19th September 2007
Why is it that every time our attention is drawn to some act by the
City Council that will affect our schools, we come away even more
depressed and convinced that democracy is dead in Stoke. This
particular item does not directly affect any particular school, but
will affect our ability to discover the truth about what is happening
in our schools.
The Council needs to be dragged (probably with many kicks
and screams) into the 21st Century. It is no longer acceptable for
local politics to be shrouded in mystery - the public has a right to
know everything that the Council is doing, both the good bits and
especially the bad bits.
The era of the Spin Doctor is past; Mr. Campbell has departed, Ms. Jo
Moore was sacked. So now are we permitted to know what is going on?
Maybe elswhere, but not in Stoke. Rigorous control of
information is to become the norm. We were recently tipped off that
Council "
officers
are 'not allowed' to speak directly to
the media anymore and that all questions must be routed by email
through the press office". Sounds O.K. - data protection and all
that - until you notice that all questions must be routed by e-mail.
Why? What's wrong with the good old telephone? Or face-to-face
communication?
Something
is rotten in the State
of Stoke.
After a little digging, we found this gem:
A bit more research and we found this
(http://www.careersforleaders.com/fullVacancy.aspx?job_id=2423):
Vacancy Details
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| Stoke
on Trent City Council |
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| Location |
Stoke on Trent |
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| Job
Title |
Head
of
Public Relations & Communications |
| Closing
Date |
01/10/2007 |
| Reference
No. |
CFL |
| Salary |
c.
£75k |
| Description |
Our success depends
on your ability
With a massive regeneration agenda, Stoke is transforming beyond
recognition. And so is Stoke-on-Trent City Council. With a new CEO and
management team, it is constantly evolving. In this newly created
position, you will make sure everyone knows about it immediately. It is
a huge role requiring someone with big vision. Not just a seasoned PR
professional, you will have substantial experience as a journalist and
you will be ready to take ownership of our communications, marketing,
press office and publications. You will need to take tough decisions
every day and be imaginative and creative.
For further information and details about this opportunity please visit
www.tribalresourcing.com/stoke
Alternatively, please contact Heather Ferguson, Tribal retained
consultant on 0121 233 7700.
Closing date: 24th
September
2007.
Transformation. Teamwork. Talent |
| Application
Details |
If you apply for this
position, please say you saw
it on careersforleaders.com |
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So, we took them up on their invitation, and visited
www.tribalresourcing.com/stoke. This is what we found:
Welcome
Dear Prospective Applicant,
Thank you for your interest in the post of Head of
Public Relations
and Communications at Stoke-on-Trent City Council. This is an extremely
demanding job and we have put together a number of resources which we
hope you will find useful in deciding whether you might be the right
person to take it on. We have no doubt that the successful candidate
will find it a highly satisfying challenge. There are many hard-working
and talented people employed at the authority and among the elected
members.They deserve a strong and motivated Communications team to
help them work well together and to present a positive
and effective
face to the city, the government and the wider world.
Working in the Press Office at
Stoke-on-Trent
City Council – an Insider's View
| The
Head of Public Relations and Communications at Stoke-on-Trent City
Council has to look simultaneously outward to the media, the electorate
and Westminster and inward to the various departments and elected
members. A local authority employing more than twelve thousand people
in such disparate areas as Parks and Gardens, Schools, Housing and all
the authority's myriad other responsibilities has a crucial need of
effective internal communications. It will be up to you to ensure that
the systems are in place to cope with this, electronically, verbally
and on paper, and that they function to the optimum. |
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Communication with the electorate is not all through the media. You
must assess the existing channels and ensure that quarter of a million
people know what their local authority is doing, why it is doing it,
and be assured that they, in turn, are able effectively to voice
their
opinions. Historically there has been a plethora
of
leaflets, pamphlets
and publications issuing from each council department along with
posters on bus shelters. These have gone out from their authors,
directly to print. The
current interim regime is ending this practice
and in future, all council publications will receive a final review by
the Head of Public Relations and Communication before they are cleared
for release.
A new citywide news magazine, Our City is
currently being
prepared for distribution to every household and business. This is an
exciting and original joint venture which is being produced in
collaboration with several other public bodies including local police
and the PCT. Stoke-on-Trent City Council is the lead authority in this
collective and the Head of Public Relations and Communication will have
ultimate responsibility for its success.
