HSE.

The HSE is the UK Government agency responsible for regulating workplace health, safety and welfare.

I planned, produced and delivered national and targeted comms campaigns in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Digital elements included web copy, social media content, videos and press releases. Offline, I was responsible for stakeholder engagement amongst local authorities and community groups. All metrics were reported directly to the Cabinet Office.

One targeted campaign won Gold at the Public Service Communications Awards 2021

COVID-19 Spot Checks & Inspections Campaign.

HSE set up the Spot Check programme to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, supporting essential workers and businesses. £The programme recruited a small comms team of contractors., which I during the first year of the public health emergency.

We worked with the Government to produce COVID safe guidance for England and the devolved nations, focusing on control measures needed to reduce transmission in workplaces.

Our communications addressed COVID controls in businesses and vulnerable communities, overcoming communication barriers.

As the COVID landscape changed through various stages of the pandemic, we faced a fast-moving target. Responses and guidance updates had to be produced quickly with little, or zero, warning from the Government.

Throughout the pandemic, this campaign supported the government and other public bodies to keep people safe and the economy open.

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“We worked differently in responding to the challenges posed by the pandemic, advising across Government, helping to shape guidance for businesses to ensure workplaces were kept as safe as possible.”

– Sarah Albon, Chief Executive, HSE

Award Winning Campaign:

WorkRight in Yorkshire & The Humber

In spring 2021, COVID outbreaks in the food production and manufacturing sector became a problem.

HSE inspectors observed workers not continuing the behaviours needed to control the virus beyond the ‘factory’ gates. This relaxation outside of work presented a serious risk to transmission within the workplace.

Two high profile reports suggested cultural and socio-econimic barriers to communication such as English not being a first language, were impacting on community understanding of how to stop the spread of the virus. This information informed our campaign tactics and approach.

Data and insight focused the campaign on Yorkshire and Humber. The region had a high infection rate and a concentration of food production and manufacturing businesses.

Our proposition was to run a hyper-local campaign focused in Kirklees (the location of previous major outbreaks), however the situational analysis showed the Asian community felt ‘blamed’ for COVID transmission. We therefore focused regionally while targeting specific local authorities, to highlight the issues without stigmatisimg the community.

We used both policy and communications levers to provide clear messaging and incentives of why they needed to act on COVID security, and put community partnerships and engagement at the campaign’s heart, building trust with those struggling to grasp the message because of communication barriers and economic circumstance.