The COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the hugely important role that effective communications play in public service. All strands of COVID response from the emergency phase through to recovery is reliant on the strength of the connection between public services and community and the ability to engage, influence and empower.

Yet, what has the pandemic taught us about the strength of that connection, and what do we need to differently in the future?

Our upcoming roundtable discussion for public service leaders will look at the future priorities for local government communications and how to maximise effectiveness.

In particular, we will look at how to:

Build trust and confidence amongst difference audience groups
Deliver more with less by optimising communication delivery
Ensure that communication plays a pivotal COVID recovery
Demonstrate greater community leadership
Develop digital reach and maturity, including understanding who uses different types of social media and why
Place behavioural insight at the heart of successful campaigns and change programmes

Westco will bring to the discussion lessons learnt from more than 35 communication reviews that we have conducted for public sector communication functions spanning central government, local government, transport authorities and housing providers.

Speakers

Barry Lewis will chair the interactive roundtable, the Leader of Derbyshire County Council, with contributions from experts in their field, including:

Ian Farrow, Managing Director of Westco and strategic communication expert
Edward Gardiner, Director of behavioural insight specialists, The Cognition Company
John Paul-Danon, Partner of the Council Advertising Network
Simon Jones, Executive Director of Communications at Westco and former chair of the UK’s professional development network, LGcomms

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