Master classes

Presenter: Professor Anne Gregory, Director of Centre for Public Relations Studies atLeeds Metropolitan University.

This workshop discusses new research the presenters have conducted on behalf of the NHS that seeks to determine the nature and scope of good communication practice at national, regional and local level. Given the challenges confronting the NHS system, it will explore how communicators can contribute to - and be valued at - the highest levels of the organisation. It will also outline the specific roles that need to be undertaken to meet the requirements of co-design, co-production and co-delivery.

Presenter: Andy Bounds, Motivational Speaker

This class will show you a new way to communicate with others, so you achieve the results you want in the fastest possible time.

• How to sell yourself, your ideas and your requirements so that others do what you want.
• How to persuade critical stake holders of the need for change.
• How to prepare communication that others engage with, buy into and – most importantly – act on.
• How to convince others to change their mindset, behaviours and actions.

Presenter: Dan Wellings, Ipsos MORI

This class will look at current perceptions of the NHS and what the public think about the future. This will include where they sit on potential cuts/efficiencies. The class will also look at how the NHS should communicate with the public around prioritisation, and what role staff can play in this process.

Presenter: CIPR - Sally Sykes, Communications Director - Health and Safety Executive

Coaching leaders to become better communicators.

Presenter: James Sorene, Head of News - Department of Health

An analysis of the media strategy, media coverage and lessons learned for the future

Presenter: Victoria Mellor, Melcrum Publishing

In this interactive session, Victoria Mellor CEO of Melcrum, the world’s leading authority on best practice internal communication, will share the recommendations from her team’s study into effective change communication. Specific learning points from the workshop will include:

• Understanding how communication is vital to effective change
• How to get to know your audiences and set clear change objectives for each group
• It’s all about behaviours - what an effective change leader lookslike
• Coaching leaders and managers on how to be effective communicators during change

Presenter: Claire Spencer, i-to-i research

There is a three-fold conundrum that confounds the communications process;
Communication Chasm – what you see is what you get – or is it?!
Communication Complexity – juggling multiple channels, multiple stakeholders and multiple messages, and
Communication Confluence – how to better understandand manage the increasingly blurred line between organisational-driven content and citizen-generated content.

Presenter: Ben O’Brien and Phil Morris, Knowsley Health and Wellbeing Partnership

When budgets get tight in any sector it’s no surprise if communications and marketing budgets are amongst the first to come under scrutiny. How can social marketing support the drive for greater productivity and quality? How can it help improve patient care, service experience and outcomes? And how, as communications leaders, do we make that case at board level?

This session will share the experiences of Knowsley Health & Wellbeing partnership whilst embedding social marketing, communications and engagement in the organisation and provide an opportunity for senior NHS communications leaders to explore strategic issues in social marketing for the next three to five years.

Presenter: Ed Garret, Deputy Director of Commissioning, NHS East of England

The workshop will bring delegates up to date with the latest thinking on the NHS Constitution and the role of communications professionals to bring it alive. This will include examples of best practice work from around the country and some practical suggestions that people can use locally.

Presenter: Mark Pack, Your Mandate

Developments such as Facebook, Twitter, smart phones and the spread of high speed broadband are changing the way the public behaves online - and how people expect the organisations they deal with to behave. This session will take you through those changing expectations and the new opportunities they provide to communicate and consult with your target audiences.

Presenter: Carol Appleby, Blue Horizon Associates

The ‘Coaching for performance’ masterclass will cover:

• Coaching as a vital development tool
• Using constructive feedback to drive performance
• Enabling teams and individuals to fulfil their potential
• Implementing a coaching culture in your team

Presenter: Victoria Mellor, Melcrum Publishing

In this interactive session, Victoria Mellor CEO of Melcrum, the world’s leading authority on best practice internal communication, will share the recommendations from her team’s study into effective change communication. Specific learning points from the workshop will include:

• Understanding how communication is vital to effective change
• How to get to know your audiences and set clear change objectives for each group
• It’s all about behaviours - what an effective change leader lookslike
• Coaching leaders and managers on how to be effective communicators during change

Presenter: Thomas Brown, the Chartered Institute of Marketing



NHS communicators work tirelessly to co-ordinate positive and reputation-enhancing communications... to ensure their organisation is positioned appropriately for patients, their families and other stakeholders. They are in essence, creating ‘promises’. You may call these promises ‘brands’, ‘reputation strategies’, ‘positioning’ - whatever term you are most familiar with, they all lead to the same outcome: a commitment to deliver a certain type of experience (to patients, families and other stakeholders).

