document title social media policy…cntw(hr)24 - social media policy – v03.1 oct 19 5 private use...

Document title Social Media Policy

Reference number CNTW(HR)24

Lead officer John Lawlor

Chief Executive

Author(s)

(name and designation)

Adele Joicey

Communications Lead

Ratified by Business Delivery Group

Date ratified Aug 2017

Implementation date Aug 2017

Date of full implementation

Aug 2017

Review date Aug 2020

Version number V03.1

Review and amendment

log

Version Type of change

Date Description of change

V03 Review Aug 17 Change of Author

V03.1 Update Oct 19 Governance Changes

This policy supersedes the following Policy which must now be destroyed:

Document number Title

NTW(HR)24 – V03 Social Media Policy

CNTW(HR)24

Social Media Policy

Section Contents Page No.

1 Introduction 1

2 Purpose 2

3 Duties, accountabilities and responsibilities 2

4 Definition of terms used 3

5 Private use of social media 4

6 Professional use of social media 5

7 Identification of stakeholders 5

8 Training 7

9 Implementation 7

10 Monitoring and compliance 7

11 Fair blame 7

12 Fraud, bribery and corruption 8

13 Equality and diversity assessment 8

14 Associated documents 8

Standard appendices – attached to policy

A Equality analysis screening toolkit 9

B Training checklist and training needs analysis 11

C Audit monitoring tool 13

D Policy notification record sheet - click here

https://www.cntw.nhs.uk/about/policies/appendix-d-policy-notification-record-sheet/

CNTW(HR)24

1 Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust CNTW(HR)24 - Social Media Policy – V03.1 Oct 19

1 Introduction 1.1 Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (the

Trust/CNTW) is making increased use of social media and networking to engage with service users, staff and other stakeholders.

1.2 These professional online digital interactions are encouraged by the Trust and

their use is likely to be further extended as new communications channels become available.

1.3 Social media is the term commonly used for web-based and other mobile

communications technologies that enable messages and opinions to be shared in dialogue with others who often share the same community interests. Such technologies can include blackberry messaging, instant messaging and other similar services.

1.4 Social networking is the use of interactive web based sites or social media sites,

allowing individuals on-line interactions that mimic some of the interactions between people with similar interests that occur in life. Popular examples include ‘Facebook’, ‘Twitter’ and ‘LinkedIn’.

1.5 This policy is necessary as many employees enjoy sharing their professional

knowledge and experience with others of similar roles and interests. The Trust encourages these professional online activities and acknowledges that staff can improve their personal skills and experience through relevant interactions with colleagues outside the Trust.

1.6 However, the Trust has a responsibility to ensure the operational effectiveness

of its business, including its public image, reputation and for the protection of its information assets of all kinds. This involves ensuring confidentiality and maintaining security in accordance with NHS information governance policy and good practice.

1.7 As in all their conduct, staff must be mindful of how their behaviour on social

media reflects the values of the Trust:

Caring and compassionate

o Put ourselves in other people's shoes o Listen and offer hope o Focus on recovery o Be approachable o Be sensitive and considerate o Be helpful o Go the extra mile

CNTW(HR)24


Respectful

o Value the skill and contribution of others o Give respect to all people o Respect and embrace difference o Encourage innovation and be open to new ideas o Work together and value our partners

Honest and transparent

o Have no secrets o Be open and truthful; o Accept what is wrong and strive to put it right o Share information o Be accountable for our actions

2 Purpose 2.1 This policy is provided so that members of staff of the Trust are aware of their

personal responsibilities for appropriate use of social media. 3 Duties, accountabilities and responsibilities 3.1 The Trust is committed along with its staff and staff side partners, to providing

and environment where staff are treated with dignity and respect in all areas of their work and that includes any activities that may be connected or be related to their place of work.

3.2 The Trust views any activity committed by a CNTW employee whilst using a

social networking site that may be viewed as discrimination, harassment, bullying or victimisation towards another employee, patient or carer or family member of a service user of CNTW, as a serious contravention of its commitment to equal opportunities.

3.3 Any perpetrator of such action may be subject to disciplinary action up to and

including dismissal in accordance with the Trust’s CNTW(HR)04 - Disciplinary policy.

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3.4 The Trust also views any activity committed by a CNTW employee whilst using

a social networking site, that may bring the Trust in disrepute as a serious contravention of the standards of behaviour expected of all Trust employees. Any perpetrator of such action may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal in accordance with the Trust’s Disciplinary Policy CNTW(HR)04.

