Agenda item

A communications and engagement strategy has been developed to support the Surrey Local Outbreak Management Plan. The Communications Plan has evolved as more has been learnt about our public health response to the virus and this report provides the latest update on communications activity.

Witnesses:

Abi Pope - Senior Communications Manager - COVID-19 Communications Lead, Surrey County Council

Ruth Hutchinson - Director of Public Health, Surrey County Council

Key points raised in the discussion:

1.    The Senior Communications Manager - COVID-19 Communications Lead (SCC) noted:

·         that since the last Board meeting and the emergence of Omicron, Surrey had some of the highest rates in the country and the highest rates seen throughout the past two years and so the Communications team (SCC) reverted back to the brightly coloured chevron alerts and continued to do geo-targeting.

·         an example of an online warning advert to the residents of Elmbridge, and Reigate and Banstead, who at one point had the highest rates in the country.

·         that significant communications actions at that point were supported by a multi-channel approach as not all residents were on social media:

-       a highway sign was put out to the whole area around Reigate and Banstead reminding drivers on the road about the high rates in that area.

-       the RingGo parking app was successful and alerted users to a message from Surrey County Council about the high rates in the area.

-       GP video messages were especially effective in Reigate and Banstead when they had exceptionally high rates.

·           the continued dissemination of Covid-19 data to residents through the publicly available infographic ‘Surrey Covid-19 Summary: Cases and Rates’ published twice weekly - once the living with Covid-19 plan was published Surrey County Council would revisit that approach.

·           that the Communications team (SCC) sought to help residents navigate the change in tone from the Government due to the move between Plan A and Plan B; explained simply through assets such as ‘What do I need to know about…’ such as Omicron and travel guidance, and with the move away from the tougher restrictions residents were reminded that ‘Covid 19 hasn’t gone away’ through ‘back to basics’ graphics of public health prevention messages.

·           the Communications team (SCC) continued to support the vaccinations programme through geo-targeted communications to communities or areas with significantly lower vaccination rates, such as through a TikTok style video put out on Snapchat and Instagram.

·           the large amount of activity on vaccinations over the last couple of months, with a focus on winter immunity, flu before the festive period, getting a booster before Christmas, information for pregnant women and all the different cohorts as they become eligible for the boosters, new communications on the Evergreen offer and gifs on the importance of getting vaccinated such as before the summer holidays.

·           the Communications team (SCC) commissioned research into parents’ feelings on vaccinations announced for 5-11 year olds, how they could be supported and communications would be carried out in the same way as done for 12-15 year olds.

·           that there had been many testing changes and so the Communications team (SCC) undertook a lot of work to:

-       clarify to residents what the testing situation was, to explain the new self-isolation rules (day six and seven ‘test to release’).

-       reiterate the difference between LFD (lateral flow device) and PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests and when to use each test especially since the Government before Christmas temporarily removed the need to have a confirmatory PCR test if the LFD test was positive.

-       explain to residents in the run up to Christmas about the national LFD test shortages and how residents could get hold of those tests.

·           the updated leaflet for staff in the Asymptomatic Testing Units to hand out and engage with residents, as well as information on testing it included a section on contact tracing.

·           the latest geo-targeting metrics shown via a map of Surrey with a breakdown of all of the boroughs and districts and how many of the residents in those areas were on Facebook and Instagram; between November 2021 and February 2022 535,000 social media accounts had been reached - she welcomed the high post engagement from residents.

2.      The Chairman welcomed the large amount of information disseminated to residents, who continued to engage, referring to the upcoming national announcement by the Prime Minister she asked whether the Communications team (SCC) would continue to deliver Covid-19 messaging to residents, if the team had thought about what the announcement would entail and what the plans were going forward.

-       In response, the Senior Communications Manager - COVID-19 Communications Lead (SCC) confirmed that the Communications team (SCC) had a plan going forward. Despite the uncertainty in the upcoming national announcement, the Communications team (SCC) acknowledged the high rates of Covid-19 in Surrey and that Covid-19 had not gone away and continued to issue assets on basic public health measures.

-       The Senior Communications Manager - COVID-19 Communications Lead (SCC) added that she was linked into the Cabinet Office, and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and their communications guidance and she expected there to be a briefing from the Cabinet Office on Monday.

3.    The Chairman was reassured by the above responses and noted that the Board would welcome the continuation of the Covid-19 communications to residents; she noted that the RingGo app had been very effective.

4.    A Board member noted that it was interesting to see the very high levels of residents across Surrey who had all three vaccination doses. She noted that she was aware that the numbers of those having had boosters was likely to be lower for some people in social care which as a sector faced continued pressures and the lack of clarity from DHSC about the pathway out of the pandemic for the sector was a psychological barrier to them engaging with the booster programme. She asked whether the Communications team (SCC) could look at providing more psychologically informed communications targeted to that sector, recognising the pressures they were under and providing support.

-       In response, the Senior Communications Manager - COVID-19 Communications Lead (SCC) explained that the Communications team (SCC) had tried to do that throughout the pandemic, all the assets and campaigns had been informed by insights and research. She noted a report by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) which said that long Covid-19 was more prevalent in people who were unvaccinated and would take the Board member’s suggestion on board.

-       In response, the Director of Public Health (SCC) recognised that ongoing challenge highlighted by the Board member, she noted that the Public Health team (SCC) was fortunate to have a health psychologist who had been working closely with the vaccination team on those behavioural insights and responded accordingly across all sectors including the social care sector.

-       The Director of Public Health (SCC) further noted that the challenge was ongoing due to the psychological changes experienced throughout the pandemic and so the insights changed too. She explained that whilst there was not a clear way out, both the Communications and Public Health teams (SCC) would continue to use behavioural insights and acknowledged that communications techniques were different for each population group; which would need to continue even into the living with Covid-19 period.

5.    The Chairman thanked the Senior Communications Manager - COVID-19 Communications Lead for her joint commitment alongside the Director of Public Health (SCC) to working with the social care sector regarding the ongoing impact to the providers; she welcomed the Board member’s question which would be followed up as an action.

RESOLVED:

That the Board noted the activity outlined in the report.

Actions/further information to be provided:

1.    The Senior Communications Manager - COVID-19 Communications Lead (SCC) will work with the Public Health team (SCC) to see how the Communications team (SCC) can provide more psychologically informed communications targeted to the social care sector, recognising the pressures they were under and providing support to increase engagement with the booster programme.