Occupations and Terms of Reference › Corporate communications manager
Universal terms of reference · POS-020 · version 1.0 · status: draft · next review 2027-10-27
Corporate communications manager
To manage how the organisation communicates with the public, staff, partners and the media, so that information is accurate, timely, and builds trust in the services.
Each part of this page links to the related trainings, competencies and policies. The links are the same for every facility, so an organisation can see at a glance what a role requires and what it is trained in.
Job description
Job summary. You lead communications. You plan and run internal and external communication, handle media enquiries, prepare the organisation for public issues, and make sure messages are accurate and consistent.
Reports to: Chief executive officer.
Leads or supervises: Public relations officer.
What you do on a typical day
- Review media coverage and respond to enquiries.
- Prepare messages for planned and unplanned events.
- Support leaders with speeches and articles.
- Lead communications after serious incidents, with the quality team.
- Plan the year's communications calendar.
Working conditions and demands
- Works under pressure during incidents.
- Must protect patient and staff privacy.
- Communications must be accurate and approved.
What good looks like
- Public information is accurate and timely.
- Staff are informed before the public.
- Media enquiries are answered within agreed time.
Place in the organogram
Reporting line, from the top: see the organogram on the Occupations page. The lines above and below this role are listed in section 3.
1. Golden rules
These rules apply in every setting.
- Every decision that affects patient safety is made on evidence and recorded.
- Patient safety and quality come before financial targets; no trade-off that puts patients at risk is accepted.
- Every staff member can raise a concern without fear of reprisal, and every concern is answered.
- Legal, licensing and accreditation duties are known, owned and reviewed.
- Finances, people and information are managed openly and within the law.
- Mandatory training and policies apply to the executive as much as to frontline staff.
2. Identification
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Position code | POS-020 |
| ISCO-08 | 1219 (skill level 4) |
| ESCO | to map |
| Department | Governance |
| Facility types | Hospital, Ambulatory, Transport, Medevac, Fitness, Aesthetic |
3. Reporting line and working relationships
Reports to: POS-003. Supervises: POS-021.
| Works with | Nature of the relationship |
|---|---|
| Chief executive officer | Messages on major issues. |
| Chief quality and safety officer | Communications after safety incidents. |
| Data protection officer | Privacy in communications. |
4. Key accountabilities
| Domain | Accountability | Evidence of delivery | Checked | Linked competencies | Linked trainings | Linked policies | Standards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communications plan | Delivers the communications plan and calendar. | Plan approved; activities delivered | Quarterly | C-01 | T-08 | – | 1 |
| Media response | Handles media enquiries and crises within agreed times. | Enquiries answered on time; crisis log | Monthly | C-02 | T-07 | POL-INC | 2 |
| Accuracy and privacy | Makes sure public information is accurate and private information is protected. | Releases checked against approval steps | Monthly | C-03 | T-04 | POL-DATA | 2 |
| Staff communication | Makes sure staff hear important news first. | Staff briefings issued before public release | Quarterly | C-01 | T-08 | – | 2 |
5. Decision rights
| The post holder decides | Consults or escalates |
|---|---|
| Day-to-day communications within the approved plan | Statements on serious incidents or crises (CEO) |
| Media responses for routine matters | Anything involving patient identity or legal risk (CEO and legal counsel) |
6. Qualifications and experience
| ID | Qualification | Mandatory | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q-01 | Degree in communications, journalism, public relations or a related field | Yes | Lifetime |
| Q-02 | Crisis communication or health communication training | No | Lifetime |
| ID | Experience | Minimum years | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-01 | Communications or public relations experience, ideally in health or a regulated service | 5 | Yes |
7. Training requirements
Recommended common practice. Each facility adapts the list to its national law. Essential items apply in every setting; recommended items apply where resources allow.