The trouble with experiences, however, is that they are brought to life and delivered by a multitude of elements largely outside of the control of communicators. Your people, your processes and the physical environment of a hospital or trust - to name but a few.

Drawing on lessons from some of the world’s leading commercial sector brands, this masterclass will explore how communications leaders can engage the organisation around a common promise and align your people and processes to deliver a superior, intentional experience across the patient journey. The end game? Consistency, engagement and enhanced patient/family/stakeholder relations.

Presenter: Steph Hood, Director of Communications and Engagement – NHS South East Coast

Interactive session looking at the strategic role of communications in leadership and delivering transformational large scale change to help develop an NHS that's fit for tomorrow as well as today.

Presenter: Marc Michaels, COI

Presenter: Hamish Nicklin, Google

This class will look at how the Google team view innovation, how innovation is defined, how we organise ourselves and how we develop a culture of innovation to ensure that it really can happen.

Presenter: Andy Green, Green Communications

For anyone who feels there is too much stupidity or bureaucratic thinking around you, this special talk will explain why, in spite of massive technological advances to make us act ‘smarter’, the opposite seems to happen.

The event will help you use its inspiration, tools, and ideas to fight back, combat, or feel not so helpless when confronted with stupidity - whether it is dealing with bureaucrats, your boss, or when the buck stops with you, this class will help you.

Presenter: Jane Asscher, Head of Partnerships - Change for Life (on secondment from 23red)

Building strong partnerships with commercial organisations at national and local level can help communicators to reach at risk audience groups at points which are inaccessible to paid for media and create the right environment to effect behaviour change. Partnerships programmes however are not without their risks. This masterclass looks at how to harness the power of commercial partnerships and manage the risk. It draws on the learnings from Change 4 Life. Jane will be joined by a representative from Coop who will provide a commercial partner perspective on the challenges and benefits of working collaboratively with the Department of Health to change behaviour.

Presenter: Michael Guida and Dean Russell, Precedent Communications

Find out what makes a website truly engaging and how social media are a crucial part of communicating and managing reputation internally and externally.

Presenter: Paul Willis, Director for the Centre of Public Relations Studies – Leeds Metropolitan University

This workshop discusses new research the presenters have conducted on behalf of the NHS that seeks to determine the nature and scope of good communication practice at national, regional and local level. Given the challenges confronting the NHS system, it will explore how communicators can contribute to - and be valued at - the highest levels of the organisation. It will also outline the specific roles that need to be undertaken to meet the requirements of co-design, co-production and co-delivery.

Presenter: Stephen Webb, Director of Communications and Public Affairs – NHS London

Crisis management can test the most resilient communications teams. Drawing on experiences of major events from the 7th July bombings to Phase 1 of the swine flu pandemic, this master class will set out some top tips on how to prepare for, and succesfully manage, media and stakeholder relations during a crisis.

Presenter: Mark Duman, Patient Information Forum

Starting with a brief overview of national policy initiatives, this master class will look at what constitutes good quality information, challenging the audience to move from flat information provision, to supported information that looks to deliver improvements in patient experience and health outcomes.

Presenter: Pete Stevenson, The Edge Picture Co. Ltd

At The Edge we produce short films that engage and inspire internal audiences. We have been chosen by the New York Festivals as their Production Company of the Year worldwide for each of the last 3 years.

We worked with SE Coast Strategic Health Authority to launch Healthier People Excellent Care. A year later we followed this up with Pass it On, which celebrates the progress that had been achieved while recognising the challenges that still lie ahead. In this session we'll be using these and other examples to look at how film can help employees prepare for change and deliver a lasting emotional impact.

Presenter: Hamish Nicklin, Google

This class will look at how the Google team view innovation, how innovation is defined, how we organise ourselves and how we develop a culture of innovation to ensure that it really can happen.