Report for: ACTION

Contains Confidential or Exempt Information

No

Title CEX280- Communications Strategy 2018/19 - 2021/22

Member Reporting Councillor Steve Curran, Lead Councillor for Corporate Strategy, Planning and Regeneration

Contact Details Victoria Lawson, Director of Customer Services, Environment and Culture 020 8583 4463 Victoria.lawson@hounslow.gov.uk Debbie Bacon, Head of Communications 020 8583 5933 Debbie.bacon@hounslow.gov.uk

For Consideration By Cabinet

Date to be Considered 11 September 2018

Implementation Date if Not Called In

1 October 2018

Affected Wards All

Keywords/Index Communications, digital and social media, marketing

1. Details of Recommendations

The Cabinet is asked to agree the Communications Strategy for 2018/19 – 2021/22.

2. Report Summary

This report explains why a new communications strategy is required, and what that strategy should set out to achieve. It proposes changes to the way communications are delivered in the council to improve effectiveness, meet the changing needs of our residents in terms of how they wish to receive/access information and ensures our communications support the delivery of the council’s manifesto and corporate plan.

3. Reason for Decision and Options Considered The council has evolved since the previous Communications Strategy was agreed in 2015, with many key elements of this strategy having been delivered such as the new council website. It is now timely to consider a new strategy that meets the needs of a council that is ambitious, wants to be at the forefront of change and delivering effective services whilst meeting the needs of its residents and businesses. The Peer Review, conducted in March 2017, recommended that the council celebrates its successes, and develops an identity for the whole borough which will help Hounslow differentiate from other London Boroughs. As a result, the vision for communications is to raise the profile of the council and the borough through effective, best practice marketing and communications. The strategy will focus on achieving this vision through four main areas of focus:

Reputation: promoting and protecting the reputation of the council

Identity: developing an identity for the borough and council which will help us develop a place brand, putting Hounslow on the map and differentiating us from other London boroughs.

Engagement: informing, exciting and engaging stakeholders in the council’s activities and priorities – to secure their support.

Transformation – supporting the council through rapid and radical change. 4. Key Implications The Communications Strategy will build on the successes we have achieved so far this year, including reaching nearly 10,000 followers on Twitter, and nearly 6,000 followers on Facebook; having achieved a 4-star rated SOCTIM website – the highest rating and one of only 42 council websites; introducing our e-newsletters which enable residents to sign up for information on subjects of interest to them; repositioning Hounslow Matters magazine to have a greater emphasis on residents and working to secure income through advertising in Hounslow Matters. The Communications Strategy takes into account the advice from the Peer Review Challenge which took place in March 2017, and recommended that we do more to celebrate our successes and we have begun to do this e.g. winning the MJ award for Highways Maintenance, achieving 11 green flags and so on, as well as developing an identity for the borough and council giving it a status within London and nationally. To achieve this strategy, we will:

Review the communications team working practices to identify ways to improve outcomes and effectiveness.

Work collaboratively with colleagues to gain clarity about what we are seeking to do early in the process and focus on outcomes rather than outputs.

Improve our understanding of our audiences through research and insight and segment our audiences so that we can target communications effectively.

Develop campaigns which are designed to raise awareness, influence perceptions and change behaviour.

Identify clear success measures and evaluate campaigns to understand our effectiveness and achievements and continue to make improvements.

5. Financial Implications There are currently no requirements to increase budgets, a review of the team would be managed within existing budgets. Communications for campaigns and activities delivered on behalf of services would be paid for out of their respective budgets in line with current practice. Increasing our focus on digital and social media communications may help to reduce costs of campaigns and reduce the reliance on printed material. Although there is no requirement from this report to increase budgets, the communications area does have some challenges to staying within its existing budget:

Budget for Hounslow Matters newsletter has been removed through previous savings initiatives, although the newsletter is still being produced creating a pressure of £60k-£70k per year. The strategy outlines plans to add revenue from advertising in Hounslow Matters, and try and find electronic means of delivery which should mitigate this pressure to some extent, but it won’t reduce it entirely.

During the current year maternity cover cost for the communications team is a budget pressure.

The corporate income generating contract has struggled to achieve income targets in the past, causing budget issues. It is projecting to achieve its budget in the current year, as providers of the contracts have been or are being changed this year to provide a minimum income guarantee. £50,000 support from reserves is necessary this year to enable the area to achieve its income target, with a view to it being self-sufficient in 2019/20 financial year.

This cabinet report is not proposing any additional spend from the adoption of this new communications strategy.

a) Comments of the Director – Finance and Corporate Services

This report is to seek approval of a new communications strategy. It is not proposing any additional costs to achieve this, however the communications area does have existing challenges to its budgets, which may affect whether the strategy can be achieved, as outlined in the financial background section above. 6. Legal (to be completed in conjunction with the Legal Department) a) Legal Details

b) Comments of the Head of Governance 7. Value for Money Continuing to develop our digital communications capability, e.g. building our database of customer emails, will enable us to provide more cost-effective, targeted communications in a way in which many customers now wish to be reached. 8. Sustainability Impact Appraisal 9. Risk Management

Risks Uncontrolled Risk Controls Controlled Risk

No risks at this stage. Individual risks will be identified with each project delivered as part of the strategy.

