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Local Communications Planning

Engage your communities with NHS Test & Trace and public health

messaging, to maximise awareness and compliance, and so contain

Covid-19 and stop the spread.

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✓Prevent – amplifying national activity locally

✓Prepare – get organised – contingency plan

✓Respond – if incidence / positivity rise in your area

Stopping the Spread

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➢ New national campaign – Lets Get Back – Lets Get Tested

➢ Continue to drive ‘Hands Face Space’

➢ Latest campaign content: https://coronavirusresources.phe.gov.uk/

➢ Localisation options – add logo / message

➢ Key translated assets

➢ Summary of which assets have been /will be translated when, in which languages here

➢ Messaging guidance

➢ Tools available to help you map messages against audience, channels and

formats.

1- Amplify the national campaigns

https://coronavirusresources.phe.gov.uk/stay-alert-to-stay-safe-/resources/Translations-Posters/

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Lets Get Back…➢ TV

➢ OOH

➢ Print

➢ Radio

➢ Digital

➢ Local

Link to Ad Campaign

Password: 5Fc3KYS3

https://mlemea.egny

te.com/fl/KntzmRv1

FA

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Localisable and translated assets

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Local Adaptation

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Sample of translation grid

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National campaign amplification - Messages

Feeling Unwell? Get a Test NOW

• Mild symptoms only

• Cough

• Temperature

• Loss /change in smell or taste

Testing

• Is free

• Available to all ages

• Why get tested?

• How and where to get a test?

• What is a test like?

Behaviours

• Hands

• Face

• Space

Contact tracing

• Why give your contacts?

• What do I have to do if contacted?

• Why is self-isolation important

• Support available

• How to spot scams

Lets Get Back to the Things We Love…..

Key audiences:

BAME

Youth

Multigenerational

households

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National campaign amplification - channels

❑ Ambient / retail media opportunities – Dominos

pizza boxes, washroom media, petrol nozzles

❑ Business owners

❑ Charities

❑ Clinical settings / hospitals / NHS assets

❑ Community networks

❑ Digital targeting

❑ Education providers

❑ Faith networks

❑ GPs

❑ LA assets

❑ LEPs and local business networks

❑ Local and community radio

❑ Local and partner websites

❑ Local influencers – celebrities, sports people

❑ Local leaders, MPs, Mayors

❑ Local press

❑ Mail drops / door drops

❑ Outdoor sites – bridges, road signage, buses, bus

shelters, poster sites, shop windows

❑ Pharmacies

❑ Police

❑ Political networks

❑ Social media

❑ Town and Parish councils

❑ Trade bodies

❑ Transport providers

❑ Unions

❑ Voluntary groups

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✓Prepare – get organised – contingency plan

Scenario plan

❖ alert that cases are rising– remind of guidance and restrictions – create

greater urgency and impact

❖ acceleration of testing / tracing asymptomatic people eg students, staff

❖ closure of specific setting(s)

❖ closure of certain businesses and venues

❖ cancellation of organised events/ large gatherings

❖ closure of outdoor public areas

❖ working from home where possible

❖ stay at home messages

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Extract from planning tool

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Outbreak Monitoring and Meeting Structure:

Bronze – Daily call 8am

Daily Containment Group

Attendees:

• NHS Test and Trace Executive

(rotating) (Chair)

• Senior officials from government

departments and PHE colleagues

Remit

Provide situational awareness on latest

outbreaks and epidemiological picture

Review and evaluate local outbreak

response and action extra support

Decide whether a situation needs further

investigation and action Determine

escalation

Silver – weekly call Wed

Weekly Containment Group

Attendees:

• Chief Medical Officer (Chair)

• Senior officials and PHE colleague

Remit

Assess latest national and local

epidemiological picture

Review and evaluate local outbreak

responses and consider further action

or escalation

Gold – Weekly call Thurs am

Local Action Committee

Attendees:

• Secretary of State for Health (Chair)

• Ministers and senior civil servants

• Chief Medical Officer

• PHE CEO, senior officials from the

Department of Health and Social Care

(DHSC), NHS Test and Trace, and PHE

Remit

Brief ministers on latest national and local

epidemiological picture

Review and evaluate responses in key areas and

further action or escalation to other government

departments or COVID-Operations

Covid Operations Committee following Gold

ratifies decisions taken with local areas.

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The Watchlist

Areas of concern

Areas of enhanced support

Areas of intervention

example

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Outbreak Comms timeline

Ongoing

➢ Support from comms for areas on watchlist from central comms – PHE, DHSC, GCS Local,

MHCLG

Thursday

➢ Post-Gold outreach from NHS TT to local leaders and CXs

➢ Comms to comms outreach via PHE, GCS Local and DHSC. Comms cells to be established

locally if not already.

Friday

➢ Commence public comms on new watchlist decisions in collaboration with local areas.

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✓Respond

If incidence / positivity rise result in your area being an area of concern / support / intervention

✓Clear your normal workload.

✓Focus your people and resources on outbreak communications.

✓Where possible ensure you have tested your plans ahead of

time.

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Outbreak Response Planning – overview ➢ Share key messages across the civic society, which are:

▪ clear and transparent about the ongoing situation;

▪ available local language; culturally sensitive

▪ ‘behaviourally specific’ i.e. clearly communicate the actions that people need to take, when & how.

➢ Clarity of message across all communications channels –liaison with PHE comms & key partners to stand

up ‘comms cell’

➢ Plan your media relations – take control.

➢ Upweighted marketing campaign – agree assets required.

➢ Grassroots public engagement.

➢ Employer engagement; businesses are community focal points and should be used to provide leadership,

support dissemination of messaging and adherence to guidance.

