Communication & engagement – resources for all

Our communication and engagement activities help us ‘join the dots’ to ensure safeguarding is everyone’s business – to do this we:

• keep our news feed up to date
• publish an e-bulletin on a regular basis
• produce learning resources such as 7 minute briefings
• promote campaigns
• maintain and grow our website to provide an independent platform for:
  • information that is ‘owned’ in terms of commitment by the multi-agency safeguarding boards and their partners
  • sharing news, updates and information of interest across the partnerships
  • promoting multi-agency learning and development e.g. by linking to e-learning and other platforms and sources
  • sharing learning from local Reviews and national research
  • a single reference source for professionals and voluntary workers to access our policies and procedures alongside other key business documents
  • signposting to useful and appropriate information for the children, young people and adults of Manchester and their parents and carers
  • signposting for businesses, the wider community and members of the public.

What is communication and engagement?
The crossover between communication and engagement means we need to consider our audiences from both perspectives and know when to focus on communicating out and when to engage.

Communication is the exchange of ideas, information and feelings;  exchange involves giving and receiving
Communication is about connecting with people by sending them information – confidently, creatively and with a strong focus. It is about selling a message or creating understanding.
Communication can be a one-way or two-way process. Primarily it is the sharing of information. It is also about listening to and hearing what people are saying and using this to shape and continuously improve services.

Engagement is the active participation of stakeholders in the development of services and as partners in their own health and care
Engagement is about engaging the community, staff or service users in problem solving or decision making. It is focusing more on listening to what others need and then incorporating that into what we (or our partners) do – whether that is a policy, a project, business operations or the services on offer.

Engagement stakeholders may include work forces, service users (adults, children and young people), carers, voluntary sector, community representatives and the wider public.

Our Communication & Engagement Strategy 
Our partners are required to take a collective approach to the prevention of abuse and neglect; and to the protection of adults, young people and children in their area. Local communities, voluntary organisations, health, police, justice and social care agencies are all partners in safeguarding.

A vital aspect of achieving our objectives is ensuring effective communication and information provision and means of engagement. Our communication and engagement strategy sets out the different ways we will interact with its audiences to help achieve our aims in an organised and targeted way

Our aim is for all sectors of the local workforce and population to be able to recognise signs of concern about children, young people or adults; be confident about what to do if they have concerns; and be better informed about how they can help to ensure children, young people and adults stay safe.

Communication and engagement from the Partnership to all audiences will add value by providing information that is:

• honest and straightforward
• topical and timely
• informative and engaging
• relevant to our business objectives and priorities.

Shared information will benefit service users and partners by providing information about how:

• partner agencies help to safeguard children, young people or adults
• everyone in the city can help to safeguard children, young people and adults
• to make a comment, complaint or compliment in relation to safeguarding.

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