10. Links to Council Priorities The communications strategy and plan is intended to link to all council priorities and support the delivery of the council’s corporate plan. 11. Equalities, Human Rights and Community Cohesion The council is required to have due regard to its Equalities Duties and in particular that set out in section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and eliminate any other conduct that is prohibited by or under the Act, advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a protected characteristic and persons who do not share it. The development of the Communications Strategy has at its heart ensuring we provide positive communications that keep residents and customers informed and engaged. We are developing our communications channels to enable us to communicate with customers in the way in which they wish to be reached, e.g. increasing our digital and social media capability. In addition, we provide publications such as Hounslow Matters magazine as audio or braille versions upon request. 12. Staffing/Workforce and Accommodation implications There are no staffing implications. We will manage any changes within existing resources. 13. Property and Assets This is not applicable. 14. Any Other Implications

There are no other implications. 15. Consultation The Communications team were involved in the development of the Communications Strategy. The draft strategy was discussed with senior officers and distributed to all Cabinet Members for their comments. 16. Timetable for Implementation The Communications Strategy is intended to be a four-year programme of continual development and change. However, an annual ‘work plan’ will be produced with the support and input of our services and this work plan will form an agreement with the services, senior officers and Lead Member on what the Communications team will aim to achieve each year. The plan will be designed to deliver the communications strategy over the four years. 17. Appendices Appendix A: Communications Strategy and plan 2018/19 – 2021/22 18. Background Information

REPORT ENDS

Appendix A Communications Strategy for London Borough of Hounslow 2018/19 – 2021/22

1.0 Introduction

Good communication underpins the reputation and efficient running of a local authority. Effective communication enables residents and other stakeholders to be aware of the services that are available to them, to engage with those services and their local area and, in keeping with local accountability, to understand what their local authority does for them. We are an ambitious council, so first rate communication is essential to engaging with our stakeholders, raising the profile of the council and the borough, and securing investment to support our development and improvements to our services. To engage effectively, our communications need to form a two-way dialogue with our audiences, rather than a one-sided ‘tell them’ approach. We need to take on board the views of our stakeholders expressed through surveys and consultations, and facilitate that dialogue through using a range of channels, including digital, to enable our stakeholders to engage with us in a way that’s convenient to them. Research has consistently shown that the more informed people are, the more satisfied they will be with local services – and the higher they will rate the organisations delivering those services. 1 There are also individual factors which contribute to resident satisfaction with local authorities; crucially, the following issues have a strong influence on resident satisfaction nationally:

Quality of council services

Efficiency of services

Perceived value for money

Perceived stake in local decision-making 2

Across all these factors, communications play a key role by informing residents of the services available to them, the quality of those services and by being responsive to their concerns and priorities. However, councils are changing, and Hounslow is no exception. Much of this change has been driven by government austerity measures, with councils having to find new ways of delivering services which residents want and need, and new ways of operating efficiently with drastically reduced budgets. Hounslow is an ambitious council, and wants to be at the forefront of change and delivering effective services whilst looking after its residents and businesses. Communications can help achieve this through:

1 Including IPSOS MORI 2008 London tenant satisfaction survey, IPSOS MORI London place Survey 2008. 2 Source: IPSOS MORI, What drives satisfaction with local government? November 2004.

Helping to put the borough on the map by creating and reinforcing a strong,

unique identity that sets it apart from other boroughs

Delivering effective behavioural change campaigns which resonate with target

audiences and encourage participation

Focusing on effective internal communications, improving staff motivation and

efficacy and encouraging staff and members to be our ambassadors and

advocates

Developing a more commercial, marketing-led approach based on data and

information to raise income, promote services that are charged for and create

effective business collateral

Working with contractors and partners more effectively to deliver

communications messages and engage with stakeholders.

A recent paper from the GCS 3 identified that for public sector communications to be effective we need to:

build public trust through two-way open engagement with key audiences

ensure that communication is rooted in science, not art (e.g. using data,

and behavioural science techniques)

ensure that our communication keeps pace with technological change

ensure that communication is built around the citizen, delivering

information to them in the way that they want, not broadcast at them in the

traditional model

measure the impact of our communications, using a range of metrics that

go beyond short-term contractual commitments and sustain long-term

interventions.

ensure our communication has a greater focus on digital marketing and,

where possible, combine campaigns to target specific audiences

ensure our procurement supports risk and innovation as well as enables

our programmes and interventions to run for longer periods so that

messages are sustained and behaviour change has a chance to happen

maintain momentum and deliver continuous innovation and improvement

by constantly challenging ourselves and our ways of working, making sure

we are continually evolving our skills, tools and knowledge to keep in step

with the unrelenting advances in technology.

To optimise the council’s approach, the structure of the Communications team was changed approximately three years ago to meet the needs of both internal and external stakeholders more effectively, and to support the council’s ambitious goals and objectives.

3 The Government Communication Service – The Future of Public Service Communications, Report and Findings. HM Government, July 2015

This structure, based on an account management approach, meant that services are managed by lead officers within communications who work across communications disciplines. The lead communications managers divide their work on a portfolio basis.

