Teach Secondary Issue 14.8

gaining information from the unsuspecting; good media training will ensure that spokespeople stick to prepared statements and remain professional. It can be worth training other members of SLT too, for times when the headteacher is unavailable (and also because it’s generally more cost effective to train a group of people at once). 4. Set your communication protocols The SLT and communications team should outline how information will be shared both internally and externally. Internal communication protocols should take into account the methods used to notify students, parents and staff; how you intend to provide regular updates on the situation; and what resources you can offer to help. If, for example, a non- recent allegation comes to light, it may be important to alert alumni to anonymous reporting and offer resources for supporting them. External communications protocols should address best practice for media management, including materials, preparedness statements, managing journalists and allocating a space on-site to house them in the event of a major incident. Social media should be used effectively – with, for example, pinned posts containing instructions, and continual monitoring of sentiment and message amplification around the incident. Clear guidelines will help your team to prepare essential communication materials more quickly. Define key elements, such as your written house style, tone of voice, policy regarding social media mentions and acceptable response times. Trusted guidelines should strike an optimal balance of tone, emotional intelligence and content. Begin by acknowledging the incident and its impact, then outline what steps the school is taking in response. After this, conclude with a reaffirmation of the school’s values and a commitment to moving forward together. One effective way of achieving that is to follow the ‘5 Cs method’ – C oncern, C ommitment, C ompetency, C larity and C onfidence. Factsheets can be useful communication tools during a crisis, since they’re able to provide clear lists of what’s known about the situation in order to reassure students and counteract potential misinformation. To that end, consider creating a factsheet template. 5.Devise key preparedness statements Create a list of key messages that you can quickly use and adapt in a crisis. Some messaging might seek to offer reassurance, for instance: ‘ Our team is on call 24/7 during this time to ensure fast responses to any questions. Forecasts suggest the situation is likely to improve within xx hours. ’ Youmay wish to emphasise safety: ‘ Our first priority is to ensure that all our staff and students are safe. We’re working to ensure everyone is accounted for, and will then conduct a safety assessment before returning to campus. ’ Or share trusted information sources: ‘ We are working closely with the emergency services to understand more about the situation. ’ 6. Ensure your staff knowthe rules It’s not uncommon for some news outlets to send freelance investigative reporters to lurk near campuses when crises strike, hoping to catch unsuspecting staff for an off-the-cuff conversation. All staff should therefore be told that all media communications must go through the allocated person, be they a communications director, headteacher’s PA, or a member of staff liaising with a trusted crisis communications agency. It’s a good idea to send regular internal reminders that no one bar allocated personnel should be speaking to the media. 7. Establish a ‘crisis comms cascade’ A ‘cascade of information’ is designed to ensure that messages are known and understood internally before being released. A standard example for use in crisis situations might look like this: SLT briefing governance briefing staff briefing with simultaneous staff email for non-attendees student briefing and simultaneous student email for non-attendees emailed parental communications alongside offer of Q&A forumwith SLT alumni communications community communications. 8.Create your crisis communications handbook Having undertaken these steps, you can then produce your crisis communications plan. This should comprise a handbook that will prepare senior staff to act quickly via a communications cascade that can cover any unforeseen incidents. The handbook should accompany your overall operational crisis planning, and contain clearly outlined responsibilities for implementation so that steps can be put into action immediately. Regularly review and update your handbook so that it’s always ready to be rolled out. A solid crisis communications plan will help you get the right messages out at the right time, promote calm, keep your students safe and enable you to maintain your trusted reputation. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jody Cooksley is a Senior Consultant with Chelgate Education and an expert in the sector with more than 20 years’ experience of crisis communication. Chelgate is a specialist crisis communications agency with decades of expertise in the successful handling of issues and reputation management, offering trusted advice to senior leaders at every step of the process – find out more by visiting chelgateeducation.co.uk Photo courtesy of Lillie Spibey 13 teachwire.net/secondary E X T E R N A L R E L AT I O N S