Neighbourhood Engagement Officer - Band 5


Company:	NHS Jobs
Salary:	£32,073 to £39,043 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Chelmsford, CM1 1QH
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	18 Sept 2026
Closing date:	1 Oct 2026

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Summary

ROLE PURPOSE / SUMMARY The Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) is a new organisation formed through the consolidation of three ICB areas in response to the NHSs ambition to deliver a more streamlined, strategic and cost-effective model of health commissioning. The ICB will oversee the commissioning of care for the approximately 2 million people who live in Essex. Operating within a reduced running cost envelope and aligned to the new requirements of ICBs in England, the ICB will focus on improving population health outcomes, health equity and smarter resource allocation. The Neighbourhood Engagement Officer will support delivery of the NHS Essex Population Health Improvement Plan (PHIP) 20262031 by ensuring the experiences, needs and priorities of local people and communities inform the design, commissioning and improvement of health services. Working across defined neighbourhoods, the post holder will build and maintain relationships with residents, community groups, Healthwatch, VCSE organisations, primary care and other local partners, with a particular focus on communities experiencing poorer health outcomes, deprivation or barriers to accessing services. The role will provide practical engagement support to PHIP priority programmes, including Neighbourhood Health, alongside other transformation priorities including community services, planned care, mental health and neurodiversity, urgent care and complex care. The post holder will support the capture of local insight, help identify emerging themes and inequalities, and translate what communities are telling us into clear, evidence-based recommendations for programme and commissioning teams. They will help demonstrate how insight has influenced decisions, service design and improvement. The role will ensure engagement is undertaken early enough to influence decisions and is proportionate to the programme or service change. In doing so, the post holder will contribute directly to delivery of the PHIP and the three shifts set out in the NHS 10-Year Health Plan: hospital to community, treatment to prevention and analogue to digital, while supporting NHS Essex's ambition to reduce health inequalities and improve outcomes for its population. KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Policy and service development Support delivery of engagement requirements across agreed NHS Essex PHIP priority programmes, ensuring patient and community insight is embedded within programme planning, service redesign and commissioning. Work with PHIP programme leads to identify where engagement, co-production and community insight can add greatest value and develop proportionate approaches to involvement. Support engagement relating to priority neighbourhood health programmes, alongside other PHIP priorities as required. Ensure engagement activity considers the PHIP life-course ambitions Start Well, Live Well, Feel Well, Age Well, Die Well and Respond Well and the cross-cutting ambition to reduce health inequalities. Identify opportunities for communities to influence services before key commissioning and programme decisions are made, rather than relying solely on retrospective feedback. Support programme teams and wider organisation to demonstrate "you said, we did", providing evidence of how community insight has influenced decisions and service improvements. Strategy and analysis Collect, record and summarise feedback and insights from engagement activities to inform planning and service development. Support analysis of engagement outcomes to identify emerging issues, themes and opportunities for improvement. Maintain accurate records of participation, ensuring data and insight are shared with relevant teams. Helps present insights and reports, drawing on complex data, that can be used to inform decision making and delivery Use of data and insight to contribute to reporting, including performance management, financial and quality reporting against agreed contractual or project deliverables Work with colleagues to ensure engagement outcomes inform ongoing neighbourhood priorities. Track where recommendations have been considered, accepted or acted upon and contribute evidence demonstrating the impact of engagement on PHIP delivery. Identify emerging issues and escalate significant themes, risks or inequalities through appropriate programme and ICB governance arrangements. Planning and organisation Plan and support delivery of engagement events, focus groups, surveys and workshops within defined neighbourhoods. Support development and delivery of project plans relating to Neighbourhood Engagement Officer, helping develop effective arrangements to support governance, risk management, escalations and reporting Support coordination of meetings and events to support delivery of project plans Capturing effective minutes, actions and decisions from meetings and events Manage competing priorities, prioritizing own resources to effectively deliver agreed tasks or projects Maintain an event calendar and ensure all activities are recorded and evaluated. Support preparation of communication materials, newsletters and digital updates. Ensure activities are well organised, inclusive and aligned to ICB governance processes. Ensure accurate reporting and records management Communications and Partnerships Work collaboratively, modelling inclusive, respectful and compassionate behaviours Supports development of high quality written and verbal briefings Build and maintain effective relationships with residents, local community groups and voluntary sector partners. Act as a point of contact for community organisations and individuals wishing to engage with the ICB. Support clear, two-way communication between neighbourhood health teams and local people. Promote awareness of the Neighbourhood Health Service and its priorities. Represent the ICB at community events and partnership meetings. Work effectively in multi-disciplinary teams to help deliver agreed projects / manage directorate Effective management of complex, sensitive and challenging information Financial and resource management Supporting monitoring and reporting of expenditure related to engagement activities. Ensure resources are used efficiently and within approved budgets. Contribute to procurement and coordination of materials, venues and supplies for community events. Maintain accurate financial and administrative records in line with ICB policy. Support funding applications and evaluation of community grants where appropriate. Supports procurement of relevant services Team management and capability building Supporting directorate oversight of workforce reporting, including reporting on key metrics Work collaboratively within the neighbourhood health team to support delivery of community engagement objectives. Participate in team meetings, supervision and performance reviews. Contribute to a positive and inclusive team culture that values community voice. Act in accordance with the ICBs values, promoting respect, diversity and continuous improvement. Supports wider understanding of projects across the ICB and system Able to influence in order to deliver effectively through others Support the effective transition of relevant functions to new portfolios within or beyond the ICB to support the new NHS operating model, in line with the requirements of the Model ICB Blueprint Work collaboratively with system partners to facilitate transitional arrangements Maintain a focus on quality, safety and affordability during transition Supporting effective Information Asset Management for the team Other Use initiative and work independently as needed to deliver on requirements of the role Primarily desk-based work that requires use of visual display units, focused concentration and frequent participation in on-line or in person meetings Able to use software required to develop report, including ability to deliver high quality documents through Microsoft suite (word, power point, excel) Flexibility and evolving responsibilities As the ICB continues to evolve, portfolios may be subject to change to reflect the needs of the organisation, the health and care system and national policy direction. This may include adjustments to areas of responsibility or realignment of reporting structures. KEY RELATIONSHIPS Internal: The new Neighbourhood Health directorate and relevant leads across other teams to establish a matrix working approach including but not exclusive to; Communications and Engagement teams Population Health, Digital, Finance, Communications and Strategy teams Quality, Workforce and Governance colleagues External: Local residents and community groups Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) partners Primary Care Networks and GP practices Community and Mental Health providers Local Authority Public Health and Adult Social Care teams Healthwatch and other patient engagement forums

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