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.
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.
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.
01 September 2026
Agenda for change
Band 5
£32,073 to £39,043 a year pro rata, per annum
Fixed term
1 years
Part-time
346-CORP-101-26-A
West Park Hospital
Darlington
DL2 2TS
United Kingdom
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.
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.
- Educated to degree standard
- Professional qualification in communications or marketing and/or membership of a relevant professional body
- 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
- Experience of producing patient and carer information
- Experience of working within NHS or other public sector organisation
- Up to date knowledge of current communication channels (eg social media) and how to use them effectively
- 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
- 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
- Ability to travel independently in accordance with Trust policies and service need
- Educated to degree standard
- Professional qualification in communications or marketing and/or membership of a relevant professional body
- 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
- Experience of producing patient and carer information
- Experience of working within NHS or other public sector organisation
- Up to date knowledge of current communication channels (eg social media) and how to use them effectively
- 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
- 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
- Ability to travel independently in accordance with Trust policies and service need
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust
West Park Hospital
Darlington
DL2 2TS
United Kingdom
https://www.tewv.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust
West Park Hospital
Darlington
DL2 2TS
United Kingdom
https://www.tewv.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