Internal communications will also come under your
purview. A new
staff newsletter is in the process of being launched and there
are
frequent corporate e-bulletins which also require careful examination
before circulation.
The eyes of Parliament are more keenly fixed on
Stoke-on-Trent City
Council than just about any other local authority in the country. It
is
vital that Westminster politicians are made to feel increasingly
confident in the authority's abilities.
The most pressing day-to-day requirement for the
Head of
Public
Relations and Communication will be in the Press Office, where you will
need to be based and determinedly hands-on. This job is not about
sitting behind a big desk in a well-appointed office.
Stoke's local media is typical of many English
cities:
- The Sentinel is a popular
traditional
local paper.
- BBC Radio Stoke is the BBC local
radio
station.
- Signal Radio is the local commercial
station.
- BBC Television has a reporter based
in the
BBC Radio Stoke newsroom but no permanent crew.
- Central News visit when there is a
big
story to cover.
As a group, journalists working for these
organisations
are no more
hostile or supportive than anywhere else. Make
them believe that the
council is more positive, more efficient and doing a better job than
they had previously thought and the coverage will improve. Make
a mess
of things and they will exploit it.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council's Press Office has
been defensive for a
number of years. This is a straightforward reflection of the
authority's own stance as destructive stories have rained down upon
them.
| In
more recent times attempts have been made to change this culture. The
interim communications regime has been encouraging council officers and
elected members to offer up good news stories in advance about the
progress the council is making and the way it is benefiting local
people. This will only succeed by continual positive reinforcement. The good stories are
there, but they need to found,
properly researched, correctly written up and supported by the right
available interviewee. When this process works the results have been
good, and the media have responded well. Feedback from officers and
elected members in the wake of good stories has been strong, this in
turn lifts staff moral. In short a hard-working, positive and
determined Press Office is giving everyone heart. |
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The daily fare in the Press Office is, frankly,
relentless. It is not unusual to receive calls, from The Sentinel
in particular, on a dozen to twenty different stories, all of which
need to be followed up and responded to, making sure that the relevant
political portfolio holder is informed that a story relating to her or
his department may appear.
Rebuttal
is important and effective. The
presence of a press
officer, listening intently to an interview with a portfolio holder,
concentrates the reporter's mind admirably on accuracy.
To work in Stoke-on-Trent City Council's Press
Office
requires
significant political “nouse”. The
unique coalition between Labour, the
Conservative and Independent Group and the Liberal Democrats actually
helps stabilise the public attitudes of key members. They
are all aware
of the need to speak, as far as possible, with one voice. The portfolio
holders are remarkably supportive of each other in spite of political
difference. However, it is of crucial importance that staff in
the
Press Office grasp quickly the variety of political nuance which
abounds. The three main parties do not have a monopoly on representing
the electorate. There are various other groupings of independents and a
small number from the British National Party.
There
has been an unfortunate culture of leaking by councillors and
officers.
Long-term disaffected individuals and those disgruntled over
a single issue are almost certainly present in any local authority.
Leaks
will never be completely stopped but dissenting voices can be
drowned out by sheer weight of positive comment. There
is sufficient
scope within an authority of this size to put out two or three
worthwhile good news stories a day.
It is the Press Office's job to
encourage those who know about them to come forward, to recognise them
for what they are and to give them such impetus that the journalists
cannot ignore them. This is already beginning to happen.
To be a success in the Press Office at
Stoke-on-Trent
City Council
experience in local government and knowledge of the area would be
advantageous. Experience of a busy newsroom, toughness and an
understanding of what journalists want are indispensable. Strong-minded
professionals only need apply.
So what can the new Head of Public Relations and
Communications
expect to gain from taking up the challenge? It is not one for the
faint-hearted, but the
rewards of success will be significant. Make
the
‘worst-rated council in the country' recognised as a beacon of
good-practice
and you yourself will be highly-prized. This
is a rare
opportunity to “make a name and
make a difference”
and with plans in
place, we are well advanced and already on the way to turn our one star
CPA rating in 05/06 into three stars for 06/07 and 07/08.
