CSP016: Communications

Communication is part of everyone’s job. Excellent communication is essential in continuing the advancement of the NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) and the overall NIHR. It helps to support positive change in clinical research delivery by increasing shared learning, creativity and innovation among individuals and organisations. Having a dedicated, specialist, experienced communications function will help to develop and maintain the Local Clinical Research Networks’ (LCRNs) positive reputation and the reputation of the Network as a whole. 

This Contract Support Page provides additional advice and information to enable LCRNs to fulfil their contractual obligations relating to the business development and marketing function requirements, as specified within the NIHR CRN Performance and Operating Framework (POF) 2023/24.

The previous CRN Communications strategy 2015 – 2020 set the ‘direction of travel’  for all internal and external CRN communications  during the current contract  while providing enough flexibility for LCRNs to develop their own programme of communications activities to complement local business objectives. The principles of this strategy should be carried forward until the end of the contract 31 March 2024.

Along with the previous CRN Communications strategy and previous NIHR Communications strategy 2017-2022, there is a NIHR-wide Communications and Engagement plan that covers the period of 2022-2025. It aims to build upon the significant progress already made during the NIHR’s first 20 years and to continue communications that will deliver a ‘step change’ in levels of awareness for the NIHR. 

There is recognition that improving our storytelling could transform the way the NIHR is perceived and understood. Our collective efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic have demonstrated the power of effective communications in raising awareness of research and the reputation of the NIHR. This strategy will guide our efforts and ensure that we continue to focus on the areas where the greatest benefits can be gained.

To support these strategies the  ‘NIHR CRN Stakeholder Engagement and Communications (SEC) Toolkit for LCRNs’ provides detailed guidance and support for communications colleagues at a local level:

• The NIHR CRN SEC Toolkit (Google site) is live and a number of tools are available including: branding, national campaign information and policy and protocols. This is a living toolkit and will be continually updated;

• The NIHR Communications Strategy is available on the Toolkit site;  

• Further resources are also available on the NIHR communications site.

Section C.19 of the POF, ‘Communications’, describes a number of requirements that relate to communications. These requirements represent the foundations that will underpin good communications service and practice across the Network. 

For 2023/24, the POF has only four ‘Mandatory Requirements’ for communications. This is based on the assumption that each LCRN has already established a specialist, experienced, dedicated communications function with adequate resources to deliver on communications and engagement. We advise that communications professionals are made aware of the budget that they have to work with. If you have any questions about the function and adequate resourcing for this, please raise this with the National Head of Communications. While the POF does not specify minimum resourcing, spend and the adequacy of this in delivering the local communications plan,  the LCRN’s role as part of a national NIHR system will be regularly monitored as part of LCRN performance management processes.

In line with the NHS Constitution for England and NHS Long Term Plan, LCRNs are to promote research opportunities to patients and the public. This should include informing patients about research that is being conducted within the LCRN area. The LCRN should ensure equality to all patients and the public with an aim to reach those who are in the greatest need, live in geographically under-served areas or belong to groups with multiple disadvantages or other characteristics that require particular efforts to communicate and engage with them. 

LCRN Communication leads should liaise with colleagues in the LCRN and identify barriers to research and recruitment to each group and where communications has a role in providing a solution. 

The LCRN should promote Join Dementia Research (JDR),  Be Part of Research including the volunteer account functionality and/or equivalent registries in a way that is tailored to the local population. Working closely with PPIE or other colleagues, the promotion of these services should be integrated in the local communications plan (2.2 below).  Local registries should not be promoted to the detriment of national services and any such plans should be discussed with the Central team.

Your local delivery plan should clarify your communications goals and objectives and provide you with a baseline or benchmark to measure success. This is vital for demonstrating impact and value for money.

Section C.21.1.2. of the POF will also be measured by reviewing the LCRN Communications Performance submissions report, where evidence is provided in keeping with the guidance provided by the CRNCC.  You are required to confirm that a delivery plan is in place and list at least five current communications priorities. Queries may be raised at biannual face-to face performance review meetings if necessary. LCRN Comms leads will be required to bi-annually complete the LCRN Comms Performance 23/24 sheet. 