The communications team is complemented by in house expertise for design, website, digital and social media, and events and AV.

However, since this new approach was established, the council has undergone further organisational restructure and is working through ongoing and radical transformation which is influencing the way council staff work and interact with stakeholders. Therefore, it is timely to revisit whether this approach, and the structure of the communications team, will continue to be the most effective way of working in the future. 2.0 Development of the strategy

The work of the communications team to achieve the strategy and communications plan will be focused on achieving the council priorities and supporting the delivery of the new corporate plan and the administration’s pledges and themes as highlighted below. We will achieve this through targeted communications using appropriate channels and at the appropriate time. The communications strategy and plan will be underpinned by an annual work plan which the communications team commit to deliver, and which is developed with advice from directors / senior officers and council leaders that ensures we are focusing on delivering the service and council priorities and pledges as they arise within the four – year period of this strategy. The strategy and communications plan has been informed by:

The vision for Hounslow 2035 (Future Borough Strategy)

The draft corporate priorities

The staff survey 2017

Communications strategy 2015

Industry best practice

Advice from senior officers and lead members

2.1 A vision for Hounslow 2035 (the Future Borough Strategy)

Hounslow will be a destination borough where people choose to live, work, play and

visit, made up of distinct and prosperous places, each with its own unique character,

function and history. Our communities and the individuals within will be safe, healthy,

happy, connected and able to achieve their ambitions by being in the borough.

2.2 Pledges and key themes:

The manifesto sets out five pledges, voted in by residents in the 2018 election, and

the Cabinet have added a special commitment on air quality, these are:

1. Create 4,000 new apprenticeships and training opportunities to help young

people into work and take action to ensure employers pay at least the London

Living Wage.

2. Secure 5,000 affordable homes, of which 3,000 should be new council and

housing association homes for social rent and 2,000 for shared ownership

and other affordable products that contribute to local needs. Crack down on

rogue landlords and help local residents buy their first home.

3. Invest £2 million to fix potholes in local roads - and invite residents to

nominate the roads that need it.

4. Overhaul doorstep collections to make recycling easier and collect fridges,

mattresses and other bulky items to reduce fly tipping.

5. Ensure sound financial management to maximise available funding to priority

services.

Air quality action plan – a rolling programme of schemes and initiatives to improve air

quality in the borough.

3.0 Our Communications Strategy We will promote Hounslow as a great place to live, work, study and visit. Our communications priorities will derive from the manifesto 2018 pledges and themes, and will support the achievement of corporate priorities. 3.1 Our vision for communications:

To raise the profile of the council and the borough locally, nationally and internationally through effective, best practice marketing and communications. 3.2 Our communications strategy: Our strategy will focus on achieving this vision through four main areas of focus: Reputation: Promoting and protecting the reputation of the council in the media and in all the work we do, e.g. celebrating our successes Identity: Developing an identity for the borough and council, giving it a status within London, nationally and internationally. This identity will enable us to develop a place brand, putting Hounslow on the map, and differentiating us from other London boroughs and our neighbouring councils. Engagement: Informing, exciting and engaging stakeholders in the council’s activities and priorities, now and for the future - to influence them, involve them, listen to them and secure their support.

Transformation: Supporting the council through rapid and radical change, both internally and externally. 3.3 Our communications plan: We will deliver this strategy through the implementation of a communications plan which supports these themes, focuses on helping the council achieve its priorities and deliver the pledges and actions presented in the manifesto and corporate plan. 3.3.1 Reputation Promoting and protecting the reputation of the council in the media and in all the work we do, e.g. celebrating our successes. To support this strategy, we will develop clear messages and narratives which relate to each of pledges and supports the corporate priorities. This will ensure that we can explain clearly to residents and stakeholders what we are doing, why and how they will benefit. The narratives will provide the council with the ability to speak with one voice through all our channels and our Members. We will develop a media strategy and approach which enables us to increase our presence and share of voice in trade, regional and national media. Trade media in particular, is a positive area for increased activity, providing the ability to enhance our reputation in specific sectors and influence stakeholders. In addition, trade stories are a great means of attracting the attention of the mainstream national media. We will take a more proactive approach to working with colleagues to identify suitable stories for promotion within our campaign priorities. We will also develop our channels and contacts to enable greater coverage and reach. This will be complemented by our approach to social media, which is an excellent means of promoting traditional media interest. New media and digital/social media policies will be introduced to support the council in this approach and provide effective guidance in their use. We will develop our expertise in crisis communications to ensure that we can respond quickly and appropriately whatever occurs and protect the reputation of the council. 3.3.2 Identity Developing an identity for the borough and council, giving it a status within London, nationally and internationally. This identity will enable us to develop a place brand, putting Hounslow on the map, and differentiating us from other London boroughs and our neighbouring councils.