3.5 All Managers have a responsibility to ensure employees are informed of this

policy and that inappropriate activities carried out by employees on social networking site that have a negative or detrimental impact on the Trust, colleagues, patients or service users may be viewed as a disciplinary offence. Managers made aware of any such activity should take immediate action and seek the advice of the workforce team at the first opportunity.

3.6 All employees of the Trust have a personal responsibility for their own

behaviour and are required for ensuring their conduct is in line with the standards set out in this policy. Staff should:

Be aware of this policy and comply with it

Set a positive example by treating others with respect at all times

Do not make personal or offensive comments

Be supportive of colleagues who may be subject to inappropriate activities on social networking sites

3.7 The communications department will have responsibility for monitoring the

effectiveness of this policy which will be regularly reviewed.

4 Definition of Terms Used

Lead Officer: The Director accountable for the policy

Author(s): The person nominated by the Lead to prepare the Policy

Development: A process by which something passes by degrees to a different stage, process of clarification

Consultation: An exchange of views, time limited period during which the views/advice of others are sought to further inform the Policy content

Ratify: Formal agreement and acceptance

Implement: Put into practice/operation

Embedded: Established

Review: Reassess

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5 Private use of social media 5.1 Staff of the Trust may use social media for private purposes during their work

breaks. 5.2 Staff should be aware that the Trust reserves the right to monitor the web,

including social networking sites, for content that it finds inappropriate. 5.3 The Trust also reserves the right to monitor staff usage of social networking

sites in work time. 5.4 When using social media, members of staff are encouraged to state that they

are communicating in a personal capacity. 5.5 This can be done by adding a disclaimer to private online profiles, such as “All

views are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer”. 5.6 Members of staff are ultimately responsible for their own online behaviour.

However, they remain bound by the Trust’s CNTW(HR)04 - Disciplinary policy. 5.7 Social media has blurred the boundaries between a person’s private and

professional lives. Members of staff who use social media in their personal life should therefore be mindful that inappropriate use could damage their own reputation and that of the Trust, and could lead to disciplinary action being taken.

5.8 Many members of staff are also obligated by professional codes of conduct

which require appropriate, confidential and responsible behaviour in all communications, private and professional; online or otherwise.

5.9 The following are the social media policies of a number of professional

organisations of which staff may be members. The following list is not exhaustive and should not be taken as such:

Nursing & Midwifery Council

General Medical Council

Health and Care Professions Council

Royal College of General Practitioners

British Medical Association

Royal College of Nursing

Royal Pharmaceutical Society

British Association of Occupational Therapists & College of Occupational Therapists

British Dietetic Association

Chartered Society of Physiotherapy

http://www.csp.org.uk/publications/social-media-guidance

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6 Professional use of social media 6.1 Staff are not authorised to use social media to communicate on behalf of the

Trust as a whole. 6.2 This does not mean that members of staff are prohibited from stating that they

work for the Trust and from making professional statements, only that they cannot imply that their views are the views of the Trust as a whole.

6.3 When a member of staff identifies their association with the Trust – for example,

by stating they work for the Trust and/or discusses their work, they are expected to behave professionally, and in a way that is consistent with the organisation’s values and policies.

6.4 Staff may use social media in work time so long as there is a clear professional

purpose, such as viewing training material on YouTube or taking part in a professional forum on Twitter.

6.5 Staff must not disclose information about the Trust that is or may be sensitive

or confidential, such as information about service users, other staff and stakeholders, other organisations, commercial suppliers and other information about the Trust and its business activities.

6.6 Corporate logos or other visible markings or identifications associated with the

Trust may only be used where prior permission has been obtained from the Communications Team.

6.7 All official social media sites are managed by the Communications Department.

No other teams/staff within the Trust should set up corporate sites without the authorisation of the Communications Department.

