The Communication Award
The ‘Our NHS’ allied health and nursing recruitment campaign attracted over 30,000 people to express interest in an NHS career in just six weeks. UCAS reported an increase of 24,810 applications.
Developed and delivered by a multidisciplinary team of communications professionals, the campaign supported the government’s major pledge to build the NHS workforce of the future, by attracting 76,000 nurses and primary care staff into training. This fully integrated campaign used real NHS staff to tell the story of their interesting, demanding, varied and rewarding careers, helping our community back to health. It combined proactive campaigning with direct digital communication to maximise numbers going on to apply for training.
This nomination is to recognise DVLA’s work to tackle vehicle tax evasion.The agency has a long-term strategy to keep vehicle tax evasion low, and uses a wide range of prevention and enforcement measures to remind motorists of their legal duties to pay vehicle tax on time. Using an evidence-based approach, DVLA planned and delivered a fully integrated behaviour change communications campaign at the start of 2020 using communications targeted to the highest evasion areas in the UK.
The National Resilience Hub was formed in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Over the past eight months it has delivered one of the largest crossgovernment communication efforts, and coordinated a 24/7 communications response to an unprecedented emergency. The hub is a team of multi-disciplinary communication and insight experts from across government who have come together to work collaboratively for the first time.Throughout the crisis, they have continually and determinedly supported the public to understand how the government is balancing the needs of society, the economy, and health in order to save lives and livelihoods.
Recognising exceptional performance by a communications team to deliver a highly effective national or international communications campaign.
The Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia and Dysgraphia Line ManagersToolkit was developed to help line managers understand more about the ‘4Ds’ and neurodiversity.These conditions may affect up to 15% of the Civil Service and require reasonable adjustments.The toolkit was developed by the CSDDN (Civil Service Dyslexia and Dyspraxia Network), a cross-government network, to provide insight into traits of neurodiversity.Written by and from the perspective of staff with these conditions, their aim is to help:
DfT’s Commercial Development Programme is a fantastic example of collaboration across multiple professions and disciplines, to manage an identified gap in the commercial leadership arena.
The three-year accelerated development programme provides commercial associates with the opportunity to undertake three diverse and stretching commercial placements.The programme is built on industry best practice and provides a comprehensive learning and development offer, including working towards recognised professional qualifications.
The programme has successfully enabled the department to build a sustainable pipeline of commercial leaders, and very clearly advances the pillars of ‘A Brilliant Civil Service’ alongside commercial priorities for the transport sector.
How can we become the most inclusive employer by 2020? By designing an inclusive resourcing process focusing on equity of opportunity for all applicants, regardless of their social or educational background. The Civil Service recruitment principles encourage this type of approach but apprenticeship schemes typically follow a traditional selection route. Removing minimum entry requirements, targeting marginalised candidates, linking with local authorities and schools, holding outreach events, running a social media campaign, outlining the selection process at an open day and partnering with the department’s Social, Economic Diversity and Inclusion Network, the team delivered an apprentice cohort which reflects the Civil Service’s desire to be the most inclusive employer.