The Peer Review challenge conducted in 2017 identified that a vision, narrative and brand identity of the borough and council needed to be developed by updating our communications strategy and using this as a platform to celebrate our successes. To achieve this, we will work with our cabinet members and senior officers, as well as other stakeholders including partners, to develop the strategic direction, identify the vision and narrative for the place and for the council and use this as a platform to differentiate our borough and put it on the map. Elements of our approach are likely to include:

Conducting extensive research into what other boroughs have done / are

doing to develop their identity/ differentiation

Reviewing place shaping and branding strategies to identify the most

appropriate for Hounslow

Developing initial ideas around ‘place’ and ‘identity’ and what they mean in

Hounslow

Conducting extensive stakeholder engagement with residents, partners,

council and members – testing ideas, and encouraging the involvement,

input and generation of more innovation and ideas.

Developing the narrative and key messages based on the research and

engagement findings

Testing the narrative and key messages with all stakeholder audiences

Developing the place brand based on the research and agreed narrative.

In addition, we will work with our internal stakeholders to develop an identity for the council which sets us apart from other boroughs, encourages businesses to do business with us, encourages staff to feel proud of the organisation in which they work, and helps us attract and retain the best staff members. 3.3.3 Engagement Informing, exciting and engaging stakeholders in the council’s activities and priorities, now and for the future - to influence them, involve them, listen to them and secure their support. We need to understand what residents want and what works well for them in terms of how we communicate what the council is doing, why, and the action we need from residents. We need to share this across the council and ensure that it is reflected in what we say to residents:

Through regular and robust surveys and consultations

Using channels that enable residents to have a two-way dialogue with us if

they choose

Continuing to develop an engaging, informative and transactional website and

supporting services to provide best practice content and methods

Developing and promoting targeted, multimedia campaigns, focused on

council priorities, which aim to change perceptions and behaviour (e.g.

increasing recycling rates)

Encouraging residents to have their say, demonstrating that we have listened,

and reporting back what we have done

Increasing communication about the decisions the council needs to take, and

why, generating trust and increasing ‘buy-in’ from residents

We also need to work more closely with other stakeholders including staff and partners to ensure they remain motivated, enjoy working with us, and feel their views and ideas are considered:

Reviewing and improving our internal communications and staff engagement,

particularly in response to the staff survey results 2017, and the

transformation strategy and culture change programme.

Ensuring staff understand the decisions that need to be taken, and become

our advocates in engaging with residents

Work with partners to understand their views and consider that Hounslow is

also their borough and they have a stake in how it is run, improved and

developed.

3.3.4 Transformation Supporting the council through rapid and radical change, both internally and externally. We will develop and implement a communications strategy that supports the transformation of the council both internally and externally. Areas of focus include:

Supporting the priority from the Peer Review to work with our senior and

middle managers to deliver the ongoing strategic transformation related to our

savings programme, new civic programme and WorkSmart programme –

specifically to strengthen and simplify the communications messages around

the new civic, transforming customer services, digital programme and

WorkSmart

Working with the Transformation team and HR to develop a communications

framework and internal communications plan to support culture change and

embed new ways of working across the organisation

Supporting the digital transformation programme, so that residents are

encouraged to contact the council online, by email or by phone rather than

coming into reception – reducing footfall to reception by 50 per cent.

Residents will opt to use these channels if they are easy to use and

convenient

Ensuring that staff are ready for the office move to Hounslow House

Ensuring residents are aware of the office move to Hounslow House, and

what this means for them, e.g. transacting online, or making an appointment

first.

We will also:

Support services in the communication and delivery of their services,

particularly if they are new, changing or stopping

Embed new processes and ways of working, within the team and with

services and stakeholders ensuring we are proactive and collaborative, and

focus on achieving priorities

Ensure our communications delivery is best in class and effective, achieving

measurable results that demonstrate we make a real difference

Keep up with technological advances in communications, and ensure best

use of new channels by developing a portfolio of channels and a targeted

approach to communications

Become more ‘commercial’ e.g. through generating revenue for the council

and supporting services in their achievement of revenue generating or budget

saving schemes.

4.0 Improving our communications channels, methods and evaluation to deliver the plan

It was highlighted in the introduction that communications teams must work hard to keep up to date with the pace of change to deliver effective communications and support the council in achieving its priorities. Communications needs to use data more effectively to reach target audiences, and measure success. We will need to embed new processes and ways of working within the team and with services and stakeholders, so that we work together proactively and collaboratively, to focus on achieving desired objectives. To achieve measurable and better outcomes it is essential to consider the way the communications team is currently structured and working so that we can identify ways to improve outcomes and effectiveness. Good communications should be explicitly linked to corporate objectives and we can best support the achievement of objectives when a good understanding of the purpose, key messages, target audiences and channels are considered from the outset. We will therefore work with colleagues to deliver communications plans, incorporating the following:

Clarity about what we are seeking to do at the beginning of the process,

whether this is to change behaviour, change perceptions, increase

understanding or engagement

Create messages and narratives aligned with corporate priorities

Understand our audiences through research and insight – being clear about

who we are seeking to engage or influence and segmenting our audiences so

that we can target communications effectively.

Develop campaign and channel plans that are designed to achieve objectives,

target the right audiences and work within a set budget.

Identify clear success measures and evaluate campaigns to understand our

effectiveness and achievements.

For major campaigns, we will produce well designed integrated campaign plans which will be agreed with the main stakeholders, e.g. Head of Service/budget holder, cabinet member.

