This document discusses using social media to engage communities and conduct consultations. It outlines statutory duties for NHS organizations and clinical commissioning groups to involve the public. It then discusses how social media can help with involvement, participation, engagement and co-commissioning through two-way and open communication. It provides examples of owned, earned and paid online channels that can be used, and emphasizes prioritizing the channels where target audiences are. It gives tips on focusing on communities of interest, using the right lexicon, showing empathy, handling negativity, and allocating appropriate resources.

1. Using social media to engage
communities and consult
An introduction
By Alex Talbott

2. Communications &
Engagement
Events

3. Coming up…
1. Law
2. Communications
3. Acting school
4. Policy
5. Social media

4. www.slido.com
#2515

6. Section 13Q of NHS Act 2006
NHS England has a statutory duty to ‘make
arrangements’ to involve the public in
commissioning services for NHS patients

7. S.14Z2 Public involvement and
consultation by CCGs
CCGs must make arrangements to secure
that individuals to whom the services are
being or may be provided are involved in
commissioning decisions.

8. Chapter 2, Section 242 (1B-H)
Trusts must ensure users of their services,
whether directly or through representatives, are
involved in:
(a) the planning of the provision of those services,
(b) the development and consideration of proposals
for changes in the way those services are provided,
and
(c) decisions to be made by that body affecting the
operation of those services.

9. 1969

10. Devolving
Collaborating
Involving
Consulting
Informing

11. Involvement/Participation/
Engagement/Co-commissioning
• Social media can help with it all!
– 2-way
– Open
– Accessible [generally]
– Creates records of interactions
– Creates data for analysis
– Democratises information
– Invites challenge and contention!

12. Online channels
Owned
Earnt
Paid
for

13. Online channels
Owned • Website
• Twitter profile(s)
• Facebook pages and groups
• Instagram profile
• LinkedIn page
• Blogs
• E-newsletter
• Email signatures

14. Online channels
Earnt • Third sector organisation websites & profiles
• Public sector partner websites & profiles
• Other people’s:
• Facebook groups
• Blogs
• Social media posts
• Ability to post to full-blown advocacy.

15. Online channels
Paid
for • Social media adverts
• Google AdWords
• Website banners
• Newspaper website ads
• Spotify adverts
• Local and national opportunities.

16. “Fish where the fish are.”

17. Acting school: Priorities,
priorities, priorities
• Write down your organisation’s priorities
• Write down the day-to-day priorities in your
personal life.

18. We’ve got to talk about…
STPs
Sustainability and Transformation Plans – 44 footprints across England.

20. 5 things about social media
1. Communities of interest
2. Lexicon
3. Empathy
4. Working with negativity
5. Resource

21. 1. Communities of interest
Social media platforms are especially good
at building communities of interest.

22. 1. Communities of interest
Characteristics of these communities:
• Transient
• Voluntary
• Rich in social capital
• Quick to grow
• Diverse and therefore clever
• Public +/private
• Very narrow objectives!

23. 2. Lexicon
Which words you use and how you use them.

24. 2. Lexicon
“In terms of place based health it is essential
to work on geographical footprints that
people living in neighbourhoods identify with”
People Powered Commissioning for Social
Action in Stockport (October 2016)

25. 3. Empathy is important
Emotion is stronger than logic.

26. “…without relationships and building trust and
alignment around a common vision change
won’t happen”
People Powered Commissioning for Social
Action in Stockport (October 2016)

28. 4. Working with negativity

29. “STPs lay out how £22bn of cuts to the NHS
over the next 5 years will play out across the
country. With the absurd expectation that
services will improve, too.”
Greenwich Green Party
https://greenwich.greenparty.org.uk/news/greenwich-green-party-supports-call-for-
greenwich-council-to-oppose-stps-and-protect-our-nhs.html

30. 5. Resource
• Not 9-5
• In-depth knowledge needed
• Great writing skills needed
• Funding for adverts
• Ability to react quickly
• Admin-lite processes
• Responsibility

31. Person specification:
Adaptable, flexible and can hold two
personas in their head at one time.
Highly digital literate.

32. Define target audiences
Map their online channels
Prioritise the channels based on the most
popular target audience channels
Create empathetic, audience specific content
Develop a list of search terms for monitoring purposes.
Build +/ join online networks – share content via
(earnt/paid for) target audience channels

33. Monthly tweetchat, every 1st Wednesday of the month on #nhssm

34. Add +44 (0) 7561 207 708 to your
contacts & send ‘#nhssm GO!’ to
join.

35. Thank you for listening!
@TeamSuperAnt
alex@superant.couk