6.8 Staff should not set up sites that are made to resemble an official site. 7 Identification of Stakeholders 7.1 This Policy applies to all Trust employees and following the criteria set out in

CNTW(O)01 – Development and Management of Procedural Documents, this Policy was circulated Trust-wide for a four week consultation to the standard distribution listed below:

Distribution list: Corporate Decision Team

Director of Estates and Facilities – Malcolm Aiston

Executive Director of Finance – James Duncan

Executive Director of Commissioning and Quality Assurance - Lisa Quinn

Executive Director of Nursing and Operations – Gary O’Hare

Executive Director of Workforce and Organisational Development – Lisa Crichton Jones

Executive Medical Director – Dr. R. Nadkarni

Deputy Director, Corporate Relations and Communications - Caroline Wild

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BMA Accredited Local Negotiating Committee (LNC)

Chair of LNC – Dr Michael Shaw Consultant Psychiatrists

Administrator - Medical Directorate Department – Lynne Wright Community Services Group

Community Services Group Director - Tim Docking

Community Services Group Nursing Director (Acting) – Paul Veitch

Community Services Group Medical Director – Dr. Jonathon Richardson

Community Services Group Support Officer – Judith Hope

Specialist Service

Specialist Care Group Director – Russell Patton

Specialist Care Group Nursing Director – Anne Moore

Specialist Care Group Medical Director – Dr. Steve Moorhead

Specialist Care Group Support Officer – Sandra Barker Inpatient Care Group

Inpatient Care Group Director – Gail Bayes

Inpatient Care Group Nursing Director – Vida Morris

Inpatient Care Group Medical Director – Dr. Jane Carlile

Inpatient Care Group Support Officer – Sharman Cummings Medical Directorate

Director of Research/Development, Innovation and Clinical Effectiveness - Paula Whitty

Medico-Legal Department

Head of Information Governance and Medico-Legal – Angela Faill Mental Health Legislation

Andy Hope – Mental Health Legislation Lead

Patient Safety

Head of Safety and Security – Tony Gray

Head of Clinical Risk and Investigations- Claire Taylor Psychological Services

Clinical Director, Psychological Services – Dr. Esther Cohen-Tovee Safeguarding

Head of Safeguarding Adults and Public Protection – Jan Grey

Head of Safeguarding Children - Jan Grey Staff-side

Staff Side Chairperson – Susie Taylor

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Staff Side Secretary – Tanya Pretswell Trust Allied Health Professions Service Steering Group

Clinical Director - Allied Health Professions Services – Maria Quinn Trust Pharmacy

Chief Trust Pharmacist - Tim Donaldson

Pharmacy Business Manager – Judith Fyfe-Charlton Administrative Services

Administrative Services Manager – Colin Bland Audit

Northumbria Healthcare - Helen Stephenson

Northumbria Healthcare - Carl Best 8 Training 8.1 New starters will be made aware of the policy through induction training. The

policy will also be included in the Managers Reference Book and copies will be available via the Trust intranet and policy files kept on the ward.

8.2 A rolling programme of social media training will be conducted across the Trust

to introduce staff to the policy and give them general advice on the safe use of social media.

9 Implementation 9.1 The social media policy was implemented in August 2014 and will be reviewed

every three years. 10 Monitoring and compliance 10.1 Policy compliance will be the reporting of the number of disciplinary cases

stemming from inappropriate activity by employees on social networking or other new media sites.

10.2 The policy will also be part of the Trust’s induction programme and the number

of staff who have completed corporate and local induction will be recorded. 11 Fair blame 11.1 In terms of reporting incidences relating to social media use the Trust endorses

the view that, wherever possible, disciplinary action will not be taken against members of staff who report near misses and adverse incidents, although there may be clearly defined occasions where disciplinary action will be taken.

CNTW(HR)24


12 Fraud, Bribery and Corruption 12.1 In accordance with the Trust’s Policy, CNTW(O)23 Fraud, bribery and

corruption policy, all suspected cases of fraud and corruption should be reported immediately to the Trust’s Local Counter Fraud Specialist or to the Director of Finance.

13 Equality and diversity assessment 13.1 In conjunction with the Trust’s Equality and Diversity Officer this policy has

undergone an equality and diversity impact assessment which has taken into account all human rights in relation to disability, ethnicity, age and gender. The Trust undertakes to improve the working experience of staff and to ensure everyone is treated in a fair and consistent manner.

14 Associated Documents

CNTW(O)01 Development and management of procedural documents

CNTW(O)23 Fraud, bribery and corruption policy

CNTW(HR)04 Disciplinary policy

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Appendix A

Equality analysis screening toolkit

Names of Individuals involved in Review

Date of Initial Screening

Review Date Service Area / Directorate

Christopher Rowlands Aug 2017 Aug 2020 Trust-wide

Policy to be analysed Is this policy new or existing?

