The Start Well programme is a major change to maternity, neonatal and children’s surgical services across North Central London. It follows several years of work with patients, colleagues and partners to improve care and outcomes for babies, children, pregnant women and pregnant people.
Plans agreed in 2025 include more investment in services at University College London Hospitals, Barnet Hospital, North Middlesex University Hospital and Whittington Hospital. The birthing suites at Edgware Birth Centre will close, with expanded antenatal and postnatal care remaining on site. Maternity and neonatal services at the Royal Free Hospital will also close in future, although this will not happen for several years.
Whittington Health’s CEO is the Senior Responsible Officer for delivery, and the programme team is hosted by Whittington Health. The work includes major building projects, new clinical pathways and workforce changes, while services continue to run safely.
Communications planning and support
- Develop a comprehensive communications and engagement strategy for the
implementation of the Start Well programme - on a phase by phase basis.
- Ensure an integrated internal and external communications plan that builds awareness,
confidence, understanding and readiness across all phases of the programme.
- Ensure communications and engagement planning is fully aligned with programme milestones
Communications and engagement delivery
- Implement the agreed communications plan to a high standard.
- Develop clear, accessible and compelling content to explain the purpose, benefits and impact of Start Well delivery, translating complex technical information into meaningful messages for clinical and non-clinical audiences.
Change and adoption
- Support the development of a strong network of champions, advocates and clinical leaders who can articulate the benefits of the Start Well programme and model positive engagement.
Partnership working
Build strong working relationships with programme leads, clinical teams and corporate functions to ensure joined-up messaging.
Whittington Health serves a richly diverse population and works hard to ensure that all our services are fair and equally accessible to everyone. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the way we look after our staff. We aim to employ a workforce which is as representative as possible of this population, so we are open to the value of differences in age, disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, sexual orientation, and religion or belief. The Trust believes that as a public sector organisation we have an obligation to have recruitment, training, promotion and other formal employment policies and procedures that are sensitive to these differences. We think that by doing so, we are better able to treat our patients as well as being a better place to work.
This is a complex, fast-paced role requiring strong project management, sound judgement and the ability to manage several priorities at once.
The post holder will lead communications and engagement for the Start Well programme, working with senior leaders, colleagues, service users, communities and partner organisations.
They will develop and deliver a phased communications and engagement strategy aligned with programme milestones. This will include stakeholder mapping, two-way engagement and clear, accessible content across digital, print, face-to-face and multimedia channels.
The post holder will act as a trusted adviser to programme leaders, providing evidence-based advice on risks, opportunities, sequencing and stakeholder impact. They will support consistent messaging, media handling and alignment with wider Trust priorities.
They will set objectives and measures, evaluate impact, report to programme boards and manage political, reputational and operational risks. They will also build networks of champions and strong relationships across clinical teams, corporate services and local NHS communications teams.
The role includes managing budgets and suppliers, making best use of resources and providing limited wider communications support when needed.
Communications planning and support
Develop a comprehensive communications and engagement strategy for the implementation of the Start Well programme - on a phase by phase basis.
Ensure an integrated internal and external communications plan that builds awareness, confidence, understanding and readiness across all phases of the programme.
Ensure communications and engagement planning is fully aligned with programme milestones.
Establish robust stakeholder mapping and engagement plans, ensuring two-way communication and meaningful involvement of external stakeholders and colleagues at all levels, including clinical leaders, operational teams and corporate services.
Ensure that service users and community stakeholders are appropriately informed and engaged, particularly where service experience or expectations may be affected.
Work in partnership with the wider Trust communications team to ensure that plans align with wider communications plans and activity.
Act as a trusted advisor to the Programme Director and key leads on communications risks, opportunities, sequencing and stakeholder impact, ensuring communications.
Provide expert, evidence-based advice to senior leaders across the organisation and workstream leads on how best to engage colleagues, patients and partners in complex digital transformation.
Horizon scan national, regional and system developments in maternity and neonatal care, identifying synergies, reputational risks and opportunities for the Trust.
Communications and engagement delivery
Implement the agreed communications plan to a high standard.
Develop clear, accessible and compelling content to explain the purpose, benefits and impact of Start Well delivery, translating complex technical information into meaningful messages for clinical and non-clinical audiences.
Lead the creation of high-quality communications materials across multiple channels, including digital, print, face-to-face and multimedia formats, ensuring compliance with Whittington Health and NHS branding, accessibility standards and Trust house style.
Work in partnership with the wider Trust communications team to ensure consistency of messaging, proactive media handling where appropriate, and alignment with wider corporate priorities.
Be an active member of the core communications team, attending team meetings and team events as required. There may be times when you are required to provide general communications support to the trust outside of the core programme focus, in limited and exceptional circumstances.
Governance, risk and evaluation
Establish clear objectives, metrics and key performance indicators for the communications and engagement workstream, regularly evaluating effectiveness and adapting plans accordingly.
Prepare written updates to programme boards and governance groups summarising activity, impact, risks and mitigations.
Identify and manage communications risks, including political, reputational and operational sensitivities, escalating issues appropriately and proposing mitigation
Change and adoption
Support the development of a strong network of champions, advocates and clinical leaders who can articulate the benefits of the Start Well programme and model positive engagement.
Partnership working
Build strong working relationships with programme leads, clinical teams and corporate functions to ensure joined-up messaging.
Build strong working relationships with communications teams at other local NHS organisations to support a “no surprises” approach and good integrated and efficient working.
Resource and budget management
Ensuring effective and value-for-money use of resources.
Work within agreed budget.
Commission and oversee external suppliers, creative support or production services where required, ensuring delivery to specification and within agreed financial controls.