Depending on the level of structure and experience of your LCRN’s communications function, your delivery plan will vary. It may take the form of a strategy document coupled with an annual implementation plan. Alternatively it might simply be a schedule of communications activities that you plan to deliver across the year. Regardless of the level of complexity, there are a few basic best practice points that you should observe:

• All objectives should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timed). The best way to do this is to put a numerical value and a timescale on them such as:

  •  Increase newsletter circulation by 10% by the end of the financial year;

  •  Increase Twitter interactions by 150 within a month of the ABC campaign finishing;

  • Increase patient awareness of research opportunities in ABC Trust by 5% by mid-year review;

  • Increase annual Join Dementia Research volunteer registrations by 10% during 2022/2023;

• All objectives should be firmly linked to your LCRN business objectives. It is best practice to draft your communications plan once you have had sight of your business plan. This will allow you to design activities that will help further your business goals or help to overcome barriers to achieving business goals. For example, if a particular NHS trust has low patient recruitment in a specific area, you may decide to design an awareness raising campaign to try to remedy the problem. Links to LCRN business objectives should always be visible in individual project and campaign plans;

• A good plan will include evaluation of activities. To evaluate, you need to measure and use meaningful and relevant measures that relate to the success of an activity. A top tip is to decide how you plan to measure success when you write your objectives. You can then  ensure that you have correct monitoring and evaluation mechanisms in place from the outset, for example, web analytics showing referral to a given page (and perhaps where they are coming from), number of patient enquiries sent to a given inbox, and survey results. Note that measuring ‘awareness’ is notoriously difficult and can only really be achieved with a ‘before and after’ perceptions survey.

Assuming that your LCRN has an experienced communications professional in the team, you may want to evaluate using ‘Output, Outtakes, Outcomes’. The Government Communication Service provides guidance on their website.

• Getting the right messages to the right audiences is important. The CRN has numerous stakeholders and not all the messages we send out are relevant to all of our audiences. Comparing the patient and public audience to the life-sciences industry is a good example, since they both have very different information needs. Where possible (and appropriate) your delivery plan should include evidence of targeting audiences and messaging;

• The LCRNs are required to notify, in a timely manner but not less than seven days before release, the Central CRN Communications Team of planned local press activity, large events and any local campaigns that may generate media interest. If appropriate, the Central Team log this on the NIHR planning calendar as required and share with the NIHR press office. This may then be cascaded to the DHSC press office for information;  

• The LCRNs are required to immediately notify the Central CRN Communications’ National Head of Communications  (07879114041) and their Central Communications link, (or central communications team inbox (crncc.comms@nihr.ac.uk) if the LCRN does not have a named link), of any issue that may cause a reputational risk to the NIHR or CRN; 

• If a LCRN would like to request a DHSC representative to speak at their event, all correspondence must be managed through the Central CRN Communications team. In the first instance email the team inbox (crncc.comms@nihr.ac.uk) with the request and draft letter to be sent to the DHSC. Correspondence should not be sent directly to DHSC. Please ensure you allow sufficient time for engagement, ideally four to five months before the event. 

While your local communications plan should be tailored to the LCRN business objectives for the year, you should consider how the following key communications activities can support the delivery of your local objectives and integrate these as part of your plan:

• LCRN support and delivery of national CRN and NIHR campaigns; 

• Development of staff and patient stories ( ‘Our stories’ ) (three patients with at least one from primary care, social care or public health and one staff). LCRNs are required to contribute at least one of the patient stories to the ‘My research story’ section of the Be Part of Research website (one per year, per LCRN), with the remainder published on the local NIHR website and promoted via local social media channels. We also encourage LCRN Comms staff to ‘sell in’ these stories where possible to local media (Requirement 2, Section C.7.1.);

• Development of at least three news items published on the local NIHR website about a study taking place in their region,  that is also being recruited across multiple sites/Networks and has a recruitment deadline of several months at the time of publishing the story.  They should profile a diverse range of people and a diverse range of conditions. (These stories will be used in the Be Part of Research newsletter, further guidance will be issued on Google currents);

• Proactive media relations activities, ideally a minimum of two per year  (e.g. thought leadership). This should be in addition to national campaigns support  (Requirement 3, Section C.7.1.);

• Development and delivery of at least one national 'Ask the expert' webinar that will be promoted across all LCRNs. 

A campaign plan and project plan template are available on the Toolkit site with suggested headings to help plan individual projects and campaigns that are linked to your business objectives. They should be linked from the LCRN Comms Performance sheet 23/24. 

