Witnesses:
Andrea Newman - Director of
Communications and Engagement (SCC)
Key
points raised in the discussion:
- The
Director of Communications and Engagement introduced the report and
commented that it a lot of time went by in between the
Board’s meetings, as communications were changing on a
frequent basis she would liaise with the Chairman on how Board
members could be more frequently updated outside of the formal
meetings.
- In response
to the earlier query by a Board member on the social media posts
noting that Waverley was at a raised level, she explained that she
was not aware of those posts and had messaged colleagues on the
matter. She noted that if there were future posts like that, for
the Board member to notify the Communications and Engagement
Manager at Waverley Borough Council; who sat on the
MIG.
- In response
to the Vice-Chairman’s earlier query on public confidence in
relation to numbers and conflicting media reports, the Director of
Communications and Engagement noted that communications campaigns
provided briefs to the media as based on the figures in the
COVID-19 weekly intelligence summary report. She reassured the
Board that she had positive feedback from the BBC that the Director
of Public Health was visible and noted that the Communications team
gave regular media briefings to the BBC and Surrey Live as they
enquired into the context of the data. She added that the COVID-19
Communications Lead (SCC) sat on the COVID-19 Daily Data Monitoring
meeting in order for the team to understand the data.
- The
Director of Communications and Engagement commented that the
Communications team were writing the NHS Test and Trace
Communications Plan for Surrey (Communications Plan) whilst
delivering it at same time as it was adaptive, it built on lessons
learnt and harnessed effective approaches. In line with national
guidance and working closely with the Public Health team, the
Communications Plan was preventative focusing on maximising
awareness and compliance to help contain and reduce the
spread.
·
It was a sophisticated Communications Plan taking
into account traditional methods of communications, social media, a
GP text messaging service was put in place - she thanked the
Clinical Chair, Surrey Heartlands CCG - and dynamic geo-targeting
methods were used to target individuals moving across border and
within Surrey allowing the team to follow digital footprints and
make comms interventions when needed.
·
The team found that where there were small numbers
of cases in a school for instance or in a locality, local residents
felt there was an outbreak despite such situations not qualifying
under the public health definition of an outbreak. The work of
communications was to provide reassurance and work
proactively.
·
The Communications Plan was split into a three
phased approach from green coloured media infographics for phase
one to amplify national guidance and preventative messages, to
orange coloured media infographics for phase two which was the
current phase for Woking, Elmbridge and Spelthorne where cases were
increasing and it focused on warning and informing residents and
the need for greater vigilance; to red coloured infographics
alerting residents to high increases in infection rates and any
local restrictions.
·
Phase two pre-empted the amber phase of the PHE
COVID-19 Contain Framework, as the Plan was focused on prevention
and increasing vigilance.
·
Where the number of cases in Woking decreased, the
colouring of the infographics from orange to green indicated a
de-escalation. Enhanced community engagement was effective in
Woking such as liaising with a local imam to translate COVID-19
videos into Bengali and Urdu which were shared via community
WhatsApp groups, Facebook and Instagram. Out of 140,000 residents
in Woking, 34,000 were reached in phase two messaging which was a
large amount and vital as Government guidance and language did not
resonate with their communities - other faith colleagues were also
engaged with.
- The
Director of Communications and Engagement noted that social media
was a large part of the Communications Plan especially due to
lockdown and restrictions imposed and provided an update on the
number of residents reached in Elmbridge from the issued phase two
amber alert, approximately 65,000 residents had seen the Facebook
and Instagram social media posts from the Communications team,
averaging two to three times.
- She noted
that 152,000 residents used the Nextdoor app and the number of
residents reached through a twitter campaign was about 5% compared
to 49% via a communications campaign to all residents on the app.
Posting on the app was free for the Communications team and public
sector posts were given greater visibility.
- She
summarised the social media evaluation of last month across
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Google Display - visible adverts
to residents who did online banking or shopping but were not on
social media. Adverts across all the media platforms were tailored
to residents depending on their demographics, postcode, venue, the
hour of day, to ensure targeted messages.
- She
highlighted the NHS COVID-19 app launched yesterday 24 September.
There was a large Government campaign to get people to use it and
the Communications team stepped away from other graphics used in
order to give information relating to the app a unique look, as
behavioural insights evidence from the Department of Health showed
that people were getting COVID-19 messaging fatigue.
·
The Communications team was given two weeks’
notice that the app was launching, so worked rapidly with
businesses and communities to develop tailored graphics and
toolkits had been sent out and local branding was available for
districts and borough councils.
·
The Department of Health stressed that the app
tracked the virus and not the individual, it and the information
stored could be deleted at any time. It was helpful as it monitored
symptoms, explained self-isolation and provided a countdown
clock.
- The Chairman thanked the Director of
Communications and Engagement for her detailed update on the
communications campaigns and reassurance as the Communications Plan
was proactive.
- The Director of Communications and Engagement
answered a Board member’s comment noting that the team was
looking at messaging in supermarkets to target residents who were
not online, such as through till receipts. As well as working
closely with the SLRF’s Resident Welfare and Volunteer Cell
to create a database of those shielding and vulnerable residents
particularly without digital access and how best to contact
them.
-
The Board member responded that it would be helpful
if nationally NHS England would let Local Authorities and health
systems know about how they would address and contact the shielding
groups should there be a second wave.
-
The Board member celebrated the novel tools used by
the team and that multiple messaging to residents was useful.
-
The Board member added that GPs in Spelthorne were
more than happy to help for future communications campaigns and
that it would be useful to have pre-prepared communications in the
future. In response the Director of Communications and Engagement
explained that the COVID-19 Communications Lead had since prepared
those communications scripts noting the fast-changing environment -
she would liaise with the Chairman on how best to keep the Board
updated on the pre-pared communications assets.
- A Board member reflected that he had found the
extent to which both the LOCP and the Communications Plans
constantly adapted in response to feedback, the willingness of
officers to review the Plans and reach out to partners and across
Surrey’s borders, the significant impacts made in high risk
areas and the way in which the Board’s membership had
expanded bringing in the business voice as represented by the
Surrey Chambers of Commerce was reassuring to Board members and
residents.
- The Chairmanpraised the work of the Public
Health team and the Communications team in response to COVID-19
particularly in addition to their business as usual work and that
the Board could rely on the expertise of the Director of Public
Health as to when areas in Surrey needed to be escalated and
communicated with the Board and residents.
RESOLVED:
The Board noted developments in
the Communications Plan, and the resulting escalation
activity.
Actions/further information to be provided:
- The
Director of Communications and Engagement will work with the
Director of Public Health and the Chairman as to how best to
provide more frequent communications updates to Board members
outside of the formal meetings.
- The Director of Communications and Engagement
and the COVID-19 Communications lead to liaise with the Chairman on
circulating pre-prepared assets such as communications scripts to
Board members who could then circulate them through their
organisations.