1. A framework for professional development
4 December 2014
A framework for professional development
Andrew Cooper and Karen Newman
Insert name of presentation on Master Slide

2. Background
Small number of colleagues working in communications across NHS Wales.
Various backgrounds and experience.
Complex challenges – internal, external and stakeholder engagement.
Need for increased skills and standard approaches.
Social media, public affairs, behaviour theory.
No framework for developing individuals or the profession within NHS Wales?

3. The demand for great comms
Political pressure
Financial pressure
Public engagement
Staff morale
New skills needed

4. Some provocative questions
“Why do communications professionals think they only need experience to validate what they do?
“Would we accept that from any other profession?”
What do you do to develop your skills?

5. Developing communications professionals
No clear development path
Different approaches in each organisation
Understanding of communications
Varied expectations
There is no clear development pathway for comms professionals.
People enter the comms maze from different places – journalism, PR, corporate depts, the third sector, and some people aren’’t really sure how they got here at all.
The maze is complicated and just when we start to figure it out, things change. The maze doesn’t stay the same way for long.

6. Developing communications professionals
Lots of different tools and skills needed
Internal and external
Social and digital
Partnership with other teams and external groups
We all operate several channels and the number is growing.
We need to develop our skills in all these areas
We especially need to be able to work with other teams in our organisations, and with partner organisations outside the NHS. We cannot do everything we need to do on our own. Self sufficiency is not really an option. Partnership working brings with it new challenges and requires a new skill set.

7. Where are the gaps> Personal role – reactive or proactive leader?
Teams – skill levels, enthusiasm, ability?
Where are the gaps?
What learning support do you and your team receive?
How do you feel as head of comms?
Realistically, are your team able to help you achieve what you know you need to achieve?
Where are the gaps? Is it skills? Is it ability to see the opportunities and exploit them? Is it a thinking gap or a doing gap?
What learning support do you get?

8. Development support NHS Wales study days Comms Cymru
CIPR and external events
Informal (social learning)
What learning support is there already?
The problem with most of this is that it is intermittent . Social learning is dependent on staff enthusiasm and is hard to evaluate or recognise formally.

9. What do we want to achieve?
A framework for professional development
Learning key skills and ‘filling the gaps’
Common language / approach across NHS Wales
What do we want to achieve?
A framework for development to increase skill levels and provide opportunities to progress.
Filling in the gaps – identifying the areas that need strengthening and also responding to new areas.
Let’s get talking the same language. It would be great if we approach things the same way.

10. First steps Guiding group
Comms skills assessment for all appraisals (for comms staff)
Training opportunities
So, what next for a professional framework?

11. Raising the profile of Comms
NHS Wales Awards category
Support to enter other awards e.g. CIPR Pride Awards
‘Showcase’ opportunities at NHS Wales Study Days
Alongside raising the skill levels of communications professionals, how can we raise the profile of comms as a professional framework?

12. Discussion What would help you develop your skills in communications?
What do you think would be beneficial for your team?
How would you raise the profile of communications as a discipline?