CNTW(HR)24 - Social Media Policy – V03 Existing

What are the intended outcomes of this work? Include outline of objectives and function aims

Social networking is the use of interactive web based sites or social media sites, allowing individuals on-line interactions that mimic some of the interactions between people with similar interests that occur in life. Popular examples include Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. This Policy is necessary as many employees enjoy sharing their professional knowledge and experience with others of similar roles and interests. The Trust encourages these professional online activities and acknowledges that staff can improve their personal skills and experience through relevant interactions with colleagues outside the Trust.

Who will be affected? e.g. staff, service users, carers, wider public etc

Staff

Protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. The following characteristics have protection under the Act and therefore require further analysis of the potential impact that the policy may have upon them

Disability No impact

Sex No impact

Race No impact

Age No impact

Gender reassignment

(including transgender)

No impact

Sexual orientation. No impact

Religion or belief No impact

Marriage and Civil Partnership

No impact

Pregnancy and maternity

No impact

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Carers No impact

Other identified groups No impact

How have you engaged stakeholders in gathering evidence or testing the evidence available?

Through standard consultation routes

How have you engaged stakeholders in testing the policy or programme proposals?

This is a review of a current piolicy

For each engagement activity, please state who was involved, how and when they were engaged, and the key outputs:

Policy Review Group – engaged via meetings and email correspondence – key output – revised policy

Summary of analysis

No impact

Now consider and detail below how the proposals impact on elimination of discrimination, harassment and victimisation, advance the equality of opportunity and promote good relations between groups. Where there is evidence, address each protected characteristic

Eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation

Not applicable

Advance equality of opportunity Not applicable

Promote good relations between groups Not applicable

What is the overall impact?

Not applicable

Addressing the impact on equalities Not applicable

From the outcome of this Screening, have negative impacts been identified for any protected characteristics as defined by the Equality Act 2010? NO

If yes, has a Full Impact Assessment been recommended? If not, why not?

Manager’s signature: Chris Rowlands Date: Aug 2017

Appendix 1

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Appendix B

Communication and training check list for policies Key questions for the accountable committees designing, reviewing or agreeing a

new Trust policy

Is this a new policy with new training requirements or a change to an existing policy?

Existing policy

If it is a change to an existing policy are there changes to the existing model of training delivery? If yes specify below.

No

Are the awareness/training needs required to deliver the changes by law, national or local standards or best practice?

Please give specific evidence that identifies the training need, e.g. National Guidance, CQC, NHSLA etc.

Please identify the risks if training does not occur.

Please specify which staff groups need to undertake this awareness/training. Please be specific. It may well be the case that certain groups will require different levels e.g. staff group A requires awareness and staff group B requires training.

All staff should have an awareness of the policy and understanding of their own responsibilities

Is there a staff group that should be prioritised for this training / awareness?

All staff

Please outline how the training will be delivered. Include who will deliver it and by what method. The following may be useful to consider: Team brief/e bulletin of summary Management cascade Newsletter/leaflets/payslip attachment Focus groups for those concerned Local Induction Training Awareness sessions for those affected by the new policy Local demonstrations of techniques/equipment with reference documentation Staff Handbook Summary for easy reference Taught Session E Learning

A rolling awareness programme will be provided by the Communications Team and will take place on an on-going basis across a number of formats – which includes written Instructions as well as the team answering queries both verbally and in writing as well as updates in the Bulletin and intranet. Trust Induction

Please identify a link person who will liaise with the training department to arrange details for the Trust Training Prospectus, Administration needs etc.

Adele Joicey

CNTW(HR)24


Appendix B – continued

Training Needs Analysis

Staff/professional group Type of Training

Duration of

Training

Frequency of Training

All staff Rolling awareness

On-going basis

On-going basis

Should any advice be required, please contact: 0191 245 6777 (Option 1)

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Appendix C Monitoring Tool

Statement

The Trust is working towards effective clinical governance and governance systems. To demonstrate effective care delivery and compliance, policy authors are required to include how monitoring of this Policy is linked to auditable standards / key performance indicators will be undertaken using this framework.

CNTW(HR)24 – Social Media Policy - Monitoring Framework

Auditable Standard/Key Performance Indicators

Frequency/Method/ Person responsible

Where results and any associated action plan will be reported to, implemented and monitored; (this will usually be via the relevant governance group)

1. Breaches of this policy will be captured using the Kantar Social Media Monitoring Tool

The communications team have a contract with Kantar media monitoring service which can be used to prepare and distribute social media reports.

Corporate Decision Team

The Author(s) of each Policy is required to complete this monitoring template and ensure that these results are taken to the appropriate Quality and Performance Governance Group in line with the frequency set out.