Ceri Tocock Email and Phone Number

Head of Customer and Communications at Wiltshire Council with strategic oversight and responsibility for Customer Services, Communications, Marketing & Events, Elections and Wiltshire Lieutenancy.

Roles include:• Develop, maintain and execute an ongoing strategic communications plan • Lead and motivate a team of multi-disciplinary professionals to deliver a high-quality service • Use audience insight to inform strategic communication objectives, messages and solutions with specific focus on behaviour change, income generation and reputation management campaigns• Develop and continually review communications plans for crisis communication including embedding business continuity planning and out of hours arrangements across the service to ensure the team is resilient and fit-for-purpose • Manage the budget to deliver a value-for-money service and encourage channel shift to support an improved customer experience, ensuring a digital-first approach is taken to all of our work• Use excellent interpersonal skills to provide expert and trusted advice to senior leaders on complex communications issues, both proactive and reactive • Successfully managed the event delivery of one of the largest local elections in 2021, all of which had to be managed in a COVID-secure way with the election and count taking place over five days

Communications and PR Manager for Christchurch Borough Council and East Dorset District Council. Responsible for a team of seven including two Communications Officers, one Digital Communications Officer, two Graphic Designers and a Social Media and Digital Marketing Apprentice. Responsible for providing an effective internal communications service that ensures staff and elected members are appropriately informed and engaged on the issues that matter to them and to the delivery of the Partnership’s corporate objectives.Deliver innovative and creative communication using both traditional and new media, focusing on communicating achievements and enhancing the reputation of the Partnership and its political leadership.Build and maintain positive relationships with the local and national press to ensure that reputational issues can be handled positivitely. Lead officer from the partnership on the Dorset-wide communications and consultation group for local government reorganisation.Communications manager for the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council programme communications supported by a team of three communications officers.

Roles include:• Deputising for the External Communications Manager when absent • Handling media enquiries, arranging press briefings and liaising with relevant service units and councillors to provide swift, satisfactory responses• Working on a Duty Press Officer system to ensure a member of the media team is always available• Writing press releases to promote council work and upcoming events, and arranging photo opportunities for the media• Building good relationships with local and national media to promote and protect the council’s reputation• Writing articles and arranging photographers for the local residents’ newsletter, Poole News• Advising councillors and senior officers when they are dealing with the media and also to ensure they provide satisfactory responses to residents’ queries• Developing Communications Plans for a number of council departments to allow work to be planned in advance • Leading press relations for a number of high profile campaigns including the opening of the Twin Sails Bridge, the visit of the Olympic Torch Relay and the introduction of welfare reform • Promoting council activity and responding to resident enquiries on social media

Project manager for the launch of the Dorset Information Sharing Charter - a pan-Dorset information sharing agreement between public sector and third sector organisations.Roles include:- Managing the organisation of a conference for more than 200 delegates, including sourcing all speakers- Producing a pan-Dorset communications plan and consistent brand that will be used on all materials by partner organisations- Budget management

I am responsible for communicating key change projects taking place across Adult Social Services and Commissioning and Improvement.I am also responsible for managing communication for an ongoing information governance programme across Dorset.

Roles include:• Managing all communications and engagement, both internal and external, surrounding the implementation of the Care Act• Ensuring all material produced is consistently branded and easy to identify• Organising public events and managing a team to ensure the events are well attended and successful• Building good relationships with key stakeholders to promote the Care Act and gain their support• Provide regular highlight reports to the monthly project board meetings

Roles include:• Updating and approving content for the award winning partnership website dorsetforyou.com• Ensuring all content submitted to the website was written in Plain English and remained jargon free• Training web authors in the content management system Goss• Leading the content review of the website with the aim of making the site more customer friendly• Working with four partner councils to advise and assist with the development of the website• Assisting with the introduction of a number of social media channels including YouTube and Twitter

Roles include:• Handling media queries and liaising with relevant council departments to provide satisfactory responses to enquiries• Compiling press releases and arranging photo opportunities for council events• Writing articles for both staff newsletters and community newsletters • Handling all council advertising and proof reading adverts for mistakes prior to publication• Updating the staff intranet with the latest developments within the council• Placing and proof reading all adverts and ensuring that the best quality advert was placed within the strict budgets of the district council

Roles include:• Dealing with customer complaints to ensure they were resolved in a satisfactory manner• Deputising for the Checkout Manager and managing a team of up to 20 staff on a Sunday

Responsible for attending and reporting on AFC Bournemouth home games including interviewing players and manager post-match.Also attended weekly press conference and team training session.