➢ Mobilisation of all key influencers - develop a clear narrative

➢ Mobilisation of NHSEI comms and engagement.

NB local outbreak can be of significant national media interest, so please factor this into your planning!

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Outbreak Response - Council-owned comms channels

❑ Ensure versions of all messages are available in the language of the local population.

❑ Change Twitter and Facebook header images to carry appropriate messaging.

❑ Pinned Tweet/Post need to carry appropriate message.

❑ Message / graphic on website homepage.

❑ Schedule at least 4 posts a day at key times, ensure that messages are available in

appropriate languages.

❑ Make videos from DPH key content outlining key messages.

❑ Engage local community representatives to support video content in local language(s)

on Twitter or YouTube.

❑ Push out graphic messages on Instagram account.

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Outbreak Response - media handling

❑ Identify and log your core spokespeople and comms lead.

❑ Brief key media about the situation and approach; issue a proactive press notice setting it out.

❑ Set up an ongoing proactive media briefing strategy – data & plans sharing, via DPH, to manage influx of

ad-hoc media enquiries.

❑ Prepare a reactive statement to issue to press in response to queries about individual cases and settings

outside of your press briefing.

➢ Include the public messaging to encourage identification of symptoms, getting tested, and those

contacted by NHS Test and Trace to follow the guidance they receive.

❑ Offer proactive media opportunties eg to test sites, to focus public understanding of how they can get a

test, and to reinforce messaging

❑ Ensure you have robust Q&As – build on other areas‘

➢ If there is a national interest in a local incident, there should be liaison between DHSC press office and local outbreak

comms lead before any external communications.

➢ If any media is directed centrally ie: to the DHSC press office in the first instance, it will be alerted to your outbreak

communications lead to respond and liaise.

➢ DHSC can be contacted at pressofficenewsdesk@dhsc.gov.uk

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Outbreak Response - Government relations

❑ Ensure you know who is responsible and the process for informing your constituency MP

/ Leader / Ward Councillors of any information regarding an outbreak

❑ Consider if any boundary areas are impacted and require notification.

❑ Engage early.

❑ MP enquiries centrally about local situations will be shared locally.

❑ Have a communications lead(s) for the incident?

❑ Based on the severity of your outbreak the communications lead should liaise with DHSC

press office to coordinate national and local messages.

❑ The national and local teams should keep each other regularly updated on the

communications situation and media interest.

❑ The DHSC press office can be contacted at pressofficenewsdesk@dhsc.gov.uk Monday

to Friday 8am to 7pm or on 0333 320 1654 at all other times.

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Outbreak Response - Audiences

Audiences will vary depending on the nature of the issue:

They could be:

➢ setting specific (workplace, school, care home etc)

➢ certain demographics

➢ a neighbourhood / locality

➢ high risk groups and settings

➢ relevant stakeholders, businesses, influencers, community leaders

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Extract of Outbreak Planner

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BAME community engagement

❑ As much translated material as possible ie key assets including

bespoke translated assets for social media and text messages

❑ Stakeholder briefing materials to help them tailor their own

communications.

❑ Community radio stations broadcasting in native languages,

translated adverts as well as regular interviews with key

community spokespeople

❑ Volunteers who speak community languages, as well as paid for

interpreters have supported door knocking

❑ Key community voices have included:

– faith leaders

– health sector; local GPs who speak other languages have produced videos which have been widely shared on local radio stations / soc media https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVrwLeAUEqU#action=share

– Local celebrities / sportspeople / local football club

❑ Guidance and content for faith leaders / networks / communities in

appropriate languages, including training sessions

❑ Garden gate and street level engagement in vulnerable

communities

❑ Door to door visits with translations on ipads directing to /

booking tests nearby

❑ Production of advice and guidance for large multi

generational households - in community languages

❑ Shop window / lamp post posters in key languages

❑ Audio messaging in mosques

❑ Fully utilise or set up regular communications with key

influencers, contacts and network via social media eg

WhatsApp lists to share information and dispel 'fake news'

❑ Creating Health Champions list –

eg https://www.newham.gov.uk/CovidHealthChampions

❑ School briefings

❑ Door drop to identified households in outbreak areas

❑ Deployment of youth workers across District in areas

where young people congregate

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Contacts

DHSC central press and media relations

❑ Council’s can liaise with DHSC central communications

team to discuss key messages on specific issues.

If there is a local escalation decision then your outbreak

communications lead must liaise with DHSC press office

to communicate the media handling plan

❑ DHSC press office can be contacted

at pressofficenewsdesk@dhsc.gov.uk Monday to Friday

8am to 7pm or on 0333 320 1654 at all other times.

Questions and advice about centrally provided marketing

and communications campaign materials or operation of the

Coronavirus Campaign Resource Centre can be directed to

PHE’s partnerships. Always check the Coronavirus Campaign

Resource Centre for available materials first.

❑ partnerships@phe.gov.uk

PHE Regional Communications Managers

❑ For communications support and advice in the event of an

outbreak, PHE’s network of regional comms managers can

help with expertise in leading and managing outbreak

response comms locally. A map of contacts is was attached

with this pack.

Email addresses for all of the below contacts are:

firstname.surname@phe.gov.uk

❑ North West: Claire Roach 07827 954 768

❑ West Midlands: Ann Fleming 07834 311 393

❑ South West: Iain Mallett 07795 146 741

❑ North East: Julie Kinsella-Shenton 07879 425 249

❑ Yorkshire & Humber: Charlotte Hutchinson 07966 140 156

❑ East Midlands: Nadine Hilliard 07966 272 082

❑ East of England: Karen Dowle 07786 524 406

❑ South East: Mike Burrell 07789 295 811