We will improve and, where necessary, create new processes to help with this shift, increase understanding of requirements and improve work flow. This will include:

An effective campaign plan template, e.g. using ROSIE (Research,

Objectives, Strategy, Implementation, Evaluation)

An improved design brief, and process for commissioning design projects

An improved template for commissioning communications support which will

help shape the communications activity required at the outset of the project.

(We will no longer respond to being asked for a press release, or a poster –

this is the ‘output’ not the reason communications is required).

We will develop a communications grid which will support daily working and

ensure that communications fit together. This tool will enable us to plan and

work efficiently, to share what we are working on with one another and with

other stakeholders and will enable us to make sure all communications work

towards promoting the key messages and narratives. Any major

events/campaigns will be in the forefront of everyone’s minds and

communications will alter accordingly.

We will aim for best in class communications that achieve measurable results and demonstrate we make a real difference We will measure the effectiveness of our activity through:

Campaigns and major projects will be measured using a relevant framework,

e.g. the GCS Evaluation Framework 4. This will enable us to demonstrate the

impact of our work. The Framework builds on the latest industry best practice

and will enable us to adopt a clear and consistent approach to evaluation

across all communication activities.

Traditional media (print and broadcast) will be monitored more effectively

using Google Alerts and other search tools.

Social media and digital media will be monitored using the platform’s analytic

tools such as Hootsuite

The effectiveness of the website will be measured through Gov Metrics as

well as other website data such as hits and click throughs

We will compile a weekly monitor of the success and impact of our work and

use this learning to develop and improve the effectiveness of our

communications.

5.0 Our channels – maximising their effectiveness:

We have a number of channels available to us which we need to continue to develop and use more effectively. We are also adding to this range of channels so that we can target audiences more effectively, can ensure our campaigns and publicity have

4 GCS Evaluation Framework – Government Communications Service, December 2015. https://gcs.civilservice.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/GCS-GCS-Evaluation-framework-A4-_19115.pdf

impact, and deliver communications messages in the way that our residents and other stakeholders wish to receive them: 5.1 Print and Broadcast Media It is essential that we continue to promote council services, campaigns, events and information whilst protecting the reputation of the council through effective media relations. However, we need to be more savvy in how we use media in the future, as our current reach is becoming increasingly localised and limited. We need to develop stronger relationships with journalists and use the whole range of media available to us including trade, national and regional press and broadcast media in more creative ways. This will help us to not only manage reputation, but raise the profile of the council and the borough. We will develop a media strategy that sets out guidelines on best practice working with the media, improves the ways we use national, regional and trade media proactively, as well as assisting the team in responding quickly to reactive media enquiries. We will develop an up to date media policy / protocols that provide a framework for working with and assisting the leadership team, Members and services with media activity and responses, ensuring enquiries are responded to in a timely manner (online – immediate, press 24 hours maximum). We will develop narratives and key messages to support all council priorities and manifesto pledges to ensure that across the council we are consistent with our messaging, and are ready to respond to media enquiries, social media and interview questions. We will support cabinet members with media briefings and encourage meetings directly with journalists to discuss our plans. We will develop our ability across the team to manage crisis communications effectively and with confidence. We will embed the use of Vuelio into the team’s daily working practices for sending out targeted releases, storing information, providing an up-to-date database of contacts and organising work, recording all media enquiries. We will develop a media monitoring programme to monitor the effectiveness of our media coverage and report on our findings. We will provide an on-call media service, available 24/7, to manage crises and urgent communications, and provide an out-of-hours rota to ensure there is always a member of the team available to respond in an emergency. 5.2 Website

The importance of the website is growing. It is both a window onto the council services and everything we do, and the front door for a growing number of interactive transactions which enable our stakeholders to contact us and access the services they need quickly and easily. In January 2017, a new Jadu website was introduced and has since be 4-star rated (the highest rate for websites and 1 of only 42 council websites in the council secured this rating). The aim of the website is to:

be clear and simple

promote transactions in the simplest manner possible – maximising the

potential for self-service on the site through forms and simplified processes,

increasing efficiency and allowing residents, businesses and visitors to do

business with us 24/7.

communicate clear messages about what the council does and its

priorities/pledges for residents

We have also delivered a project to enable services to create and load their own content. This content is then checked, approved and published by the digital and communications officers within the Communications team to ensure it meets the council’s Content Strategy guidelines, best practice and correct branding. To improve our website and our understanding of customer usage and the best ways to engage with customers we will:

continue to develop an engaging and transactional website and support

services to provide best practice content following our Content Strategy

Guidelines

develop a website policy and guidelines which set out the requirements for

services to follow and advises on tone of voice, look and feel, presentation of

materials, images and so on.

support the digital transformation programme by focusing on transactions that

enable channel shift. We want the website to be the ‘go to’ place for residents

to complete a high volume of transactions through reporting, paying, booking

and requesting services.

ensure the website serves as the ‘digital front door’ for the council and

enables residents to self-serve across a range of functions and services.

produce and present good quality content in a manner that actively

encourages customers to use the web as their channel of choice.

