therefore the Trust is unable to offer sponsorship for this particular role.

 

Main duties of the job

The communications officer will play a vital role in developing and delivering integrated communications campaigns, creating content for both internal and external audiences.

They will be able to spot a great story and bring them to life for our different audiences.

They will also be a key member of the working group for the Trust’s annual awards, organising all aspects of the event.

Experience of using intranets, websites and social media platforms is a must. Filming/video editing skills are essential.

You must have experience working in a busy communications and/or marketing role and be someone who can quickly and confidently get to grips with the demands of a big organisation.

 

Working for our organisation

We are the Mental Health & Learning Disability NHS Trust for County Durham and Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby.

From education and prevention, to crisis and specialist care —our talented and compassionate teams work in partnership with our patients, communities and partners to help the people of our region feel safe, understood, believed in and cared for.

We nurture the recovery journey of anyone in need of our help. In Our Trust, everyone has a say in how they are supported and treated because we listen to every person in our care until they feel understood. Our patients, their families and carers work together with us towards better mental health.

We’re committed to new thinking that improves the wellbeing of our region. We connect with our communities and partners to get mental health care right, in areas that really need it.

We won’t rest until everyone in our region has the mental health care they need, to lead their best possible life.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for further detailed information to ensure that you meet the role criteria before applying.

This job advert may close early if a high volume of applications have been received. If interested, please apply for this post as soon as possible.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Educated to degree standard
Desirable criteria
  • Professional qualification in communications or marketing and/or membership of a relevant professional body

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Experience of a communications (public relations) or marketing role Communications planning and evaluation
  • Supporting communications campaigns
  • Media relations
  • Experience of using intranets, websites and social media as a communications tool
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of producing patient and carer information
  • Experience of working within NHS or other public sector organisation

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Up to date knowledge of current communication channels (eg social media) and how to use them effectively

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Excellent writing and editing skills, including the ability to tailor content and format to different audience needs.
  • Demonstrable skills in building and maintaining positive working relationships with a range of stakeholders
  • Ability to work without direct supervision and prioritise own workload
  • Proven organisational skills
  • IT skills including content management systems, spreadsheets and databases

Personal attributes

Essential criteria
  • Able to work in accordance with the staff compact and Trust values and behaviours
  • Committed to continual quality and service improvement
  • Committed to promoting a positive image of people with mental health conditions and/or learning disabilities Committed to promoting a positive image of the Trust
  • Self aware and committed to continual personal development
  • Able to demonstrate a high level of creativity and find innovative solutions to problems.
  • Able to demonstrate flexibility and ability to adapt to changing environments and work priorities

Other requirements

Essential criteria
  • Ability to travel independently in accordance with Trust policies and service need

Employer certification / accreditation badges

We are a Living Wage EmployerVeteran AwareApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleAge positiveImproving working livesArmed Forces Covenant (Silver Award)Mindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerNHS Rainbow badgeStep into healthArmed Forces CovenantBetter Health at Work Gold Award

Application numbers

This vacancy may close early if it receives a high number of applications. Please complete and submit your application in good time to avoid disappointment.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Hannah Warburton
Job title
Communications Manager
Email address
[email protected]
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