The Clinical Research Network is a national organisation and part of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). It is important that we work together to tell a consistent story of why England is the best place in the world to deliver research. It’s also important that as communications professionals, we come together and share ideas and best practice. To that end, the Central CRN Communications Team holds regular meetings which provide an opportunity for national and local communications managers and leads to network with each other, discuss issues and share successes.

To enable LCRN communications successes you should:

• Develop strong working relationships with PPIE and Join Dementia Research leads (as applicable) in your LCRN;

• Attend and contribute to regular meetings as arranged by your local regional communications link. Liaise with regional NIHR infrastructure to support the delivery of local, regional and national campaigns or activities and to enhance the reputation of the NIHR as a whole in your local region (Requirement 2, Section C.7.1.);

• Engage with the Network comms ‘google currents’ community;

• Regularly attend monthly Network Communication Group virtual meetings and (when running) quarterly face-to-face meetings (Requirement 3, Section C.7.1.);

• Adhere to processes for notifying the Coordinating Centre of proactive and reactive media activity and other channel protocol (such as YouTube video publishing);

• For LCRNs with a Patient Recruitment Centre (PRC)  in their Network, the LCRN comms lead is responsible for regular attendance, representation and contribution at the monthly marketing meeting with the national PRC marcomms team. Ensure adherence to the roles and responsibilities document, thereby ensuring the delivery and publication of high quality content supporting the core PRC offer. 

Our national campaigns provide an opportunity for us to deliver targeted and focused messaging to support key organisations’ aims and objectives. By delivering these at both a national and local level, we increase our chances of ‘cutting through noise’ and reaching key audiences.

Our national campaigns may vary from year to year according to organisational needs and priorities. Some may be CRN-specific, others may be pan-NIHR. Your LCRN contribution is crucial in amplifying the reach and the success of these campaigns.

If your LCRN comms function is not in a position to design a comprehensive or sophisticated local delivery plan, the national campaigns present an opportunity for you to adopt a programme of activities across the year that are guaranteed to contribute to overall CRN Performance Standards.

To support the delivery of national CRN and NIHR campaigns and initiatives, each LCRN will be expected to support campaigns at a local level.

All national NIHR campaigns are developed and delivered with input from the NIHR Regional Communications Links across the whole of the NIHR infrastructure. 

The Coordinating Centre will share a set of ‘minimum asks’ for each NIHR or CRN campaign. LCRN campaign support will include but is not limited to:

• Local delivery and support of International Clinical Trials Day/ Be Part of Research (both the service and campaign), Your Path in Research, Join Dementia Research (including Dementia Action Week and World Alzheimer’s month), the /new Be Part of Research  volunteer account functionality and certain COVID-19 studies.  (Requirement 3, Section C.7.1.)

• Support of national campaigns means as a minimum meeting the requirements outlined in the relevant campaign briefing issued by the Coordinating Centre to LCRNs.  This may include:

  • a press release (where asked);

  • social media activity to amplify national messages and to create localised versions; 

  • staff and patient stories  (Section C.19.1.1);

• Pan-NIHR campaigns should be delivered by liaising and ideally  working in  partnership with NIHR infrastructure Communications Leads in your region (Section C.19.1.4).

This aspect of the POF ( Section C.19.1.3) is assessed through  the LCRN Comms Performance sheet 23/24 regarding contribution to and involvement in national campaigns – or lack of. Queries will be raised at biannual performance review meetings where necessary.

The campaign plans for national CRN and NIHR campaigns are available on the Toolkit site (CRN campaigns) or NIHR communicators site (NIHR wide campaigns). 

Each LCRN has been provided with a web presence - a microsite which sits within the local NIHR website. Note that no other LCRN websites are permitted (due to a government directive to reduce proliferation of government-funded websites). 

• If a google site is already in use for a specific audience, please ensure you log this on the LCRN Comms performance sheet 23/24. Any google sites that replicate content from the main microsite will be requested to close down. 

• If a need is identified for a new google site for a specific audience, you must liaise with the central team via the Comms inbox in advance of development to ensure appropriate approval is given.

Your website is your shop window to the world and should be regularly updated with news, events, jobs and relevant content. Each LCRN should have at least one member of staff who is trained, capable, and accountable for maintaining the LCRN site to a high standard in line with the main NIHR website. Each LCRN should have at least one further member of staff who is capable of making key updates or changes during times the accountable staff member is not available. Training can be requested from the Central CRN Communications team. Websites that are not maintained, or feature information which is obviously out-of-date, reflect on the NIHR brand and could negatively impact our reputation.