consider how best to promote our borough and our assets, such as our great

parks and heritage buildings and local events, to our residents and visitors

from further afield. This will help raise the profile of the council and borough,

support the creation of the borough identity, and encourage increased footfall

to our town centres and attractions

To constantly improve the website functionality and our knowledge of its effectiveness we will:

monitor the website on a weekly basis using Site Improve. This will enable us

to enhance the quality of the content, work towards accessibility compliance,

drive search engine traffic, and measure website performance

monitor our traffic through Google Analytics so that we understand the

movement of traffic to and within our website, and can use this knowledge to

improve the user experience for transactions

review and evaluate best practice SOCITM through the Better-connected

report

maintain a good user experience, ensuring the site is meeting customer

needs by regularly reviewing it, e.g. each link on the homepage should be

reviewed for usage with Google Analytics.

work with ICT to improve and increase our search engine optimisation

make sure the website is functioning to its maximum potential by reviewing

data provided by Gov Metrics and ensuring customer satisfaction.

5.3 Social media The ability for communications to engage positively with audiences and respond to views is essential to building trust and confidence. Effective use of social media will enable us to interact and engage with customers almost instantly. We will seek to ensure that we use social media platforms to provide engaging content which customers relate to and which enables the development of stronger relationships. Our objectives for using social media channels are as follows:

To reach out to customers through channels they use to provide information

and promote messages about Hounslow, the council and its services.

To manage reputation by responding to commentary posted on social media

in a timely way.

To use social media as a customer service tool supporting our Customer

Services team

To drive traffic to the website to interact with our online services

To increase opportunities for two – way engagement with the public, using

social media channels as engagement tools as well as broadcast platforms

To promote the council to existing and future employees

To ensure our communications is targeted and effective

To drive traffic to our partner sites, other social media platforms and links

To attract traffic from other sites

A social media strategy and social media policy will be developed to support the achievement of these objectives and ensure best practice use of the channels by all users including members and officers. We will seek to ensure our messaging is engaging and interactive in the following ways:

using consultations, including surveys, to obtain views and feedback which

can input into services, strategy and communications.

using social media to develop campaigns which connect with residents at key

contact points along the customer journey, helping them access services and

find answers to their questions.

developing an effective and positive two-way dialogue which engages

residents in ways they want to receive information, rather than simply

broadcasting information

between December 2015 and April 2018 we have increased the number of

followers on Twitter from 5,632 to 9,422, and on Facebook from 2,100 to

5,141. We will continue to grow these channels improving positive

engagement, and reaching out to new audiences.

developing and increasing our use of different social media channels,

particularly You Tube, Instagram and LinkedIn, to engage with different target

audiences with relevant messages and in ways which they prefer

increasing the use of Flickr to promote/showcase the borough as well as

provide a photo library

developing more interesting and interactive content to increase reach and

participation, e.g. using video, animation and infographics.

enriching our content to ensure it resonates with our target audiences, and

they continue to return to our sites and pages for more information

identifying the channels that are likely to be most effective for certain types of

messages or for different target audiences through more rigorous analysis

and measurement, as well as through tools such as

https://www.businessclan.com/which-social-media-platforms-will-work-best-

for-my-business

developing a programme of live/real time engagement – e.g. Cabinet Q&A

sessions, real time tweets during Borough Council and Cabinet meetings.

developing social media campaigns across all digital platforms to engage with

residents along the customer journey not just at the beginning and end.

monitoring Twitter and Facebook, and additional channels, through our on-

call, out-of-hours rota system to ensure we pick up any urgent messages and

are able to take necessary action.

providing a weekly monitor of social media activity, looking at engagement

and success measures.

using free social media resources to support local, regional and national

campaigns which are promoting relevant themes and activity, e.g. WRAP

London, Keep Britain Tidy.

developing an appropriate tone of voice for the channel, target audience, and

subject. We don’t always need to be serious / corporate, we can inject humour

and fun into our dialogue when appropriate, to develop an engaging and

human voice.

5.4 E-communications Traditional media, particularly local press, is becoming less effective in reaching residents. As a result, the communications team needs to regularly identify and develop new ways of reaching residents efficiently and cost effectively. E-

communications, through the system and product GovDelivery, provides a great opportunity to provide targeted e-newsletters to residents and stakeholders on subjects which they have requested and are of specific interest to them. They can change their subscription, opt in, or opt out at any time. Much work has already been done to set up this new platform so that customers can sign up to it easily and quickly through our website. It is currently being promoted to services internally as officers will be encouraged to use the platform themselves to send information out to their customers. Interested services have also received/are receiving training on the platform. To promote the platform externally and encourage customers to register for a variety of newsletters we will:

continue to promote and implement the Gov Delivery e-communications

platform across the council to maximise usage and reach.

develop and implement a communications campaign to promote the platform

and encourage sign up from residents, businesses and other stakeholders.

cross promote the service to maximise its potential e.g. encouraging

customers who have signed up to receiving information on waste and

recycling, to also sign up to planning, fostering or other topics of interest to

them.

develop a communications-led programme of e-newsletters, e.g. a monthly

news round-up which could feature a message from the Leader.

continue to research and identify best practice and research ideas from other

boroughs to develop new ideas.

measure the effectiveness of our messages through Gov Delivery analytics

software, e.g. number of emails distributed, number opened and number of

click throughs.

