General communications arrangements policy

General communications arrangements policy

Effective communication is essential to provide good customer service and to fulfil the standards of service set by the company, its customers and relevant governing bodies. This policy aims to outline our commitment to effective communication by documenting the ways in which we communicate internally and with our customers, and our activities to listen to and respond to our customers through active feedback.

We provide our customers with a range of information. Broadly speaking our communication approaches fall under the following categories:

1. To inform: we provide transparent information to our customers about our services, our policies and our procedures.
2. To notify: we provide our customers with notifications when pre-employment checks are due to expire; when new opportunities arise for locum work and when supportive opportunities are available (e.g. supervision and appraisal).
3. To respond: we respond to queries we receive from customers face-to-face, by email, telephone and via social media outlets.

Methods of Communication:

We communicate with our customers through a variety of appropriate channels and mechanisms, in ways which meet individual needs and preferences. These currently include: Email, Facebook, Webpages, Surveys, Telephone calls, SMS messaging, Training sessions, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram, Videos. These methods will be reviewed regularly and advances in communication technology will be adapted where appropriate.

Communication Principles

To ensure effective communication with our customers, we aim to embody the following principles:

1. Our communication will be clear and concise to deliver our message succinctly.
2. We aim to use plain English and develop an acceptable glossary of terms, so our communication is easily understandable.
3. We will deliver timely communication that is relevant to the user at their point of need and ensure that agreed standards of service are met.
4. We will reply promptly to all customer queries, ensuring that agreed standards of service are met.
5. We will adopt a flexible communication approach, delivering our messages in a variety of ways that meet customer needs and preferences.
6. We endeavour to standardise our communication where possible to ensure customer clarity by creating templates for letters and emails.

Internal Communication

To deliver effective communication to our customers, we must ensure that our internal communication is effective. We will do this by:

1. setting an Out of Office email to alert colleagues to our absence from work.
2. recording an appropriate voicemail to allow colleagues to leave a message and to redirect colleagues to an alternative colleague/department if we are unavailable.
3. encourage staff to offer feedback on our communication methods and information provision.

Evaluating our Communication

To ensure the effectiveness of our communication, we will regularly evaluate our communication approach by:

1. seeking regular customer feedback (both formal and informal) on our communication and information provision.
2. listening to and responding to user suggestions regarding our communication and information provision.
3. making changes to our communication methods or principles where necessary.
4. reviewing and updating our Communication Policy accordingly.
5. regularly review and update all information content to ensure accuracy and currency.