Adding relevant metadata is a required aspect of website maintenance. In order for your pages to feature highly on web searches, the metadata needs to be added for each page in accordance with the guidance on the NIHR Comms support site. Meta descriptions should succinctly describe each page’s purpose and are displayed as a summary in Google search results. Search engines like Google will demote pages that do not have metadata attached to them.

LCRNs are expected to ensure their microsite is maintained with up to date and relevant information while ensuring that all content is in line with the NIHR website guidance, including tone of voice, accessibility, images and style. Compliance with the accessibility legislation is essential and LCRNs are expected to keep up to date with guidelines and manage content accordingly. Where accessibility issues (or any other issues around website policies) are identified, content must either be removed or updated to comply in a timely fashion.  

LCRNs are expected to have developed their own processes for reviewing, updating and maintaining their local pages, in line with the above. As a minimum this review should be done every six months to ensure that content is accurate and reflects the current climate.

The Central CRN Communications team will run annual reviews requiring confirmation that existing content has been reviewed for compliance with accessibility guidelines (and will also require confirmation that content has been audited). The central team may also run both ad hoc and regular scans for website accessibility and other technical/content/website policy aspects - any issues flagged must be promptly dealt with, especially where accessibility legislation or information governance is applicable. 

This aspect of the POF (Section C.19.1.3) is assessed through evidence (an issue log) as well as annual review by the central communications team. Queries will be raised at biannual performance review meetings where necessary.

A guidance document for editing LCRN microsites is accessible via the Toolkit site which includes information about adding metadata. Additional website guidance and best practice can also be found on the NIHR communications site. 

For LCRNs with a Patient Recruitment Centre (PRC)  in the Network, the LCRN comms lead is responsible for ensuring all PRC websites contain up-to-date and relevant information, while ensuring all content adheres to the NIHR website guidance - including tone of voice, accessibility, use of images, and style. Compliance with the accessibility legislation is essential and LCRNs are expected to keep up-to-date with guidelines and manage content accordingly. Each PRC has a staff member who can edit and update content - however the LCRN Comms lead is responsible for checking if the content meets the points outlined above and then publishing/making all content live after it has been added to Sitekit by the PRC link and checked for compliance. 

As part of the NIHR we are required to adhere to the NIHR Identity Guidelines, as well as Be Part of Research and Join Dementia Research, which have their own specific guidelines.

• Ensuring that both our messaging and visual branding are clearly and consistently applied across all communication channels, including social media, further reinforces our identity and drives positive sentiment and trust. 

This aspect of the POF (Section C.19.1.3) is assessed through evidence (an issue log). Queries will be raised at biannual performance review meetings where necessary.

The NIHR identity guidelines and templates are accessible via the Toolkit site. Further guidance is available on the NIHR communications site.

During 2022/2023 the NIHR name is changing, to become the National Institute for Health and Care Research. The acronym will remain NIHR. As per guidance, LCRNs will have 

• Three months to replace digital assets including websites and social media where relevant, as required (further guidance to be issued regarding NIHR Local website changes) 

• One year to replace all printed materials, as required

• Signage to be replaced for the next contract, as required

In addition to branding, the  NIHR communications site hosts key guidance and protocols that apply across local NIHR communications channels, including web, social media, accessibility. LCRNs are expected to be familiar with these and adhere to relevant protocols.

The requirements set out in the POF guidance should be seen as the foundations for further work. We know from discussions with our LCRN communications colleagues, and from reviewing the communications sections of LCRN plans, that a great deal of innovative and interesting communications activities are taking place at a local level. Here are some additional requirements:

In communications with local researchers and LCRN Partners in receipt of funds or support from the NIHR, promote the acknowledgement of NIHR support in publications and press releases (Section C.19.1.4);

Strong external and internal stakeholder relationships, including effective working with other parts of the NIHR at a local, regional and national level. This may include membership of regional communications groups or a collaborative group spanning member Trust and other stakeholder organisations such as ARCs, Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs), Research Design Services (RDSs) etc. Alternatively, it might be leading regional meetings of CRN staff that have a responsibility for comms (non-comms professionals) to provide guidance and support.

Chelsea Drake

National Head of Communications 

Email: chelsea.drake@nihr.ac.uk

Tel: 07879114041

• The NIHR CRN SEC Toolkit (google site) 

• The NIHR communications site

Version number: 1.0

Effective from date: 1 April 2023