5.5 Hounslow Matters and Housing News We produce and publish four editions of Hounslow Matters a year on a quarterly basis. Each edition includes the Housing News newsletter. We need to make sure we are constantly improving the content and style of the magazine, and make sure that the magazine and newsletter continue to provide residents with the information they want in the way they want to receive it. In order to know this, we will:

conduct a review of Hounslow Matters and Housing News (with Housing

Services) to understand residents’ engagement requirements – e.g. include in

the residents’ survey, participate in the community engagement work.

develop a style guide for Hounslow Matters which improves the quality and

consistency of the magazine and enables services and contributors to

understand what is required.

develop a publishing schedule for the year for services and contributors to

adhere to in terms of requesting and/or providing content and advertising.

ensure that content supports the achievement of council priorities.

find ways of increasing revenue opportunities for the magazine through

advertising, sponsorship and promotions (e.g. reader offers).

review the way Housing News is incorporated in the magazine and is the best

way to reach the target audience.

find ways of creating online/digital versions of Hounslow Matters and Housing

News which could eventually take over from the print versions (timescales to

be agreed).

5.6 Events We currently provide a programme of civic events. We need to look at ways to extend the portfolio of events to include entertainment / public and business events as they endorse a sense of civic pride, encourage networking and relationship building, encourage communities to get together, improving community cohesion, and support local businesses and entrepreneurs. In order to do this, we will:

continue to deliver and support the programme of council / civic events, and

add to these events, e.g. through a regular a series of Cabinet Question

Times which can be broadcast live through social media. (ref: Manifesto

theme – Transforming the council).

work to develop and implement a new events strategy to investigate the

potential in Hounslow for parks and town centre events.

research what other boroughs do, e.g. through their councils and/or BIDs and

through partnership and commissioned services, e.g. markets which support

local shops and businesses, a programme of entertainment events (such as

music, ice skating, outdoor cinema) which enable the community to get

together and encourage visitors to come into our town centres and parks.

investigate the best way to promote these events locally and regionally, e.g.

through communications campaigns and developing a ‘Time Out’ style guide

to showcase and promote events across the borough.

promote all events through the ‘events’ section on our website, supplemented

/ promoted through Facebook events and Twitter/other channels to spread the

word.

5.7 Internal communications Internal communications is a programme of activity designed to keep staff informed, engaged and motivated. We will review and improve our internal communications, particularly in response to the staff survey results 2017, and to support the transformation strategy and culture change programme. We will encourage and motivate council employees and members to be key advocates of council services with residents and stakeholders. We will draw on the priorities which have come out of the Staff Survey 2017, supporting managers to ensure that:

Colleagues are well informed, that they understand the vision and priorities

and understand their role in achieving it

Colleagues are knowledgeable and can access information they need easily

Colleagues are engaged, encouraged to contribute ideas and feel motivated

to go the extra mile

Colleagues are ready for the office move to Hounslow House and are

motivated to adopt new ways of working and the new culture required going

forward

Colleagues are enabled and encouraged to share ideas and network across

divisions.

We will review our channels to make sure they are fit for purpose, particularly with the move to new premises, make the best use of developing technology and staff find them useful. We will also make greater use of internal communications and engagement tools to deliver wider communication and campaign objectives.

The recent staff survey highlighted that staff find it difficult to know what is

going on across the council and there is little opportunity to mix with other

services, network and share ideas. As a result, a review of Internal

Communications channels will be undertaken to find ways to improve

engagement rather than just pushing out information.

New channels for internal communications will be developed based on

findings from the review which support staff engagement, networking,

information sharing and ideas development.

The review will also enable improvement to existing channels which may be

regarded as less effective than they were, such as Cascade, and need

rethinking.

We will also introduce more digital media such as videos, animation and

infographics.

Increase the visibility of senior officers e.g. through video blogs and Q &A

sessions

Encourage staff to interact and put forward ideas e.g. using video ‘vox pops’

Review requirements for the intranet and put forward a business case for a

new intranet. The Communications team will ensure the intranet is used to the

best of its ability, that information is rationalised and up to date, making it

relevant, useful and engaging.

Support IT on the provision of training to ensure staff know how to use new

equipment such as Jabber, spider phones and Webex

Look into the potential for staff chat / sharing systems e.g. Chatter and

Yammer. Barts NHS Trust has done some interesting work through ‘Weshare’

Develop internal communications specifically for the new building e.g.

electronic notice boards.

6.0 Communications team – ways of working

6.1 Annual Work Plan An annual work plan, which the communications team commit to deliver, will be developed with input and advice from directors / senior officers and endorsed by council leaders. This will ensure that the communications team is focused on activity which supports services in the delivery of council priorities and pledges as they arise. The Work Plan will include descriptions of the campaigns and projects that the communications team needs to deliver during a specific year, as well as provide targets for the team in terms of improving channels and ways of working – e.g. media relations (at least one trade article a month), social media reach / engagement, improvements to Hounslow Matters, increase in subscriptions / use of Gov Delivery and so on. Each year we would provide a ‘stock take’ of what we have delivered / achieved so that we can track our progress. Additional work requested outside of this agreed work plan will be considered for the following reasons:

The requested work is important in the achievement of council priorities /

pledges

There is capacity within the team to manage the additional work and the

request has been made within an appropriate timescale.