| ID | Training | Tier | When | Validity | Linked policies | Linked competencies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-01 | Facility induction | essential | at_entry | Once | POL-WHISTLE · POL-EQUAL · POL-DATA | – |
| T-02 | Safeguarding adults | essential | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | POL-SAFEG | – |
| T-03 | Safeguarding children | essential | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | POL-SAFEG | – |
| T-04 | Data protection and confidentiality | essential | annual | Every 1 year(s) | POL-DATA | C-03 |
| T-05 | Incident reporting and open disclosure | essential | periodic | Every 2 year(s) | POL-INC | – |
| T-06 | Governance, accountability and assurance | recommended | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | – | – |
| T-07 | Emergency and major incident command | essential | annual | Every 1 year(s) | POL-INC | C-02 |
| T-08 | Speaking up, inclusion and equality leadership | essential | periodic | Every 2 year(s) | POL-WHISTLE · POL-EQUAL | C-01 |
8. Health, fitness and language
| ID | Requirement | Frequency | Tier | Minimum in low-resource settings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H-03 | Fitness-to-work assessment at entry and after serious illness or injury | Every 12 months | recommended | Fitness check at entry |
| Language | Level | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|
| Official language of the country of practice | professional | Yes |
| English | working | Yes |
9. Competencies by level
| ID | Competency | Foundation | Practitioner | Expert | Assessed by | Revalidate | Linked trainings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C-01 | Strategic communication planning | Drafts clear messages | Plans communications for a service | Designs the communications strategy | Communications review | Every 12 months | T-08 |
| C-02 | Media relations and crisis communication | Handles routine enquiries | Leads media response | Designs crisis communication across the organisation | Crisis exercise | Every 12 months | T-07 |
| C-03 | Privacy and accuracy in communication | Protects privacy | Checks facts before release | Sets communication standards | Communications audit | Every 12 months | T-04 |
10. Performance evaluation
- Probation: 6 months, with a sign-off review (recommended value).
- Appraisal: every 12 months against the competencies and indicators below.
| ID | Indicator | Target | Data source | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PI-01 | Media enquiries answered within agreed time | 100% | enquiry log | Monthly |
| PI-02 | Communications plan delivered | set in plan | plan tracker | Quarterly |
| PI-03 | Releases with approval recorded | 100% | release log | Monthly |
| PI-04 | Staff briefed before public release | 100% | briefing log | Quarterly |
11. Career ladder and promotion
| Level | Role | Minimum experience to move on | Qualifications | Competency minimums | Trainings required | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive | Corporate communications manager | 5 years (recommended) | Q-01 | C-01 expert, C-02 practitioner | T-07 | Executive appointment and performance review |
12. Policies the post holder follows
Each policy is a standard template that the facility adopts and adapts. Templates are maintained centrally, so every facility works from the same version.
POL-SAFEG · Safeguarding adults and children
Purpose: Protect patients from abuse, neglect and harm, and make sure every concern is recognised and acted on.
Scope: All staff, volunteers and contractors.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff, volunteers and contractors.
Key rules:
- Recognise signs of abuse and neglect and record them factually.
- Report every concern to the designated safeguarding lead the same shift.
- Do not investigate alone.
- Share information only as the safeguarding procedure allows.
POL-DATA · Data protection and confidentiality
Purpose: Keep patient and staff information private, secure and used only for care and legal purposes.
Scope: All staff who access records or systems.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff who access records or systems.
Key rules:
- Access only the records needed for your work.
- Keep records secure; do not leave screens or paper unattended.
- Do not share information without a lawful basis.
- Report any breach to the data protection officer within 24 hours.
Linked trainings: T-10 · Review every 12 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-WHISTLE · Speaking up (whistleblowing)
Purpose: Let staff raise patient safety or conduct concerns without fear of reprisal.
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
- Raise a concern with your line manager or the named speaking-up officer.
- If that route fails, escalate to the board or the national regulator.
- Retaliation against anyone who speaks up is a disciplinary offence.
- Concerns are recorded, investigated and the outcome given to the person raising them.
Linked trainings: T-01 · Review every 12 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-EQUAL · Equality, diversity and inclusion
Purpose: Give every patient and colleague fair access, respectful treatment and reasonable adjustments.
Scope: All staff and patients.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff and patients.
Key rules:
- Treat every person with dignity regardless of background.
- Make reasonable adjustments, including interpreters, for language and disability.
- Report discrimination through the speaking-up route.
- Monitor access and outcomes by group.
Linked trainings: T-01 · Review every 24 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-INC · Incident reporting and open disclosure
Purpose: Report and learn from incidents and near misses, and tell patients honestly when things go wrong.
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
- Report every incident and near miss the same shift.
- Give the patient and family an honest account and an apology where appropriate (open disclosure).
- Take immediate action to protect others.
- Learn: contribute to the review and follow the agreed actions.
13. Standards that name this role
14. Record history
| Date | Change | Approved by |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-27 | Draft record, batch 1 of the position build | Awaiting approval |