The new request is sufficiently important to be carried out in place of work

previously set out in the work plan, with the agreement of senior leaders.

6.2 Campaigns The Communications team has an important role to play in raising awareness of services and encouraging residents to change their perceptions or behaviour, e.g. increasing recycling, walking or cycling to work. We can be more effective and achieve greater success through well designed and implemented multi-media campaigns which are developed collaboratively with services and designed to meet agreed objectives. Campaigns must be developed in collaboration with services to ensure background, research findings and objectives are fully understood and agreed, and the appropriate resources (including budget) are made available. The ROSIE (research, objectives, strategy, implementation, evaluation) model of campaign development will be followed, and will incorporate the Four I’s framework to structure the communications planning process:

o Insight: Gain an accurate and deep understanding of the issue(s). Use

insight to identify target audiences and partners and to inform

communication objectives, messages and solutions. Audience focused

behavioural insights are the key to effective external and internal

communications

o Ideas: Develop the communication strategy and plan. Select channels and

develop key messages and content for target audiences. Identify

evaluation criteria.

o Implementation: Develop and implement effective communication

strategies and plans. Work with stakeholders and partners to deliver

communications.

o Impact: Assess the impact and effectiveness of communications. Review

achievement of objectives. Identify lessons learnt and share feedback.

6.3 Design The communications team provides a design service for the council. This ensures design meets brand guidelines, quality is assured, and appropriate look and feel for a campaign is created for the target audience. However, we only have one designer, which means when workload is high (e.g. when designing Hounslow Matters) a bottle neck occurs and services hire freelance support. In order to minimise the need for external design resources we will:

Create a new design briefing document and process for booking design which

will encourage services to request design requirements in a clear and timely

fashion.

Ensure that services request design through their Communications Managers

or Head of Communications, and do not go directly to the in-house Graphic

Designer or external suppliers to commission work.

Review the amount of work commissioned externally (with the help of

procurement) with a view to reducing costs and ensuring that all work

produced meets council brand guidelines and look and feel. Potentially a new

roster / agreement with external resources will be required which will

streamline the process and ensure consistency and quality of design, and will

aim to reduce costs

Create updated templates for services to use for simple work where print

ready artwork is not required, e.g. digital posters and flyers, invites, reports,

timetables, PowerPoint presentations and so on. Guidelines to help services

use them effectively will be provided.

We will seek to provide additional design support through junior members of

the communications team, and through a procured external resource.

6.4 Branding and house style To ensure that our brand is presented correctly and consistently we will:

Create brand guidelines for use internally, and for provision to external

designers as required, ensuring consistency of branding and look and feel.

Create a corporate style guide which will include such elements as email

signatures and ensure that all communications, whether provided by the

Communications team, or services, adhere to this style guide.

Consider the branding requirements for commissioned / contracted services

and commercial ventures and create clear guidelines regarding the use of

additional brands alongside the LBH corporate brand.

6.5 Becoming more ‘commercial’ Becoming more commercial is an approach that requires a different mindset and way of working. We will help the council be more commercial through:

Filming; the council has recently awarded the contract for managing filming

within the borough to Film Fixer. This is a three-year contract, and we will

work with them to ensure they are fully mobilised and supported and we

maximise the revenue achieved from this contract.

Advertising revenue from Hounslow Matters – as part of the review of

Hounslow Matters (and Housing News), we will look at increasing advertising

opportunities, and making Hounslow Matters an appealing magazine for local

advertisers.

Advertising revenue from outdoor media – we will ensure that the contracts

that enable revenue to be achieved through our outdoor media partners – e.g.

JC Decaux and Bay Media are maximised.

We will support services in their own commercial / revenue generating

endeavours, e.g. through delivering effective campaigns (such as garden

waste), developing marketing and communications plans to support

commercial launches, and developing branding and identity (to stand alone or

sit alongside LBH), through encouraging sponsorship (e.g. community awards

and events).

6.6 Consultations and Community Engagement It is becoming increasingly important to encourage more involvement and provide

opportunities for residents to have their say and get involved. Communications can

support this involvement through the design of their campaigns, and through

demonstrating we are listening to residents’ views.

We will work with the Community Engagement team to support, publicise and

report on consultations, adopting a ‘You Said, We Did’ approach to informing

residents of the outcomes.

We will use the data provided by consultations to inform our communications

work, understand our target audiences and provide insight into our campaign

development.

We will support the consultation process through having a ‘Consultation

Champion’ in the team who attends regular meetings, understands the

consultation process, and can advise on best practice for developing

consultations that are effective and measurable.

We will support community engagement through sense checking and

publishing consultations on Citizen Space.

We will also work with Community engagement to understand other

engagement initiatives they are delivering and identify ways we can promote

and support them to increase involvement from residents and stakeholders.